MASTER PLAN & WHOLESITE FARM PLAN 1741 LAUNIUS RD, GOOD HOPE, GA
H U NGRY GNOM E GARDENSCAPES “Empowering people to grow food.”
OVERVIEW The Watson family owns a ‘blank slate’ property with boundless potential. As they finish up work on the house, they will focus on the 7 acres of old family pasture land on which the house sits. They hope to grow as much food as they can eat with more to share with family and friends. Property Description Located in the Piedmont of Georgia Charles Watson 1741 Launius Rd. Good Hope, GA 30641 Morgan county 6.63 acres + additional lot under contract Zoned AR agricultural-residential Soil productivity - 1 on the scale of 1 - 8 with 1 being the best! Client Goals in order of importance: 1. Grow your own food, both animal and vegetable on the property. 2. Locate the best place for the barn and size it appropriately for the expected uses 3. Space for training dogs 4. Slaughter your own animals in a the building on the adjacent property 5. Space close to the house for vegetables, entertaining & relaxation The Watson property was once part of a much larger farm. Piedmont agricultural land was abandoned in three phases, 1. during the Civil War, 2. with the 1880’s agricultural depression, and 3. following the introduction of the boll weevil in the 1920s. Approximately 75% of this eroded land was abandoned by the 1930s and developed extensive secondary forest dominated by loblolly and shortleaf pines which have been repeatedly harvested since. The property to the north currently has a pine plantation. The Watson’s property is similar to the neighboring pasture land to the east and west.
Overview H U NGRY GNOM E GARDENSCAPES
WHOLESITE FARM PLAN
DESIGN ER: GARETH CROSBY FALL 2013
1/19
This 6.6 acre farm is ready to be productive, with excellent soil (it scores a 1, the best soil productivity), a gradual roll of the pastoral land, and 360 degree views from the house.
The forested northern property line
The extent large-crop garden is close to the forested border, about 200 feet from the house. It is surrounded by pasture which is constantly invading and needing to be removed.
The barn and chicken coop
The existing barn sits in a low spot on the property where water has been known to run to and pool.
PI N E PLANTATION
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A weed tree in the bramble patch.
BLACKBERRY BRAMBLE PATCH
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A large patch of tangled blackberry bramble, reaching closed to half an acre, is taking over the southern arm of the property’s arable land. The blackberries attract deer and provide lots of fruit for the household, but they also present a serious maintenance predicament. They are too thick now to simply take out with a bush hog and they are expanding and making it impossible to keep weed trees from growing in the interior.
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The property has 2 boarders almost completely fenced by the neighbors on either side. The property spans the boundary between Walton and Morgan counties but is considered to be in Morgan county. There are a few undesirable trees on the property, very close to the property line. If these trees are removed the only remaining trees will be the apples and pears planted on the highest point of the property, to the northwest of the house, suffering from deer browse.
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Existing conditions H U NGRY GNOM E GARDENSCAPES
WHOLESITE FARM PLAN
DESIGN ER: GARETH CROSBY FALL 2013
2/19
Almost the entire property is exposed to the elements with very few trees except on the boarder of the property. The pine plantation to the north blocks some wind, however the westerly winds blow unchecked across the property
CLIMATE, SUN/SHADE
Animals will need protection during the winter.
COLD WI NTER STORMS FROM TH E NORTH AN D W EST
Orchard trees might need protection to the north PI N E PLANTATION and west The house needs some summer sun protection to the south and west
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Avoid planting fruiting trees in these areas and consider plants that can tolerate or require wetter conditions.
WARM SUMM ER STORMS FROM TH E SOUTH AN D W EST
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ANALYSIS H U NGRY GNOM E GARDENSCAPES
WHOLESITE FARM PLAN
DESIGN ER: GARETH CROSBY FALL 2013
3/19
Topography changes are less than 20 feet across the property, however, microtopography causes undulations in the landscape including a high point where the house and orchard are locate, and low spots where water pools and frost can be more serious. Generally, water flows away from the house and orchard, toward the property boundary. Significant water can flow and pool where the barn is currently located. Other low areas will also collect water from the landscape. They may be man made undulations, created to collect water for animals and plant growth. The house is in a good location relative to water and land form
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GEN ERAL DIRECTION OF FLOW
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GA Design recommendations: • Relocate the barn so that it is: • Higher on the property • Closer to the house • Easily accessible from the driveway • Close to the pasture and paddocks • Build gradual rain swales in the pasture in order to: • Slow, spread and sink the water before it gets to the low point where the barn is • Water the pasture passively • Spread the animal influence out across the entire property: • Create multiple pastures • Move the animals after no more than 3 days in a pasture or paddock • Any specialized fencing or other materials should be grouped together • Group animals that work well together
• If contained, plan for easy cleaning and composting of animal manure near the garden • Use composted manure from stalls on the garden. • Group like animals together • Create a central place of operations for activity relating to animal husbandry • Use the animals to help maintain the pastures, vegetable garden, and orchards • Grazers will help mow, browsers will keep weed trees out of the pasture and along the fence line, scratchers will break up and spread manure piles, rooters will till up land for gardens or till up unwanted plants in the garden. 0 10
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ANALYSIS H U NGRY GNOM E GARDENSCAPES
WHOLESITE FARM PLAN
DESIGN ER: GARETH CROSBY FALL 2013
4/19
250ft
MICROCLIMATE, ACCESS AND CIRCULATION, LEGAL Current circulation patterns are simple. Car traffic stays on the driveway and infrequently crosses the pasture to the current location of the barn. Foot traffic is most commonly found from the parked cars to the front of the house and from the back of the house to the back yard where there is a swing set, a pool, a vegetable garden, and barn beyond.
Important points of access include the driveway, the house, and the barn. Current use patterns on the property show heavy use right around the house, decreasing rapidly as you walk away from the house. The property is bisected by the boarder between Morgan and Walton counties but the zoning remains constant.
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The south side of the house will be very warm, especially considering the concrete driveway poured just in front.
