[Y 4 Ranch]

First off thankyou to all for your input, we do appreciate it.

As for tillable ground, we would only keep about 50 into small grain if that, ultimately I’d like to try and figure out a rotation of crops that would minimize the tillage portion. I plan on planting, Rye, Hairy Vetch, Buckwheat, Oats, Wheat and Barley, also throwing in a legume like Chickling Vetch. On some of he pasture ground we have introduced some Kura clover with some varieties of grasses to mitigate bloat. I plan on keeping enough seed back from each crop to reseed the following year; that will help I know; some of the 180 would be hayed.

Someone mentioned a pull type combine, I know of exactly what you speak, but to find one around here is near impossible. I have looked for one a long while but have only found ones ready for the scrap pile. I have an old JD 55 square back with a pickup header and 2 others for parts from my neighbor sitting back in the woods; it runs real good but it seems to have some holes or I don’t have it set right. As of last year, that was the first I’ve ever touched a combine of any type. I have an operators manual and have studied it quite long hours but some of the things seem to be amiss as I frequently have no idea of their terminology.

I had planned on keeping the tractor around for loader work and have considered the use of the tillage equipment to expedite the tillage process and combine for the harvest. We’d use the horses for the planting, haying and feeding. That’s basically the plan, but we all know a plan is just a plan and subject to change, I like the old axium of “If you fail to plan then you plan to fail” I don’t know who originally said it but they knew what they were talking about.

Mike

[Y 4 Ranch]

I thought so, but there are so many people in the conventional side that brow beats you into thinking your ideas are dumb or just plain wrong. I’m learning about the grain side, last year was my first year and did far better than I thought it would; so I thought we’d expand that a little. The only money I owe really outside the land is the conventional equipment, with it gone so goes the debt.

I like the idea of using some of the lighter horses on the haying crew, ( couldn’t see the forest for all the trees in the way) shoulda crossed my mind but didn’t. I looked 15 years for a good hydrafork and found one in Timber Lake SD in summer of 06, I hadn’t used one for years and hadn’t seen one in MN for sure. I have an old 1.5 ton truck that has the motor reversed with 2 transmissions and a Farmhand loader with hay basket for stacking hay. It goes like a raped ape if you let it, rides nicer than the tractor and is easier to replace or repair than the NH 7740SLE. BUT the wife don’t like it as it is lacking some safety features that she feels it needs, but it does work nice.

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