Featuring all natural grass fed Highland beef.  Our beef cows are born and raised on the prairie and fields you see posted on this site.  We NEVER EVER sell any animal for beef that was treated with hormones or antibiotics anytime in its life.  We will treat an animal with antibiotics to save its life, but it is then removed from our beef program, perhaps sold as a pet, used for breeding or consumed on our table (we literally eat our misfortunes!).
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5/19/2014

5/19/2014

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We got out of sync compliments of spring colds, ended up skipping a weekend and not getting out here for 3 weeks.  Good news, we plan on coming out for the 3-day Memorial Day weekend next week, so might get caught up a bit.

We have not been getting the rain and warmer days as usual.  Neighbors are quite concerned about the grass situation (specifically, the lack thereof) and their ability to hay in a month or so.  I was hoping to rent some of my neighbors fields for haying, but at the moment, he is concerned he won't have enough for his own cattle.

I sprayed 35 gallon of Clethodim around the fruit trees, berries, and vines.  First year trying that, hopefully it will help with grass (Clethodim is a grass-only herbicide commercially used on virtual everything we eat from the plant kingdom.  Just a pain to mix, requiring crop oil, emulsifiers, and ideally ammonium sulfate.  Never make it in the consumer world, but for farmers, no-big-deal.  That was Saturday.

On Sunday I sprayed about 60 gallons of 2-4D trying to control mostly multi-flora rose.  That covered my southern field, house field, and made a dent in a small 8 acres field.

We have been spending years working on getting rid of undesirables plants.  Mostly that is a weekend or two or spraying for whatever we are trying to kill.  The first few years it was honeylocust trees (the ones with 6" thorns) - we have those pretty much under control.  Took them out basal spraying 20% Remedy mixed with diesel.  Amazing stuff, a pint of that mix can kill a tree with a 2' diameter base.  We started on multi-flora rose last year along with thistle.  Both go down to 2-4D, although the thistle is tougher.  Also started on shingle oak sprouts using something called PastureGuard last year.  Expensive, but by goodness it appeared to work.  I wasn't sure last summer, but nothing I hit well survived this spring.  Rather hoping 2-4D (very cheap) will work on the oak sprouts this time of year - at least the leaves haven't built up any wax yet, so the mix is spreading nicely.  In any case, should know in a week when we come back.  Worth trying.

Was pleased with the field we attacked last summer for multi-flora, very little regrowth.

Alas, next weekend is castration and fencing.  Neither is a lot of fun (well, fencing can at least feel rewarding when the job is done). At the moment, it looks like we will have one good day, and then two days of rain.  That will a least make the
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    Authors:

    Kevin N. Carpenter - Conservationist, Contrarian Farmer, believer in the value of diversity farming and that we don't know 10% of what we think we do.

    Evia Carpenter -
    Wife, Mother, Photographer, Writer. I write and speak better in my native language (Russian), so I will tell most of my stories with photos and videos!


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