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The house creates places of microclimate. On the north side of the house will be the coolest place on the property as the house blocks the sun and the winter winds come from that direction.
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Design recommendations: • Consider planting evergreen trees to the north of the house to block some of the cold air in the winter or build the future garage here to buffer the cold.
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• Consider shading the concrete in the summer to keep cooling costs down.
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ANALYSIS H U NGRY GNOM E GARDENSCAPES
WHOLESITE FARM PLAN
DESIGN ER: GARETH CROSBY FALL 2013
5/19
PASTU RE PADDOCKS FOR ROTATIONAL GRAZI NG OF COWS, HORSES, SH EEP AN D CHICKENS
WI N DROW OF NUT PI N ES, GOUMI AN D DEODAR CEDAR TO PROTECT TH E HOUSE, ORCHARD, AN D VEGGIE GARDEN FROM WI NTER STORMS
GATES BETW EEN PADDOCKS ORCHARD: APPLES, PEARS, PLUMS, FIGS
BARN 40’X60’ HOUSI NG AN D STORAGE FOR ALL AN IMALS AN D FARM EQUIPM ENT
CISTERN
VEGGIE GARDEN: SUGAR PEAS, BEATS, LETTUCE, H ERBS, SPECIALTY GREENS MAI N HOUSE M U LBERRY TREE LAYI NG CHICKEN COOP AN D SCRATCH AREA PROPOSED GARAGE
EXTRA PARKI NG PROPOSED DRIVEWAY
LARGE CROP VEGETABLE GARDEN: CORN, BEANS, SQUASH, POTATOES, SW EET POTATOES, OKRA, CARROTS, PEANUTS, GARLIC, ON IONS, CABBAGE
PROCESSI NG HOUSE: HOM E GROW N AN D H U NTED M EAT, FRUITS AN D VEGETABLES H U NTI NG DOG TRAI N I NG OFFICE WITH ACCESS TO TH E PASTU RE BEYON D
PEREN N IAL FRUITS AN D VEGETABLES: BLU EBERRIES, BLACKBERRIES, RASPBERRIES, STRAWBERRIES, ASPARAGUS, SU NCHOKES, ARTICHOKES
PIG PASTU RE: 4 PADDOCKS
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Final Design H U NGRY GNOM E GARDENSCAPES
WHOLESITE FARM PLAN
DESIGN ER: GARETH CROSBY FALL 2013
6/19
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H U NGRY GNOM E GARDENSCAPES DESIGN ER: GARETH CROSBY FALL 2013
7/19
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Design Description With an open property like this, there are endless ways to develop. We have used Permaculture principals to help guide our work to design a land-use plan that will work seemliness with your goals.
costs. The open view from the master bedroom porch will be maintained to the west for the long view of the pasture and neighboring pastures.
Children will have ample contained space to run and play within The layout of the property has be created using the permaculture the fenced back yard of the house. Inside the fence there will principal ‘Zones of Use’. This refers to common patterns of use in be a play structure, pool, and raised bed vegetable gardens. A relation to space and distance from the house, which is the center few fruiting or flowering trees may be planted near the house to of activity on most properties. shade the patio.
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Zone I Places that will be visited or used most frequently will include: the barn, vegetable gardens, play areas, and outdoor seating areas. These areas have been located close to the house and driveway for easy access and visibility. The future garage will be located to the south east of the house. It will be attached to the main house by a roofed walkway, crossing the existing concrete patio to the south of the house. To keep the land surrounding the house as welcoming as possible, the driveway has been rerouted to the south of the garage allowing for a large planted area in front of the house. This makes the existing front door less for guests and more for simple access to the front yard. Guest parking is off the driveway to the east and a landscaped, flagstone path will invite guests to cross the driveway and walk along the west side of the garage, to the covered entry into the main house. Attached to the east side of the garage will be a chicken coop, accessible from the garage so that egg collecting can be done without a raincoat on a rainy day! This will also make it easier to feed and protect them from skunks, raccoons, and opossums, as well as provide a source for electricity to the coop. A mulberry tree is located to the east of the coop and will give the chickens some much needed shade in the summer as well as abundant fruit during fruiting season and leaf mulch in the fall. Views from the house are primarily open, except to the north, where a wind row of nut pines, goumi, and deodar cedar block the winter winds, and to the southwest, where deciduous nut trees will shade the house from the south-westerly summer sun, allowing cool air to enter the house and reduce cooling
The barn is considered part of zone I, since it is a home for animals that need daily care. It can be messy so it is not attached to the house. The barn is still very accessible, from the house and from the street. It is visible from the house as a reminder that important work is done there, but the view is partially blocked by two shade/nut trees. The barn is located close to the board well for easy access to water for the animals and does not block the view of the house from the road. Water from the roof will be caught and stored in cisterns raised above the ground. Gravity will pull the water down and out of the cisterns to fill troughs, wash animals, and water the garden. The house will also have 2 cisterns to collect water for the raised bed vegetables, orchard, and ornamental plantings around the house. Zone II The vegetable garden for staple and spreading crops, is located close to the house for easy harvesting, the barn for access to tools and storage, and the well for water. It is fully fenced to protect it from deer and rabbits. The proposed garden is currently covered in brambles. It will be fenced in with 7-wire electric fencing to allow goats to browse down the blackberry canes. Then the blackberry roots will be rooted out and eaten by pigs, leaving this land free of blackberry and nut sedge and most other plant material. Once the land is cleared by pig and goat power, it will be free for cultivation and crops and will be highly protected from deer. Since deer can jump a 5 foot fence, an additional electric wire might need to be strung up 4 feet outside the 7-wire fence to create a double fence which will disorient deer and stop them from jumping the fence. The orchard is located close to the house for ease of care and harvest as well as protection form deer but it will not be visited nearly as often. In the front yard where it is located, it will be visible from the house so that Charles can keep an eye on it and shoot any brave deer from the porch if need be. They are also shielded from the majority of the winter winds by the windrow of evergreen trees. The groundcover in this area will be a mixture of grasses and guild plants. Guild plants and their purpose are discussed in more detail later. Zone III The berries and perennial vegetables are planted, irrigated, mulched and left to grow and thrive in this highly productive soil. Five-foot wide planted raised beds are spaced ten feet apart to allow space for a chicken tractor full of meet birds to mow between the beds leaving plenty of space for each plant to grow, spread and thrive in the beds. The 10-foot spread can also be mowed by sheep if they are fenced off from the plants in the beds with a movable electric mesh fence. This area will need some deer protection and will require a double fence. The inner fence will be 4-foot field
A Chicken Tractor.
