What should vegetarians do with a field?
September 6, 2010 4:48 AM Subscribe
What can vegetarians do with a field?
We just recently bought a house with a 3 acre field and are trying to figure out what to do with the field. At the moment, the grass is extremely overgrown and there are some disused, rusting bits of old machinery lying around. We're not sure what to do with the machinery (it's too heavy to lift) and what the consequences of doing nothing with the field for several years would be.
We don't have a tractor so any type of intensive agriculture is probably out. We could perhaps plant a bunch of apple and other fruit trees, although the wind is very strong where we live and they might not survive or thrive.
Keeping animals is an option and we could build a barn. We've thought about goats or cows for milk. However, we wouldn't know what to do with the problem of having too many males - we're vegetarians and sending our animals for meat would not be an option. I know there is a way of doing sex selection for cows (you order "straws" that have been separated out) but I don't think this exists for goats. However my partner has a bit of a phobia about cows, and they take a lot of work (need to be milked in the morning and evening). But keeping a cow is probably the best idea so far.
To get to the question, what would mefites do in this situation? And what would be the consequences of doing absolutely nothing with the field?
We just recently bought a house with a 3 acre field and are trying to figure out what to do with the field. At the moment, the grass is extremely overgrown and there are some disused, rusting bits of old machinery lying around. We're not sure what to do with the machinery (it's too heavy to lift) and what the consequences of doing nothing with the field for several years would be.
We don't have a tractor so any type of intensive agriculture is probably out. We could perhaps plant a bunch of apple and other fruit trees, although the wind is very strong where we live and they might not survive or thrive.
Keeping animals is an option and we could build a barn. We've thought about goats or cows for milk. However, we wouldn't know what to do with the problem of having too many males - we're vegetarians and sending our animals for meat would not be an option. I know there is a way of doing sex selection for cows (you order "straws" that have been separated out) but I don't think this exists for goats. However my partner has a bit of a phobia about cows, and they take a lot of work (need to be milked in the morning and evening). But keeping a cow is probably the best idea so far.
To get to the question, what would mefites do in this situation? And what would be the consequences of doing absolutely nothing with the field?
Something that big, I'd have some fruit trees, an area for vegetable growing, make a pond, a nice seating area for enjoying the good weather, and yeah... cows would be awesome. Cows rock. If you're not sure though, just get one to start with. That way you can assess the work involved and decide on how many you think you could reasonable manage.
posted by Biru at 5:03 AM on September 6, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by Biru at 5:03 AM on September 6, 2010 [2 favorites]
I assume you're not interested in keeping horses, because I think most people who are interested in horses, when presented with a 3-acre field, would be all "OMG PONIES!!11!!" over it, and that would be the end of the discussion.
If you're keen on the idea of raising something "productive" another alternative would be some sort of wool-bearing beastie--sheep or goats or alpacas. My aunt bought a working farm when she and my uncle were middle-aged, and the sheep were the livestock she remembers most fondly.
Another tact to consider, if you just want to keep it from reverting to wild, would be to rent out the field to someone else who wants to keep livestock on it. There would need to be adequate shelter for whatever animal is living there.
posted by drlith at 5:16 AM on September 6, 2010 [1 favorite]
If you're keen on the idea of raising something "productive" another alternative would be some sort of wool-bearing beastie--sheep or goats or alpacas. My aunt bought a working farm when she and my uncle were middle-aged, and the sheep were the livestock she remembers most fondly.
Another tact to consider, if you just want to keep it from reverting to wild, would be to rent out the field to someone else who wants to keep livestock on it. There would need to be adequate shelter for whatever animal is living there.
posted by drlith at 5:16 AM on September 6, 2010 [1 favorite]
It might be possible to rent out the field to whoever farms the adjoining field.
posted by emilyw at 5:17 AM on September 6, 2010
posted by emilyw at 5:17 AM on September 6, 2010
Do you like wine? Vineyards tend to do well in windy spots.
