the seed heads off; and will eat the thistles before they get too tall and woody. The sheep eat closer to the ground. The sheep are a Dorper/ Katahdin cross which are hair breeds and not wool breeds. Matt said the pasture is planted with a mix of brome, Timothy, orchard grass, alfalfa and red clover. The variety helps ensure that there’s always something to eat in the pasture – some grasses do well in dry conditions and others do well when it’s wet. They will also bale some of the forage mix for use in the winter. Additionally, the couple rents land to grow corn, soybeans and oats. Their goal on the poultry side is simply to raise a really good and hardy laying hen. The chickens also fit into the sustainability formula: “We like to have the chickens around because the scratch up the manure, they eat flies and maggots, The sheep and goats graze together.
OUR AG LENDERS
KNOW
FARMING Stop in, enjoy a cup of coffee and visit with an ag loan specialist today!
Sioux Falls | Colton | Estelline | Hartford | Hayti | Hazel | Humboldt | Tea | Watertown July 2022 | www.agemedia.pub | The Farming Families Magazine
9