Design Description H U NGRY GNOM E GARDENSCAPES
WHOLESITE FARM PLAN
DESIGN ER: GARETH CROSBY FALL 2013
8/19
Design Description Continued fence with a rabbit guard of chicken wire or carpenter’s cloth, running up the fence to 2 feet and beyond the fence, along the ground for 2 feet. The outer fence will be a single wire electric fence.
Permanent drip irrigation for these plants will greatly help them stay healthy and productive each year. This garden will require yearly pruning to maintain a robust harvest each year.
Zone IV The pasture lands fill this zone. Animals will be rotated through these paddocks to graze for periods of 5 days maximum on any given paddock. There are 8 grazing paddocks, as well as the berry orchard and the fruit tree orchard which will also need to be grazed to maintain a short grass groundcover. Grazing strategies will be discussed further, later in this document. The pig paddocks are located to the south of the barn. There will be 4 sections with a watering trough in the center, available to pigs in any of the four paddocks. Around this watering trough, is a wallow area for the pigs to cool themselves down. A nut tree is planted near the outer edge of each paddock. When it is mature, it will produce food for the pigs to supplement their diets. Fodder crops will be planted during the spring for fall harvest by the rooting pigs. The goal for the pig pastures will be to produce 50% of their diets from the land. The pigs will also help to till up the vegetable garden in the late winter to make way for spring planting. These pastures will be adequate for 2-4 pigs. The processing house will be used to slaughter wild game and animals grown on the farm at different times throughout the year. It will also house the processing area for canning and preserving fruits, nuts, and vegetables grown on the farm. Unfortunately, this area will be a good distance from the house. The processing house will need its own set of equipment for canning, packaging, preserving, and storing food so that equipment does not have to be transferred from the main house. The processing house will also be a meeting place for dog training. Here friends and clients will gather to work with their hunting dogs in the pasture to the north. If dog training becomes a full time operation, this house might be home to a kennel for dogs as well. Finally, this house will be a meeting place for hunting parties to come back to with game. The parking lot should allow for 3 cars and the house should have some comfortable seating areas for gathering after processing is completed.
Design Description H U NGRY GNOM E GARDENSCAPES
WHOLESITE FARM PLAN
DESIGN ER: GARETH CROSBY FALL 2013
9/19
Fencing Recommendations
Recommendations:
Grazing pastures: Use a version of the Vertical Deer Fence with 4 strands of electric fence wire or tape spanning a 4 foot tall fence. This will easily keep sheep, horses, and cows where they need to be. Wire 1 at 1 ft from the ground, Wire 2 at 2 ft from the ground, Wire 3 at 3 ft from the ground, Wire 4 at 4 ft from the ground Pig pasture: Use a version of the Vertical Deer Fence with 4 strands of electric fence wire or tape spanning a 3 foot tall fence. Wire 1 at 6 inches from the ground, Wire 2 at 1 ft from the ground, Wire 3 at 2 ft from the ground, Wire 4 at 3 ft from the ground Veggie Garden: Use the Vertical Deer Fence Offset or Double Fence with a rabbit guard and a low impediment charger (“weed This fence is mostly for gardens, small farms, or nurseries up to burner”) providing at least 5000 volts. This will keep the goats about 40 acres that experience moderate deer pressure. Deer are and pigs from escaping while they are doing all the work to repelled by the shock and the three-dimensional nature of the till up the blackberry bramble and clear the garden every year, fence. You can add wires if deer pressure increases. Cost, excluding as well as keep the deer out when the veggies are growing. labor, is about $.35 per linear foot. Berry and Perennial Garden: Use the Offset Fence to keep out deer and possibly a rabbit fence if you find rabbit damage on the plants. Permanent High-Tensile Electric Fencing. High-tensile fencing can provide year round protection from deer damage. High-tensile fences are expected to last 20 to 30 years.
Factors influencing the effectiveness of electrified high tensile fence include: 1) proper construction of fence; 2) sufficient grounding (noted as the most common error by fencing experts); 3) the amount of vegetative growth coming in contact with the fence; and 4) quality and power of the fence charger. All fence chargers are not built to the same specifications. Unfortunately, a uniform set of standards for comparison of various makes and models of chargers is not available. Only high energy, low impedance chargers should be used. Vertical Deer Fence Vertical fences are effective at protecting large gardens, orchards, and other fields from moderate to high deer pressures. Because of the prescribed wire spacing, deer either attempt to go through the fence and are effectively shocked or they are physically impeded by the barrier. Vertical fences use less ground space than three-dimensional fences, but are probably less effective at inhibiting deer from jumping over fences. There is a wide variety of fence materials, wire spacings, and specific designs you can use. We recommend that you employ a local fence contractor. Costs, excluding labor, range from $0.75 to $1.50 per linear foot.
Diagram: charged and grounded lines
Ground Animals-non climbing Fence Install fences with walls at least 24 inches high, and a skirting buried 2 inches below the soil and bent away from the area needing protection at least 18 inches (to prevent digging). Pay close attention to gateways, making sure that the ground underneath doesn’t allow access under the door.