posted by Mala at 5:34 AM on September 6, 2010
posted by Mala at 5:34 AM on September 6, 2010
Best answer: I wouldn't recommend raising animals if you are not comfortable with getting rid of the males. It's pretty much an impossibility. As such I would recommed you take the plant approach. Start an orchard this year as it takes a lot of time for them to become established and productive (add some dwarf trees to the mix so you can reap the delicious rewards while your traditional trees are still growing). Plan your veggie garden for next year, make it as big as you can manage with your tools. You'll stil have lots of land left over. Your cow approach is interesting but please do the research for what the costs of AI are, I don't know about cows but with my sheep the cost is out of the roof. But even if you only birth females, what will you do with them once you have a few? Since you need to freshen the cow once a year, you will be producing one girl cow each year, and cows are very expensive to feed. If you want milk each year you will be faced with excess cows regardless
of whether they're male or female. While a female cow is much easier to sell, it is not a given. Personally I consider vegetables and animals to be a linked item - their poop is what enriches the dirt your veggies grow in, so without any animals you will be relying on buying nice dirt or you'll want to set up a compost pile. As someone above said, the keyword you're looking for is smallholding, I would also recommend looking into self sufficiency books like The Self Sufficient Life and How to Live It by John Seymour, which might inspire you as it did for me. Oh, you might look into bees too, them and orchards go hand in hand. Oh, I just saw your note about the windiness, so long as you don't start from baby saplings I'm sure they can manage, or you could consider building a windbreak. FWIW we didn't have any machines this year save ourselves and we've managed to harvest a few hundred pounds of produce.
posted by Meagan at 5:39 AM on September 6, 2010 [4 favorites]
of whether they're male or female. While a female cow is much easier to sell, it is not a given. Personally I consider vegetables and animals to be a linked item - their poop is what enriches the dirt your veggies grow in, so without any animals you will be relying on buying nice dirt or you'll want to set up a compost pile. As someone above said, the keyword you're looking for is smallholding, I would also recommend looking into self sufficiency books like The Self Sufficient Life and How to Live It by John Seymour, which might inspire you as it did for me. Oh, you might look into bees too, them and orchards go hand in hand. Oh, I just saw your note about the windiness, so long as you don't start from baby saplings I'm sure they can manage, or you could consider building a windbreak. FWIW we didn't have any machines this year save ourselves and we've managed to harvest a few hundred pounds of produce.
posted by Meagan at 5:39 AM on September 6, 2010 [4 favorites]
I second the orchard. Fruit trees are fine in wind, just stake them when young (or for their lifetime if on certain types of dwarfing root stock).
Also second the pond-veggie patch-viewing area. Instead of cows you could have chickens, if you're an eggetarian.
Another inspirational book could be Masanobu Fukuoka's take on "natural farming" called One Straw Revolution.
posted by ecourbanist at 6:15 AM on September 6, 2010 [1 favorite]
Also second the pond-veggie patch-viewing area. Instead of cows you could have chickens, if you're an eggetarian.
Another inspirational book could be Masanobu Fukuoka's take on "natural farming" called One Straw Revolution.
posted by ecourbanist at 6:15 AM on September 6, 2010 [1 favorite]
A friend of mine had a single dairy goat that was the joy of his existence. It was sweet and friendly, a bit like a dog. They can give a ton of milk and as a bonus, keep the grass in the field very tidy.
I'm not sure how he handled her kids but I think I remember him selling them off. Even if you don't milk them, goats make nice pets.
posted by Saminal at 6:23 AM on September 6, 2010 [1 favorite]
I'm not sure how he handled her kids but I think I remember him selling them off. Even if you don't milk them, goats make nice pets.
posted by Saminal at 6:23 AM on September 6, 2010 [1 favorite]
Otherwise, you could just leave it and it will take care of itself.
That sounds like a recipe for having three acres of weeds and invasive species. Whether or not you want the land to be "productive," if you want it to be nice you are almost certainly going to have to be actively involved in managing it.
From what you describe of your situation, I like the idea of raising wool (sheep, goats, alpacas, etc). But even then, it will take active management of the pasture to avoid overgrazing, keep things healthy, etc. You'll need to provide stockwater and possibly winter shelter, deal with disgusting veterinary things (sheep in particular are prone to some really nasty things), and (in many places) be ready to deal with predators, wild and domestic.
