With the help of our 1947 Farmall Cub, I mowed the tall grasses in the North Field.
In the spring, the growing pasture grasses outpace the appetites of the grazing sheep flock. The stems of are tough and unpalatable to the sheep.
Mowing with the Cub is slow work,but just the right speed to observe the ground below. The density and variety of the plants in this field has improved since we started rotationally grazing; frost seeding and just mowing,not taking off the hay. From my tractor high perch, I can see that the best pasture is on the south end of the field, where poultry pens have left behind increased fertility. The grazeable vegetation at the north end of the field is sparser and covered in an understory of wild strawberry.
To speed the rejuvenation of this pasture I believe I should add more poultry. The hens in the eggmobile, protected by electric net fencing, would add fertility and scratch in the mowed stems of grass. Adding a batch of Ranger broiler chickens would also benefit the field and fill our freezer with more meat.
Discovering the sweet spot of livestock numbers and improving ground is my challenge, The seat of the Cub was a perfect place for concocting a plan.