Fencing H U NGRY GNOM E GARDENSCAPES
WHOLESITE FARM PLAN
DESIGN ER: GARETH CROSBY FALL 2013
10/19
Orchard Guild Plants Orchards are often landscapes of green lawn and fruit trees. Maintenance often includes mowing to keep grasses in check and access to the trees. Grass, however, doesn’t contribute to the growth of the orchard and can, in some ways, decrease productivity via soil compaction from mowing. A holistic approach to tree health and fertility is guild planting. Plant guilds are a combination of form and function. The goal is to mimic the stacking and relationships found in nature while also providing useful resources to humans. The functions of a plant guild can be of benefit to humans, wildlife and the plants themselves. They are limited only by our imaginations and can include: Edible fruit, vegetables, roots, nuts Animal fodder Medicinal plants Nitrogen fixers Nutrient accumulators Forage for pollinators Insectaries Pest control Biomass for soil building Raw materials for lumber, crafts, fiber Fuel sources Not all guilds will contain every function just as they may not contain every form.
This pear tree has just been under planted with guild plants including calendula, artichoke, herbs, bulbs and rhubarb. As these plants grow and spread, they will cover the ground around the tree and keep out the grass, as well as provide vital nutrients to the tree as their deep tap roots bring deep nutrients up to the surface soils where the tree roots feed. Plants we recommend for your orchard include: Trees and Shrubs: Apples Pears Plums Hazel nuts Goumi Currant Groundcovers: Comfrey Daffodils Horseradish Oregano Allium Bronze fennel Artichoke or Cardoon Mountain mint Violets Crimson clover White clover Daikon radish Iris
This apple tree is under planted with comfrey, bulbs, and horseradish.
Guild Plants H U NGRY GNOM E GARDENSCAPES
WHOLESITE FARM PLAN
DESIGN ER: GARETH CROSBY FALL 2013
11/19
Management Intensive Grazing Despite the abundance of moisture, the Southeast region is prone to drought as deficits of precipitation lead to a shortage of freshwater supplies. Rapid population growth and development has greatly increased the region’s demand for water and vulnerability to drought. In the Southeast, droughts typically display a relatively shorter duration (i.e. one to three years) as compared to the miulti-decadal droughts sometimes experienced in the western and central parts of the U.S. The 2007-2008 drought resulted in over 1 billion in losses in Georgia and led to federal lawsuits over control of water releases from Lake Lanier in northern Georgia. Many farmers employ rotational grazing to some degree. We recommend an intensive rotational grazing strategy, and here’s why: Reduced Production Costs - Winter hay feeding is the single most expensive part of being in the cow-calf business. One of the first benefits of pasture subdivision and control of animal usage is the opportunity to grow high quality fall pasture. Increased Animal Output - Most research that has compared Management Intensive Grazing to more traditional grazing methods usually shows no improvement in individual animal performance but a substantial increase in livestock output per acre. Tightly controlling grazing usually results in reduced waste due to fouling and trampling and increased utilization rate. Improved Land Use Efficiency - Animal output from the whole farm or ranch can be increased by utilizing every acre optimally. On most undeveloped pastures there are areas of overuse and areas of under use. One of the greatest benefits of Management Intensive Grazing is controlling where animals spend their time. Environmental Quality - Most of the environmental problems associated with grazing livestock are due to the continuous presence of livestock in a particular location and unrestricted access to critical areas. Once livestock are brought under control and their activities become regulated, almost all types of environmental degradation are reduced or eliminated. Quality of Life - No where is this more apparent than with those producers wanting to introduce their children to the farming operation. Moving temporary electric fence is a much safer task than chopping a load of silage. For the beef producer the reduction in hay making and winter hay feeding is a relief. Planned grazing that significantly lengthens the grazing season shortens the winter work day. Background information Managed Intensive Grazing (MIG) is also commonly known by several names, including Intensive Cell grazing, Rotational Grazing, Mob Grazing, or High-Density Grazing. It is a grazing practice that is quickly gaining popularity in the grass-fed, naturally-raised livestock sector of raising livestock, primarily with cattle, but also with sheep, goats, chickens and even horses. Utilizing such a grazing practice for your pastures involves a lot of planning and management. It’s not as easy as simply planting temporary electric fence posts and stringing up wires then letting your animals out to graze. You will need to analyze your soil, your grass, and your animals in order to be successful in maintaining such a grazing practice and using it to improve the land. In order to do that, we have planned out your pasture and paddocks, watering areas, and direction of movement in this document. For grazing evenly, and to avoid an overload of nutrients (manure) or buildup of parasites in the one spot, a mobile shade structure with a watering trough should be used in the paddocks. Here are a few examples:
Management Intensive Grazing WHOLESITE FARM PLAN
Joel Salatin’s mobile cow shelter
Mobile watering troughs
The Southeast’s mild climate and high rainfall allow for excellent
forage production conditions. More than 60 forage species are grown and used in Georgia. Of these forage crops, several are capable of producing the quality and quantity of forage necessary to support a beef cattle production system. Below are 12 forage crops that are most commonly used for cattle development in Georgia. Cool Season Annuals: Annual Ryegrass, Oats, Rye (cereal), Wheat, Arrowleaf Clover, Crimson Clover Cool Season Perennials: Tall Fescue Warm Season Annuals: Crabgrass, Pearl Millet, SorghumSudangrass Warm Season Perennials: Bahiagrass , Bermudagrass(hybrid) Bermudagrass bridges a gap in productivity of cool-season pastures. Source: extension.missouri.edu To manage pastures well, one needs to understand the three phases to plant growth: Phase 1 – new young growth, low quantity but high quality When pastures are grazed very short there is not enough leaf area and re-growth is slow.
H U NGRY GNOM E GARDENSCAPES DESIGN ER: GARETH CROSBY FALL 2013
12/19
Management Intensive Grazing Continued Phase 2 – most effective energy capture, Keeping plants in phase II keeps forage high quality and high quantity! Phase 3 – mature plants, growth slows and older leaves die, high quantity, low quality When plants become mature, growth slows as lower leaves are shaded and older leaves die.
