Sustainability

Our intention is to walk this earth with as small a footprint as we can, leaving no destruction in our wake. We are very aware of our Earth's fragile ecology and will attempt to leave it in better condition than when we got here. Please take the time to read and appreciate the things - both large and small - that we do here, on this farm, to accomplish this. This is our list to date. We do not intend to stop here. Hopefully one day we will be able to switch to all renewable energy sources, but we're not there yet.

Water Management

Like so many areas throughout the west, water is a treasured and limited resource. Our farm is no different. We capture, save and reuse as much water as we can. We have a dug well and a drilled well which provides our personal needs.

We have a 100' x 200' pond that is 15 feet deep that fills every spring and doesn't go dry until sometime in late July. Our 450' of French Drains have a steady flow of ground water exiting that will be captured in ponds (to be dug next spring) for the livestock.

A year around spring-fed pond provides a constant flow of cold clean water for our grazers.

A seasonal stream assures that our pastures get the spring water they so desperately need. Our farm is also naturally sub-irrigated so we use no water on our pastures.

French Drains

A French Drain is a 2 foot wide trench 3 feet deep with a 4" perforated pipe at the bottom and filled with gravel. Its purpose is to channel water away from a building. Our farm is a natural water shed and the spring melt brings with it ground that is so soggy the water erupts to the surface. Our living area is between 2 benches and right in the middle of 1/2 mile of trough running downhill to the north about 250'. After spending 2 springs trudging through mud and trying desperately to redirect the water, my neighbor and I dug 450' of French drains over the past year. The water that is flowing from the three exit pipes will be used to water the livestock and keep a pond filled.

Grey Water

It is our intention to completely eliminate our septic system by year's end. We plan to drain the grey water (any water without human waste in it) from our sinks, shower and laundry into one of the French drains, let the gravel filter it naturally, capture it at the exit for using to water the trees, shrubs and flowers around the house.

Processing Waste

Waste at the big livestock operations is a big problem. We won't even address any of the ecologically unfriendly methods there are for waste removal. When we process our birds - either chickens or turkeys - the only unused waste is the feathers which are composted. The organs that are not kept for food are cooked and fed to our 4 large dogs. The feet and legs made great chew treats for them. The heads are brought to our local vet office for the raptors they care for and rehabilitate.

Our pork is processed at a USDA Facility. We ask to bring home all the fat trimmings and bones which becomes dog food.

We generate very little waste here.

Composting

Composting is a very important part of living an eco-friendly existence. Farms that raise livestock (even small ones like ours) generate tons of compost material each year. Cow manure, horse manure, pig manure, poultry manure , bedding - all very good material for a healthy garden. There is no place on this farm for chemical herbicides, pesticides or fertilizers.

Habitat

We have small wood lots at each corner of our farm. The lower north pasture is heavily grown up with various shrubs and bushes with pines and firs scattered about. Our east pasture area is divided lengthwise by a hillside growing wild.  Our farm is bisected east to west (1/4 mile) by a tall, thick hedgerow. A year around spring-fed pond completes the north pasture area. Coyotes, bear, wild turkeys, deer and an occasional moose frequent this area. Of our 80 acres, about 30 acres is left to natural habitat. We do allow our horses and cows to graze it.

Tree Planting

Over the past 3 years, we have planted over 200 trees on our farm. Maples, Mountain Ash, Oak, Crabapple, Linden, Sweetgum, Aspens, Firs, Pines, Poplars and a Willow. This year we are adding Red Osier Dogwoods, more Maple, Mock Oranges, Honeysuckle, Caragana and 20 assorted fruit trees.

Bug/Pest Control

Having 100 chickens and 80 turkeys on pasture surrounding the garden provides an excellent first line of defense against marauding insects. The ones that get past this army is then greeted by 2 roosters that roam our garden freely. We encourage swallows and bats to nest. Our pond attracts the ever-welcome Red Winged Blackbird and an occasional duck. Junkos, Cow Birds, Crows, Bald Eagles, Red Tailed Hawks, Great Grey Owls, Bluebirds, etc provide us with a never-ending source of entertainment and great pest control.

The gophers and ground squirrels that get past our raptors in the air are readily hunted and disposed of by our 8 cats and 3 Airedales.

No need for poisons or traps.

Weed Control

Our cattle eat various weeds. We're hoping to get a couple of milk goats this spring - they eat most weeds. Our pigs eat everything they can dig out of the ground. What's left is pretty obvious - so we just pull them. This will be our first year of concentrating on the eradication of our weeds. Some of our fields are over-run and have not been used for 6 years. If we can't control the weeds in this fashion they deserve to live in the field. We will not use herbicides for weed control. It's not healthy for us, our animals or the environment.

Rotational Grazing

It is our intention to develop and implement an intensive rotational grazing strategy by spring of next year. To properly manage healthy pastures, some thought and a great deal of effort is involved. Animal movement between paddocks has to be developed with fences and gates. Water and feed delivery must be considered. Capture, quarantine areas and loading zones must be added in accessible areas. Whew - makes me tired just thinking about it. I install and maintain all the fences around here and it seems to be a never-ending job.

A pasture that has had only one species grazing it becomes stressed and unhealthy. A cow, for example, will eat its favorite food and ignore everything else. Needless to say, it is this "everything else" that thrives because it is not being eaten down while all the cows favorites are being over-grazed. The result is a pasture that isn't productive anymore. By rotating livestock through paddocks, letting the just vacated paddock rest for week or two and bringing in a different species with different tastes, the pasture becomes more evenly grazed. Here is an example:

I have 40 acres divided into 5 acre paddocks. I turn my cows loose in Paddock #1. They browse grasses, brush and weeds. In 1 week, I move them to Paddock # 2. In 2 weeks I bring my horses into Paddock #1. They eat the grasses a little closer to the ground and some browse. Remember that all the animals are adding and trampling in great fertilizers as they go. Next come the goats, then the turkeys and finally the chickens. The process is then repeated. All through this process, the ground is being aerated, fertilized and watered; weeds are being eradicated and seeds distributed. By the time the chickens leave the paddock, it has been pretty well worked over, scratched up and ready for a rest.