Month: April 2024

Goatweed, as it is commonly known in my area, is also known as hogwort, dovewood or woolly croton. It’s scientific name is Croton capitatus. You can find lots of resources about where it lives and how it thrives. In short, goatweed starts growing in June, and will cover your field in July, August and September.… Continue reading What to do about goatweed

A friend asked me about buying some cows to raise to weight and slaughter. They have never raised cows before, but they have lived in rural areas their whole life, and they know plenty of people who have just done that. My own grandpa used to do this every year. He’d buy a calf, run… Continue reading Advice on cows for the non-farmer

If you’re rotationally grazing, maybe moving the cows every week or perhaps even the extreme of twice a day, you might get discouraged when you see all your hard work is turning into weeds. Of course we are not going to consider things that kill the soil: herbicides, fertilizer, and tilling. These are things that… Continue reading What to do about weeds in your pasture

I took 2 of my 3 bulls to market at Emory on April 6th, 2024. I couldn’t take the 3rd because I couldn’t get them all in the trailer. The older bull, Blue’s calf, originally #16 (but the tag came out of his ear) was born on June 30th, 2022 and was 21 months old.… Continue reading I sold 2 bulls

I’m doing my taxes and so I am double-checking all of my accounts. I thought it would be interesting to share my water bill for my land, which is used to water the cows, sheep, dogs, chickens, etc… For the most part, I spend a lot less buying water for my field than my home.… Continue reading Water Bill

I was intrigued by some yellow flies crawling on a fresh cow patty. I don’t think I’ve ever seen them before. Thanks to a blog post, I think I found out what they are: Yellow Dung Flies or scathophaga stercoraria. The flies reproduce on fresh cow patties and lay their eggs. They don’t bother the… Continue reading Yellow Dung Fly