Timing is everything in the pasture and it changes throughout the year. In spring when the grasses begin to grow quickly again, stroking rates should be greatly increased to favor the high production. Since animal numbers on the farm are fixed, the solution is to reduce the forage available by fencing off part of the pasture for hay harvest. Plant height needs to be maintained at about 3 to 5 inches.
These following five principals for management intensive grazing should improve nutrient cycling, species diversity and survival, water retention, and infiltration, productivity and profitability.
Multispecies grazing
Principal 1 - Adjust grazing and rest periods to keep plant in Phase II for the most rapid growth. Principle 2 - Overgrazing is a function of time, not animal numbers Livestock are gourmets, but do a poor job of forage allocation. Overgrazing occurs from re-grazing a plant before it has recovered from the previous grazing. This can happen by leaving livestock in a pasture long enough that regrowth is re-grazed or by returning to a grazed pasture too soon. During rapid growth, recently grazed plants will initiate new shoots in 4 or 5 days. During slower growth, this can be from 6-10 days. While these new shoots are low energy, they are the tastiest tidbits in the pasture. If livestock are allowed to stay in a pasture for too long, they return to the new shoots, overgrazing these plants, while ignoring more mature forage. Principle 3 - Use the highest stock density possible To reduce over- and under-grazing in the same pasture, use the highest number of animals possible in the smallest feasible area for the shortest reasonable amount of time. This increases uniformity of grazing so that we can manage time for the whole pasture, rather than trying to manage individual plants. In well-managed irrigated pastures, stocking may be more than 50,000 pounds of live weight per acre! Principle 4 - Use the greatest number of paddocks possible With only one pasture, plants never get any rest, or they are rested all the time. Both situations are undesirable. By controlling when and how long animals have access to plants we improve feed quality and permit adequate rest. Feed quality decreases every day livestock are in a pasture as the highest quality feed is consumed first. In addition, more and more feed is trampled and defiled by urine and manure. We can prevent “over-grazing” with at least 8 paddocks. More paddocks are required to maintain high feed quality. More paddocks also provide greater flexibility. How many are right for you depends on your situation! Principle 5 - Use the largest herd possible, consistent with good animal husbandry By combining animals and reducing herds, you can increase the number of paddocks in your system. This means that each paddock will spend more time resting! While this is not a comprehensive treatment of irrigated pasture management, proper application of these principles should improve nutrient cycling, specie diversity and survival, water retention and infiltration and profitability in your pasture. Some of the most significant factors impacting stocking rate include: 1) the production system used (i.e. winter lambing vs. spring lambing); 2) the grazing system used (i.e. continuous grazing vs controlled grazing; 3) forage systems used (i.e. perennial pastures vs a combination of perennials and annuals); 4) forage types (i.e. cool season vs warm season); 5) soil type and fertility; and 6) climate.
Again, the goal of grazing is to grow animals, and maintain the optimum level of phase II forage. Pastures grow more than just grasses but cows and horses eat primarily grasses so there are often other broad leaf plants remaining after these animals have run through. To maximize the productivity of the pasture other animals can be grazed as well. Advantages of grazing multiple species on land over grazing one species alone include more efficient plant use, better weed and brush control, improved natural parasite control, and more income per acre if you farm for a living and can accommodate more animals on your pastures. Disadvantages include possible disease transmission from one species to another and the need for more facilities, labor, and management. Dietary preferences for different livestock species Species Horse Cattle Sheep Goats
Grass % 90 70 60 20
Weeds % 4 20 30 20
Browns % 6 10 10 60
How does multispecies grazing work? Sheep and cattle can be profitable on grass and neither demands grain for productive weight gain. Plus, the same handling facilities can be used for both species. Out in the pasture sheep are selective foragers, preferring to eat immature grasses, forbs and weeds. Cattle, on the other hand, prefer to eat mature grasses and legumes. Sheep will eat close to cow manure patties, which cattle will avoid. Cows will clean up mature grasses that sheep will ignore. Sheep can go into a pasture that the cows will be tired of and still find plenty to eat. Reducing broad leaf plants will allow more sunlight for grasses, encouraging growth. Because of these grazing preferences, if you run sheep and cattle in the same pastures you will see more even and more efficient utilization of the plants. You will also see more uniform manure spread, especially in varied terrain, as sheep tend to prefer hills while you’ll find your cows in the low ground. The species do not share parasites, and so parasite load per animal will not increase with the increased number of animals. You can break the life cycle of most parasites by multispecies grazing. When equine-specific parasite eggs hatch, the larvae move onto grass plants where they might be ingested by a horse. If they’re eaten by a cow or sheep rather than a horse, those larvae won’t mature. The potential reduction in parasite loads is also due to reduced survival of larvae in the shorter grass. While multi-species grazing is a good companion strategy to using dewormers (particularly with increasing drug resistance in parasites), keep in mind that one week of ruminant grazing most likely will not affect horse parasite burdens on any given pasture. Several weeks or even months, depending on the climate, are required to notice a parasite load reduction.
Multispecies Grazing H U NGRY GNOM E GARDENSCAPES
WHOLESITE FARM PLAN
DESIGN ER: GARETH CROSBY FALL 2013
13/19
Different multi species grazing options
Breeds to consider
Pasture grazing animals: 1 Cow, 2 Horses, 5 Sheep, 12 layer hens with mobile coop, Orchard and Berry gardens Mowers: 20 meet birds (chickens or ducks in a chicken tractor), 5 caged rabbits in a movable structure Garden and pasture rooting: 2 Pigs In this option, animals that require similar containment strategies are grouped together in a series of pastures. Pigs may only require 2 strand electric fencing but that depends on the breed. The pastured animals have more space to graze and use less fencing because they pay more attention to the electricity.
Sheep
Pasture grazing animals: 1 Cow, 2 Horses, 2 Goats, 12 layer hens Orchard and Berry gardens Mowers: 20 meet birds (chickens and ducks), 5 caged rabbits Garden and pasture rooting and clearing: 2 Pigs, 3 Goats In this option, all paddocks that contain goats will require 7 strand electric fence to keep them contained. This will be a significant increase in cost over option 1.
