Livestock

We custom graze all of the cattle we bring in from Mid-May through Mid-October.  They are rotationally grazed through pastures and cropland.  We started rotational grazing around 2010 and it has greatly improved the health and production of our pastures.  There is at least one field a year that is put into a full season cover crop to graze.

We have about 50 dairy nanny goats we kid out that we own.  We are experimenting with them in areas for weed suppression.  When goats eat the plants, the seeds they consume become sterile and will not reproduce so we think they will be a key tool to controlling unwanted plants without chemicals. 
We also have some registered Alpines that the kids enjoy showing.  Our family is very active in our local 4-H program especially with their animals.

Our poultry flock is currently free ranging around the home place.  They are excellent at controlling insects, scratching through manure, and controlling our weed seed bank.  Our goal is to get them further into the pasture following the rotation of the cattle.

Some call it the middle of nowhere...
I call it the center of my world.