[jac]

The area we’re going to use has had a heavy layer of horse manure during the winter as it was the toilet area, the grass is very short and we harrowed it once. After watching the short video of Eric and Anne Nordells operation Im begining to think I might just harrow it hard with the heavy harrows and cover crop for the 1st year ??? I find it hard to loose the “must plow” mindset as cover croping is unheard of in this area. Any thoughts on the heavy rain fall we have. Is that likely to be an issue if we dont plow or is it a benefit ?
John

[jac]

Great read Bivol.. Once again you’ve shown how modern thinking can dismiss old technology as “primitive”, mainly because we look at it from our modern point of view.. {ard plow}.. put that wagon into its proper context and it becomes “state of the art”. A recent example of this thinking is the horsedrawn mower.. put it behind a tractor and you suddenly need two people and maneuvering is hard and the uninformed think “primitive old fashioned”.. whereas behind the horse… an excellent machine. Thanks for the time you must’ve spent on that article Bivol….
John

[jac]

Got to agree with Mitch on the New Holland. Joshua mentioned the knives and while you’re in there and hav the knotters up, check that the arm that the knife bolts to is actualy rubbing the back of the bill hook.. that can cause mayhem if it isnt. I think Im right in saying that some of the IH balers could be ordered with the “Deering” knotter. These were considered the best.
John

[jac]

Hi Anthony, thank you for that detailed plan.. When you mention setting the ley in a manner to encourage decomposition.. I had planned to flop the furrow right over but take it you mean to leave it more upright ?? Cover cropping has never been practiced round these parts that I can remember. Fallowing used to be common but not since the 60’s.. I spoke with an old farmer a while back and he said “They used to coax a seed bed.. nowadays they batter it into submission “..We should be able to start the plow in a week or two.. we’re only doing a half acre. I’ll take it slow..
John

[jac]

Mitch the area we are in is traditional dairy.. but now mostly beef and sheep. I take your point about talking to some of the neighbours.. or the older ones at least.. thers a man about 2 miles away that grows some vegetables. When we talk of “corn” we mean oats!! Our “maize” is your corn 🙂
Tim the grass you mention is known as “wrack” over here, and its a real pain.. The area we have earmarked was used as the toilet area thru the snow time and now has a nice covering of freshly harrowed manure covering most of the grass. Once we start I’ll post as many fotos as I can. thanks all .
John

[jac]

We are on pretty heavy land. Next neighbour up the hill is near to peat. You’re bang on with the lime by the way. our water is full of it. There was a lot of buttercup but I did a lot of harrowing last couple of years and seem to have reduced that ?. I put it down to the harrows ripping the broad leaves of the buttercup and reducing growth ?!?! any thoughts on that one.. Thats one thing I’ve noticed nowadays.. a lot less lime being spread. Economies of the modern farm I guess but false I think. Thank you for your imput. I will keep you posted as the project builds. Its all adding to the info on this site that helps others starting out. dont think ther’s a better one.
John

[jac]

Erika I’ll dig out a couple of SFJ and find the adverts, thanks.. Mitch how deep will I need to go.. Deep to bury the turf or shallow 1st time and deep the following spring ?? Will the turf decay quicker if shallow plowed.. Would barley do as a cover crop or is it classed as a greedy crop regards taking a lot out of the soil ? So much to learn to get off the treadmill of the “high imput” attitude of my farmer friends and neighbours.. “Roundup” is really popular round our area ,as is 150hp tractors and power harrows !!! then the same tractors get used to turn hay:eek:!!. Thats me off the subject.. I didnt even ask anyone on our road for advice on this.. They think im slightly mad to want to do this with horses anyway.. Thank you for the info..
John

[jac]

Hey Erika.. Sorry , a “ley” is a term we use over here for grassland, whether it be short term ley or long term ley .. The trans-atlantic thing again:).. I realise we wont get any veg in this year but hope to plant potatos, leeks, onion and lettuce some turnips and carrots next year, hence the urgency to be rid of the old turf.. We have the beginings of what we call a “FFSA”.. Friends and Family Supported Agriculture. We have an abundance of well rotted horse manure{straw}. Land is south facing and heavy loam. We will be doing everything with draft horses so wont be using any quick methods like power harrow… Tim.. dont really want to go down the chemical route if at all possible…
John

[jac]

Hi im andrea, the a in jac, im glad the horses are now in safe caring hands,10 years ago i come accross a advert which I couldnt get out my head, it was for a welsh sec”A” I dono what it was about it but I felt I had to phone, and I did, to cut a long story short it turn out she was a very abused pony, the person who was selling her had bought her to get her out her situation and then didnt no what to do with her, enter me I phoned heard her sad story and that was me, I went to see her and that was that, needless to say she came home with me. I took weeks of gentle lovin care just for her to stop shaking when I went into her stable let alone put a brush near her,10 years down the line she has given me two beautiful fillies one of witch has stayed at home and is due her first foal on the 19th of june she is now 5yo and the 3yo fillie is with a friend, and being broken to drive this year.It take a long time to regain a horse’s trust but when you get there its a amazing feeling and it’s a total trust and a big responsibilty on anyone who has been lucky enough to gain it. good luck with your mares im sure in time you’l get there and when you do you’l no it in your heart and who knows in later years you might do it again, I did another twice, let us all no how it’s going. all the best andrea,

[jac]

In Britain when the lifeboats were pulled into the sea by horses, the practice apparantly involved reversing the horses into the water and when they saw the water between there front legs shot back into the sea !!! Not to be recomended as a way to train acceptance of water 🙂 I also read somewhere that in the early part of last century the river beds were dragged to dislodge weeds and the horses were up to there bellies in places…..
John

[jac]

Hahaha trust you guys to notice that:D.. Its actualy a ratchet lever off an old hay lifter that I plan to use to lift my seeder/slitter without hydraulics…remember that long debate we had about how to land drive hydraulics?? Well Im going to try a lever system. More fotos soon.
John

[jac]

This isnt really a 1st drive of the year as we try to keep them all going thru the winter and manage to hitch most weeks at least once, but its the 1st proper work we’ve managed so far. The weather’s been unusually warm, with only -3 at night. We took the chance to start the drag harrows to try and repair the hay field. The fotos of me and my girls tell it I hope. Nearside mare, Ruth, is mother of the off horse, Belle, 11 and 5.. daughter up on the hitch cart is 11 too. Nice weather and a good team make for a poor excuse for work:)
John

[jac]

Regards the first time in the mower.. We conditioned our 4 to it during the previous winter by hooking up an old mower with a draw bar for a tractor to the hitch cart. That way I felt they got used to the noise while still in a familiar place{the hitch cart}.. Hooked the steel pitman arm up with a big shackle and put it in gear.. even more noise… It was one less thing for them to worry about when they got to the hay field… Worked for us .
John

[jac]

I’ll second that Josh.. Over here the green ones are called “Oh Deery Me’s”… By the Massey fans that is:)… Going to be a usefull tool when its done..
John

[jac]

OldKat your friend left so much more than any banker or lawyer and most ordinary folk could hope to leave in a life time. He was lucky to have good friends like yourselves around him. God Bless..
John

[Author]

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