Jacob Sheep low maintenance and less easily spooked by people
St. Croix Sheep low maintenance and heat tolerant
Other Requirements for Multispecies Grazing Water- Cattle and sheep can share a watering system and adjusted to fit the needs of all the animals. Sheep will need a lot less water overall. Minerals and grain- Sheep can’t have access to cattle mineral due to a toxicity with copper. Red urine in sheep is an indicator of high copper levels. Mineral access can be managed by feeder height to keep the sheep out. Sheep will try to get into anywhere you are feeding grain, so be prepared. Predators- Cattle will help protect sheep from predators. Older ewes will actually form bonds with the cows, helping with predator control. If stockers are brought in, the dynamic between species will not develop as tightly and you will see less protective effect.
Goats
Nigerian Dwarf Gentle and easily trainable This, along with their small size Herd dynamics- Some farmers have found that rams will “bully” and colorful cows and be protective of water sources or other gathering areas. appearance, At lambing, some cattle may create problems for the young makes them lambs. You may want to separate animals at certain times of the popular as pets. year to avoid these challenges. Some farmers implement multispecies grazing differently 1. Graze species together 2. Graze in a “leader-follower” system in which one species group follows another through the paddocks. 3. Graze different species in different areas at different times of the year 4. Split the farm into parts and run a rotation system for each species on a particular portion of the farm each year, switching between years.
Considering Goats Goats will add a lot to a multi-species grazing system. They prefer to eat brush, and will do a good job of clearing an area for better utilization by cattle. However, goats are notorious for their curiosity and ability to scale fences, so fencing becomes an even greater challenge and added cost. Benefits to adding goats to cattle generally duplicate those of adding sheep. Goats and sheep do share many parasites, and so a system using all three will have fewer cumulative benefits. On Launius Farm, Goats will be useful for clearing the blackberry bramble but will be less useful and more trouble once the area is cleared of woddy-stemmed growth.
Multispecies Grazing H U NGRY GNOM E GARDENSCAPES
WHOLESITE FARM PLAN
DESIGN ER: GARETH CROSBY FALL 2013
14/19
EGG AND CHICKEN PRODUCTION - Choosing a breed Egg Layers
Meet Birds Meet birds are used differently than egg birds. In order to fatten up, these birds get less exorcize and more food. They are often kept in a protected enclosure called a chicken tractor. Joel Salatin has made this structure very popular. He uses these structure to graze his pastures, just like he uses his cows to graze. His meet bird of choice is the Cornish Cross.
Barred Rocks Dominiques
Wyandottes
Red Sexlink
Chickens will serve multiple functions on the farm. They will produce eggs and meat, fertilizer and feathers. Just like pigs, when confined to one area for long periods of time, chickens can completely denude a patch of earth of all it’s ground cover plants by scratching, pecking and eating the leaves, roots and insects. When controlled and moved often, they will also spread manure around--they tear up the piles to get any grain that wasn’t fully digested or to eat the insects that live in fresh manure. This also helps with parasite control; many of the parasite eggs passed in manure will be scattered--and dried out--and won’t survive. On the pastures, egg laying chickens are more useful. During the night they roost in a mobile coop where they go to lay their eggs. During the day they are let out to scratch at the cow, horse, and sheep manure, while searching for grains and bugs. Here is an example of a mobile chicken coop. This can also be incorporated with a turkey coop, shade
Salatin’s pastured meat as seen from above This technique can be used on the same pastures as the other animals, however, it can also be used in the berry orchard where it might be harder to keep larger animals from damaging the fruit and perennial vegetables.
The Cornish Cross
Multiuse Chickens H U NGRY GNOM E GARDENSCAPES
WHOLESITE FARM PLAN
DESIGN ER: GARETH CROSBY FALL 2013
15/19
Rotational Grazing Plan PERMAN ENT PASTU RE BOARDER ELECTRIC FENCE PADDOCK 3
MOVEABLE I NTERNAL PADDOCK ELECTRIC FENCE
PADDOCK 4 PADDOCK 5 PADDOCK 2
PADDOCK 6
PADDOCK 8
PADDOCK 7
PADDOCK 1
PADDOCK 9 OR HORSE RIDI NG RI NG
DIRECTION OF TRAVEL AMONG PADDOCKS FASTEST PATH FROM TH E MAI N HOUSE TO TH E PROCESSI NG HOUSE WATER LI N E FROM TH E BARN TO TH E PADDOCKS
PIG PASTU RE: 4 PADDOCKS
0 10
40
100
250ft
Design Details H U NGRY GNOM E GARDENSCAPES
WHOLESITE FARM PLAN
DESIGN ER: GARETH CROSBY FALL 2013
16/19
PORK PRODUCTION - Choosing a breed Heritage breeds are more hardy than conventional breeds and are therefore more suited to a small farm and outdoor living. With commercial growing of pork and a trend toward leaner meat, many of the heritage breeds chosen below were almost extinct at one point. Today, there has been a resurgence due to the prioritizing of taste, artisan aged meat products, slow food movements, appreciation of heritage breeds in general, and also a return to small hobby farming and eat local movements. Kunekune - Of Asian origin, they are believed to have been introduced to New Zealand in the early 1800s by whalers or traders. Their natural habitat is woodlands and pasture. They fatten on grass and are disinclined to roam. As meat, they have an excellent ratio of meat to fat.
American Mulefoot - The defining characteristic of this black “Ozarks” pig is its solid hoof, or mulefoot. The breed is hardy, has a gentle disposition, and fattens easily, weighing 400-600 pounds at two years of age.
