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… and inspected.

For the most part, I had the fencing project [north of the creek] done yesterday.  But today I added the finishing touches by installing temporary gates to the paddock entrances.   Just before that, I called my local Natural Resource and Conservation Service (NRCS) official and asked him if we could schedule an inspection time/date.  He said, “How about 1:00 PM today?”  My response was, “Um, OK.”  That’s when I put the temp. gates in place and connected the fencer unit.  And right on time, the NRCS guy pulled into the drive.

On an aerial map, I showed him what fences I built/completed and how to get out to the newly installed paddocks.  Roughly a half an hour later, he and his assistant were gone.  I’m hoping everything met government specifications.  That’s how I built the stuff.  I even built it better than what was called for.  While I was fixing the fencing for the goats and sheep (on the south side of the creek) I could see that the inspectors were photographing my fencing – and admiring it, I’m sure.  Once they were gone, the rains came… again.   So far this month, we have had 13 days with precipitation and only 2 day without.  What a change from last year.

Here’s hoping the fencing passed inspection.  Whatever the case, the Scottish Highlander cattle are in some tall grass now.  In some areas of the paddocks, I could only see horns and tail.  I’m assuming all the other parts, in between, are there as well.

Much of the day was spent cutting hay with the farm’s old swather.  I first started cutting some of the ditch grass alongside the state highway that passes by the farm.  It was dry, sunny and a little breezy – perfect for drying… and very comfortable to be working in.  After swathing the grass in some of the ditches, I headed north of the creek.  We have a 10+ acre field of organically grown grass/alfalfa hay.  We will use this hay during the winter for the dairy goats and for all the goats and sheep, just before kidding/lambing season.

One thing I’m doing different this year, with regards to the hay cutting, is I’m starting to swath in the center of the field and working out.  According to the local National Resource & Conservation Service (NRCS) office, this pattern is encouraged.  Supposedly, it promotes the ‘flushing’ of wildlife.  It is said to chase the birds and small animals to the outside of the field.  Normally, folks start cutting hay from the outside, working in.  This practice traps critters, often mutilating them with the cutting blades of the cutting equipment.  An alternative [approved] hay cutting pattern is to start swathing on one end or side of the field and moving across, flushing wildlife across the field.

Swathing First Crop Hay

The hay was thick.  The warm, moist spring seemed to be what the fields needed this year.  Even the grass and clover in the ditches are coming in quite dense.

Here it is… finally installed and ready for years and years of trouble free service.  If it can make it through our harsh winter just setting on gravel, it should have no problem providing years of dependable service, being installed correctly on a concrete pad.  The model we have is short enough for goats and sheep to drink from… and yet it’s tall enough for cattle.

Here is our recently installed remote automatic winter waterer

This waterer is located approx. 850 ft from the homestead.  I ran out of time last year to get it installed as I should have, but used it for the cattle anyway.  Because I did not have it on a cement pad I was not able to get paid for it with our NRCS grant money, but the funds should come through this year once the waterer and pad get inspected and approved.

Right now the cattle are locked out of the area where this waterer sets.  They are in a paddock down the lane that boarders the eastern property line.  There I have another remote watering station, consisting of a 60 gal. stock tank.  Currently, they are being fed grass hay in that same paddock.  Next week the pasture grasses will be long enough for me to turn them out.  I wish I could do it now, but timing is very important when practicing managed grazing techniques.

I got a phone call from our local Natural Resources and Conservation Services (NRCS) office, located in Willmar, MN.  The official on the line said, “Rich, I have some bad news.“  It turns out that the application I filled out for the Federal High-Tunnel Grant Program had been declined.  It seems as though all the applications in Kandiyohi County (as well as many other area counties) had been declined, due to funding issues.  There was a slight pause.  Then the guy on the other end of the line mentioned he may have some good news as well.  He told me that he might be able to re-write my High-Tunnel Grant application under the Organic Initiative.  If I qualify, I will be approved as there is plenty of money under that initiative.  This is because of the low sign-up numbers of those who are either Certified Organic or in Transition to become Certified.

We’re hoping for the best.  We should know more by next week.  The high-tunnel will allow us to extent our growing season by an average of 2 months.