If all that sounds like a big hassle, then I'd go for trees. Plant in an orchard for fruit, and other trees for beauty, wood, shade, etc. It's still work -- the fruit trees may need to be sprayed, planting takes a lot of digging, you may need to deal with irrigation through at least the first summer, etc -- but once they are established there isn't nearly as much day to day.
posted by Forktine at 6:28 AM on September 6, 2010 [1 favorite]
That sounds like a recipe for having three acres of weeds and invasive species. Whether or not you want the land to be "productive," if you want it to be nice you are almost certainly going to have to be actively involved in managing it.
From what you describe of your situation, I like the idea of raising wool (sheep, goats, alpacas, etc). But even then, it will take active management of the pasture to avoid overgrazing, keep things healthy, etc. You'll need to provide stockwater and possibly winter shelter, deal with disgusting veterinary things (sheep in particular are prone to some really nasty things), and (in many places) be ready to deal with predators, wild and domestic.
If all that sounds like a big hassle, then I'd go for trees. Plant in an orchard for fruit, and other trees for beauty, wood, shade, etc. It's still work -- the fruit trees may need to be sprayed, planting takes a lot of digging, you may need to deal with irrigation through at least the first summer, etc -- but once they are established there isn't nearly as much day to day.
posted by Forktine at 6:28 AM on September 6, 2010 [1 favorite]
If you want animals, have you thought about chickens? They won't take up all that land, obviously, but they will provide food without the issues that cows and other diary animals have (what to do with the babies).
posted by radioaction at 6:44 AM on September 6, 2010
posted by radioaction at 6:44 AM on September 6, 2010
"just stake them when young"
Do not stake them ... this is no longer recommended. Trees get weak in the spots they're staked and develop more brittle trunks than if they're allowed to bend in the wind when young. If they're planted properly, they'll be fine in high wind. (I'd be more worried about the drying if it's THAT windy!)
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 6:48 AM on September 6, 2010
Do not stake them ... this is no longer recommended. Trees get weak in the spots they're staked and develop more brittle trunks than if they're allowed to bend in the wind when young. If they're planted properly, they'll be fine in high wind. (I'd be more worried about the drying if it's THAT windy!)
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 6:48 AM on September 6, 2010
An orchard would be great. Apples, pears, plums, quince, cherry... depending where you are, and how sunny it is, peach and apricot. You could also plant a couple of larger trees for shade/shelter and other edibles: walnut and sweet chestnut come to mind. A great advantage of a load of fruit trees is that you'll get wonderful blossom as well as the fruit. Wind will not be a problem if you stake young or delicate trees. And as Forktine says, once the orchard is established there's not much work involved: netting the trees when they start to fruit (to stop birds from stealing it all), picking the fruit, and pruning every year or so.
If you like soft fruit, brambles, raspberries, tayberries and loganberries all take very well in difficult conditions. One of the problems is actually stopping them from taking over in smaller areas. Brambles will trail along any hedges or boundary fences, too, which makes them useful as part of a border, which can help tame windiness near the boundary of your field (and deter intruders, if that's an issue). With the raspberries, tayberries and loganberries you should cut them back once a year (fruit comes on the previous year's growth, so once they've stopped fruiting cut off any 2-year-old stuff), but otherwise they just run themselves.
posted by handee at 6:51 AM on September 6, 2010
If you like soft fruit, brambles, raspberries, tayberries and loganberries all take very well in difficult conditions. One of the problems is actually stopping them from taking over in smaller areas. Brambles will trail along any hedges or boundary fences, too, which makes them useful as part of a border, which can help tame windiness near the boundary of your field (and deter intruders, if that's an issue). With the raspberries, tayberries and loganberries you should cut them back once a year (fruit comes on the previous year's growth, so once they've stopped fruiting cut off any 2-year-old stuff), but otherwise they just run themselves.
posted by handee at 6:51 AM on September 6, 2010
If I had a few acres and a place I anticipated staying for a while, I'd build some walking trails and plant a variety of local fruit trees and berry bushes, with the end goal being more of an arboretum than an orchard.
