Moving pigs a quarter of a mile without fences, a photo diary.
We half expected to be chasing the pigs around the property the rest of the day, but they behaved. Proud farmer moment.
Before we started farming the property in 2013, the farm had been leased out to a grass seed/annual rye grass farmer. The farm is around 320 acres, so we take back portions of the property as we can manage them. We needed a large grazing animal to help us manage the space and restore soil health. Fortunately the…
The farm contracts with a breeder in Creswell. We buy piglets in the spring and raise them up on the farm until the fall when they are harvested. They are heritage breeds, typically a Berkshire cross. Photo Journal: 1. Picking up the piglets from the breeder. 2. Baby pigs 3. The “Pig Ship” – a…
The farm experimented with planting warm season forage and grasses this year. We don’t have irrigation for the pastures and wanted to see if we could grow forage for the dry summer months rather than having to feed hay. We planted sunhemp, sorghum sudan grass and cowpea using a no till drill. It took in some places, growing…
Potential for Shake and Catch Harvesting of Hazelnuts Research funded by the Western SARE Farmer/Rancher Grant Program is helping us look at alternative harvesting options for our hazelnuts. Conventionally, hazelnuts are harvested by sweeping them off of the orchard floor every fall. This “sweep harvest” method necessitates keeping orchard floors very flat and free of…
There are multiple benefits to running the pigs through the hazelnuts after harvest. We set up a paddock in the oak trees adjacent to the hazelnut orchard. We are able to keep the pigs in the forest and open up the young orchard to supervised day grazing. One of the main pests for a hazelnut…
Cover crops can benefit your soil and ultimately your bottom line. We plant cover crops in the pasture, orchards and garden using a no-till drill. Not only do cover crops help correct nutrient deficiencies in the soil, they also make excellent forage for the livestock and mulch for the garden. Cover crops reduce soil erosion, increase…
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