Guinea Forest Hogs - may have originated on the Guinea coast of Africa and were spread widely though the slave trade from Africa. Hardy grazers and foragers, they can be raised on pasture and still produce lard and pork. Today’s Guinea hogs are small, only 150-300 pounds and 15-20 inches tall when fully grown making them a perfect size for the small farm. Colors may vary, but they are usually black and often hairy. Guinea hogs are very gentle and easy to care for, making them popular at children’s zoos, though they remain extremely suitable for small scale pork production. Large Black - When harvested, even at 200 pounds, the micro-marbling, short muscle fibers and excellent bellies produce exceptional bacon and moist meat with old world flavor. Its coat color makes it tolerant of many sun born illnesses and its hardiness and grazing ability make it an efficient meat producer. The hair is fine and rather thick with the black pigmentation being quite heavy. They have a very docile nature and move more slowly and deliberately than other breeds.
Ossabaw Island Pig - These Georgian pigs have a heavy coat and long snout. The quality of their fat and marbling has increased their popularity within the chef community. These are small swine, less than 20 inches tall and weighing less than 200 pounds at maturity though they get much larger in captivity. Ossabaws are noted to be intelligent and friendly swine in terms of temperament. Meat is considered to be an artisanal, heritage product especially wellsuited to use in pork, cured meats, and whole pig roast.
Tamworths are one of the oldest pig breeds. The characteristics of Tamworths reflect the breed’s centuries selection for an outdoor life. Pigs of this breed were expected to find their own food, especially mast (or acorns) of oak and beech forests. Long heads and impressive snouts enable these pigs to be efficient foragers. Ginger, red coats make the pigs adaptable to a variety of climates and protect them from sunburn. Both sexes of this breed reach a mature weight of 500-600 lbs (227-272 kg). The Tamworths were traditionally considered a “bacon” breed, meaning the pigs thrived on low energy foods but grow slowly. They produced meat and bacon that was lean and fine grained. The breed has an excellent carcass yield of up to 70% due to their fine bones creating a more productive meat to bone ratio.
Heritage Pig Breeds H U NGRY GNOM E GARDENSCAPES
WHOLESITE FARM PLAN
DESIGN ER: GARETH CROSBY FALL 2013
17/19
PIGS AND FORAGING Pigs have, historically been grown in a small paddocks and raised on food scraps, slop and grains, specially mixed for maximum growth. This has led pigs to be known as smelly animals when actually, they are no more smelly than any other animal, it’s just the fact of living in a confined area that makes them this way. The best, and most humane way to grow pigs is on land where they can do what piggies love to do - root. Growing fodder crops for grazing pigs Forages in the form of pasture, as part of a complete feed, or silage, can be used successfully in pork production. Prior to 1950, pasture was considered a vital component in most swine feeding programs because it provided vitamins, minerals, and unidentified growth factors. Forages may have special applications in diets for organic swine production. Forage species, maturity, growing conditions, and grazing habits of pigs all influence the nutritional value of the forage consumed. Unfortunately, there are few data available to estimate the quantity of forage consumed by pigs and the nutritional value of that forage. Consequently, most nutritionists give little or no nutritional credit to the forage when formulating diets for pastured pigs. Stored forage used in the diet or fed as silage can be analyzed for nutrient content. Nutrient content of the forage can be considered in diet formulation realizing that digestibility of those forage nutrients generally is lower than that of grains. Pork Industry Handbook, Forages for Swine, outlines some specifics on utilizing forages for swine. Some observations from that document include:
Forage – For hogs foraging is a social activity and when enough food is available all members of a group will eat at the same time. Grazing provides hogs with a wide range of appropriate foodstuffs and allows them to express this natural behavior. Root – Allowing hogs to express rooting behavior is key to reducing daily stress levels. Pigs will start rooting the day they are born and through their lives, according to research, will spend about 51% of their time rooting. Access to pasture and/or deep bedding in farrowing huts will allow hogs to satisfy this instinct. If overstocked, rooting hogs may cause damage to permanent pasture, but the behavior can be managed to benefit the farm and the farmer. If confined in small paddocks hogs will clear land of prickly briars and bushes. Wallow – Because of their thin hair cover and inability to sweat except through their mouths, hogs have a poor heat regulation system and are susceptible to overheating and sunburn when outside. Providing hogs with a mud wallow in the pasture helps keep animals cool, protects them from the sun and gets rid of external parasites. Outdoor wallows do increase exposure to internal parasites, however, so a holistic approach to parasite management that includes pasture rotation is recommended. Alternative Feed Options
Over 50% of the total cost of raising hogs will be feed costs. Like all livestock, hogs need a diet with an appropriate balance of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals and water. Water is actually the largest requirement: for every pound of feed, hogs require 2-3 pound of water. Lack of water will • Due to high fiber content and low energy density, forages significantly reduce intake and daily gain. Be sure that there are have only limited use for young pigs (especially those weighing a sufficient number of waterers to avoid overcrowding. For other less than 40 pounds) and lactating sows. nutritional demands, conventional producers feed primarily corn • Forages are best utilized at an early stage of maturity. and soybean meal—corn for energy and soybean meal for protein. • Pigs absorb more nutrients from forages after an adaptation However, these grains are not only expensive to produce, process, period of at least two months. store and transport, but they are also nutritionally limited. Because • If forages make up more than 25% of the total diet, the hogs have high energy requirements and do not process fibrous crude protein content of the complete feed should be slightly forages as efficiently as ruminants, grass-based producers will not higher than typical corn-soybean meal diets due to the lower be able to get away from energy concentrates entirely. However, protein digestibility of forages. stored corn and