Cleaning up broken glass

[GoldenMom]

Before we moved to our homestead, a previous owner had allowed EVERY SINGLE window in our barn to be broken and they never picked up the pieces (the windows broke to the outside). Now I am having a heck of a time getting all of the small bits of broken glass picked up from an area my horse and chickens have access to. Right now I pretty much go out after every rain and pick up all the new pieces that have surfaced (the area is bare dirt). I've been doing this for a year, though, and don't really seem to be making much progress. Would rototilling the area help to bring up the buried bits of glass or would that just make the problem worse? Anybody have any good suggestions for getting rid of the glass?

[VALENT]

I dont know how much area you have to clean up BUT: you may have to dig out a clean area, put the dirt aside, fill the hole with the glass-ridden dirt and cover with clean dirt from the bottom of the new hole. Then repeat the process as many times as necessary.

[Maura]

Cleaning up glass on dirt is a nightmare. I am in the same situation and am constantly picking up the broken glass next to our driveway (our shed burned down, windows and vases and dishes) Amazingly, nobody seems to have gotten cut in the past two years. I do not graze the animals there, and the ducks avoid the area. As Valent wrote, removing the dirt may be your best bet. If you can't fill with clean dirt, you could shovel the area and pour the dirt over a heavy screen to filter out the glass. Panning for glass.

[fordson major]

i realy hate to tell you this but broken glass is forever!! we moved here to the farm over 36 years ago. have been picking up glass ever since! we try not to add to the stash but more appears every spring , great way to stay in shape, bend and pick up trash(never ending here)