soybean meal are not the only options for energy. • When pastures are the forage source, pasture rotation Small-scale hog producers can make use of pasture forages, selfshould be used to prevent heavy parasite and bacterial harvested grain and small grains in order to keep costs low. contamination of pigs. A pasture based system takes advantage of the sow’s excellent • Forages can be heavily damaged by grazing swine, grazing ability. Hogs are versatile omnivores and will forage on especially with rooting in the spring and fall. Reduced stocking legumes, grasses and non-legume brassicas (as well as flowers, density will protect pastures and support greater persistence. fruits, weeds, seeds, acorns, worms and insects). By most • Hogs on pasture may grow slower and require more feed estimates, pasture can replace up to 50% of the diet in gestating per unit of gain due to high fiber intake and increased exercise sows and 30% of a finishing diet. compared with confinement-raised pigs. Legumes have higher protein, calcium and carotene content • Use of forages can lower costs of grain and protein and can furnish an adequate supply of most vitamins, except supplementation. In the case of pasture systems, equipment for vitamins D and B12. Alfalfa, ladino, sweet clover, red clover and building costs decrease, resulting in lower fixed costs and lespedeza are favorites of pastured hogs. Perennial grasses of production. If sows are bred in the late spring to farrow such as orchard grass, endophyte-free tall fescue, timothy and early fall, good quality forage can replace up to 50% of grain bromegrass, while not as high- quality as legumes, should be and supplement needs. One acre of good pasture can used in mixtures with them. Annual grasses such as sudan grass, accommodate up to 8 sows for a season. During other Sorgum-sudan crosses, oats, wheat, rye and ryegrass may also be seasons of the year, however, forage quality and availability will used in hog pastures. In addition, non-legume brassicas, including vary, and supplementation with corn and protein supplement will turnips, rape, kale, fodder beets and mangels are high in protein, need to adjust to provide the necessary nutrients. highly digestible and make excellent pig pasture. Plants at an • A clear understanding of animal behavior will help a farmer early stage of maturity are more digestible as well as higher in develop the best management plan. both protein and energy. By utilizing rotational grazing practices, hog producers can manage pastures for maximum nutrition and Here are some intrinsic characteristics of pigs that need to palatability. Stocking rates will vary with breeds, season, pasture be considered. composition, pasture quality and stage of life of pigs, gilts and sows. Interact – Social structure is very important for hogs and they prefer to live in family groups.
Pigs and Foraging H U NGRY GNOM E GARDENSCAPES
WHOLESITE FARM PLAN
DESIGN ER: GARETH CROSBY FALL 2013
18/19
PIGS AND FORAGING CONTINUED Some general guidelines for good quality legume pasture are as follows: In addition to grazing hogs on well-managed pastures, many small-scale hog producers have successfully incorporate a practice known as “hogging off” by which hogs self- harvest the grain in the field. Some benefits of hogging off are that harvesting costs of feed concentrates are eliminated, crop residues and manure are left in fields and parasite problems may be reduced. Examples of grains that can be self-harvested by hogs are wheat, rye, oats, dent corn, Grohoma sorghum, Spanish peanuts and popcorn This practice can sometimes turn a profit from even a low-yielding grain crop. Legumes and brassicas must also be available to provide sufficient protein. Pasture Recommendations SOWS with LITTERS 6 to 8 per acre PIGS, weaning to 100 pounds 15 to 30 per acre PIGS, 100 pounds to market 10 to 20 per acre SOWS, gestating 8 to 12 per acre
Project Phasing:
Permaculture Fruit Plants TREES Malus domestica sp. Apple Aronia melanocarpa Aronia Crataegus x Lavallei. Azarole Cornus mas Cornelian Cherry Ficus carica Fig Elaeagnus multiflora Goumi Gleditsia triacanthos Honey Locust Ziziphus jujuba Jujube Amelanchier species Juneberry Crataegus aestivalis and opaca Mayhaw Mespilus germanica Medlar Cudrania tricuspidata Melon Tree Morus species Mulberry Asimina triloba Pawpaw Pyrus species Pear Diospyros virginiana Persimmon Cydonia oblonga Quince Rhyus typhina ‘Dissecta’ Sumac Corylus avellana European Hazelnut, Filbert
Ribes species Currant Ribes hirtellum Gooseberry Rubus idaeus Raspberry Rosa rugosa Rose Hips Ribes x culverwellii Jostaberry GROUNDCOVERS Vaccinium macrocarpum American Cranberry VINES Actinidia arguta Hardy Kiwi FORBES Helianthus tuberosus Sunchoke Symphytum x uplandicum Comfrey Asparagus officinalis Asparagus Armoracia rusticana Horseradish
SHRUBS Rubus ulmifolius Blackberry Vaccinium Ashei Blueberry Prunus tomentosa Nanking Cherry Hardy Citrus Trifoliate orange Viburnum trilobum Highbush Cranberry
Phase 1: • • • • • • • •
Build garage and relocate barn to new proposed location Take out the existing fence Fence in the large crop vegetable garden and bring in goats to brows down the brambles Rehab the board well for use in the barn and the fields Use movable electric fence for the pastured animals to move them frequently through the pasture Maintain pastures and orchard by haying and mowing Build a small chicken coop off the garage Build passive water catchment including swales and cisterns for rainwater collection from the house and garage
Phase 2: • • • • • • •
Replace fence that was taken out with new fence around the property boundary Plant berries and perennial vegetables and fence them in from deer and rabbits Plant orchard trees and protect them with 5’ tall by 5’diameter cages made of 2x4 welded wire fencing Plant evergreen windrow Build movable shade and watering structure for the pastures Send pigs in to root up the blackberry roots and eat the nut sedge in preparation for planting the veggie garden Collect chicken manure to add to the vegetable garden once it has been cleared by pigs
Phase 3: • • • •
Build barn to house all animals, feed, garden supplies, equipment, and tools Develop multispecies grazing practice Develop pig pasture and forage garden Develop water system for the pasture and gardens, both drip irrigation for the gardens and orchard and spigots for the pasture
Phase 4: • • • • • •
Add horses or more cows Plant orchard guilds Use chickens to clean up the pastures and chicken tractors to mow between the berry gardens Plant nut trees around the south and west sides of the house Renovate second house as a processing house and dog training facility Add rabbits to the farm
Estimated Project Budget : $100,000
Project Phasing H U NGRY GNOM E GARDENSCAPES
WHOLESITE FARM PLAN
DESIGN ER: GARETH CROSBY FALL 2013
19/19