I'd probably keep the rusty old machinery there, too (well, after making sure it wasn't extremely toxic)--I like that kind of stuff.
posted by box at 6:55 AM on September 6, 2010 [1 favorite]
I'd probably keep the rusty old machinery there, too (well, after making sure it wasn't extremely toxic)--I like that kind of stuff.
posted by box at 6:55 AM on September 6, 2010 [1 favorite]
Ooh, i like box's suggestion.
Also: raise chickens for eggs.
posted by kestrel251 at 7:38 AM on September 6, 2010 [1 favorite]
Also: raise chickens for eggs.
posted by kestrel251 at 7:38 AM on September 6, 2010 [1 favorite]
You can likely offer up the old machinery as scrap on freecycle and people might come get it. As an avid tinkerer and scrapper though, I'd be more inclined to salvage some of it for other uses if it's too far gone to get running again. Ideally you'd want to erect some sort of temporary structure to keep it sheltered, even one of those
Keeping animals is a lot of work, and if you like to sleep in and go on random weekend getaways farm animals can make that tough to do. Friends don't mind looking after cats but a goat or a cow is another matter.
posted by glip at 7:58 AM on September 6, 2010
Keeping animals is a lot of work, and if you like to sleep in and go on random weekend getaways farm animals can make that tough to do. Friends don't mind looking after cats but a goat or a cow is another matter.
posted by glip at 7:58 AM on September 6, 2010
A few chickens and a chicken tractor will be both manure and pest control for the veggie area. Normally I don't go around suggesting chickens because they are more work than you think, but aside from the startup cost and effort, they would be the perfect thing in your case.
posted by slow graffiti at 8:03 AM on September 6, 2010
posted by slow graffiti at 8:03 AM on September 6, 2010
If you decide to plant fruit trees, get some chickens to go with 'em! After the trees are established, a flock of chickens will eat bugs and weeds but leave the trees alone, mostly (they'll eat tender low-hanging leaves, but there aren't too many of those and the tree will never miss them). Chicken poop is good fertilizer for the trees, too. Either let your hens go free-range, or move their tractor around frequently to prevent the soil from getting compacted or over-fertilized. Couldn't find much online, but there's a short discussion about halfway down the page here.
Note: chickens will murderize a lawn or vegetable/flower garden, but trees are safe.
posted by Quietgal at 8:06 AM on September 6, 2010
Note: chickens will murderize a lawn or vegetable/flower garden, but trees are safe.
posted by Quietgal at 8:06 AM on September 6, 2010
Regardless of what you do with the middle of the field, I'd build a shedworking shed/guest cottage/retreat at the far corner, as far away from the house as I can.
posted by mendel at 8:56 AM on September 6, 2010
posted by mendel at 8:56 AM on September 6, 2010
Me, I'd put horses on it, and lately I've been craving a donkey. I've also developed some weird obsession with fruit trees.
For what you should do with it, though, I'd have a million questions before I could even start guessing. In the US we have county extension offices that could probably tell you what the consequences of doing nothing to the field are over time. I see you are in Scotland, but don't know what the equivalent there would be. They may also be able to suggest appropriate uses based on where you are.
How involved with maintaining it do you want to be? Did you buy the house for the field, or did it just come with the house? If you don't want to be really actively involved in it, you could possibly rent it to someone farming the neighboring land, or someone who wanted to put plants or animals on it. The area that I horseback ride in has many bits of land that have been turned over to habitat for birds that live around the edges of agricultural land. I'm sure there is maintenance involved, but it's mostly a controlled reverting.
How much do you like plants? Do you want something that kind of does its thing most of the year with a short period of harvest and maintenance? I think trees might fall into that but am not sure. Or do you want to be involved in a garden all year? You say you don't have a tractor, but in the overall costs of buying trees or animals or building a barn or fencing I don't see why you couldn't get at least a small one. Do you want to produce something just for yourself, or also to sell? Near me there are various "pick your own" places that grow berries or pumpkins or christmas trees and people can pick them themselves.
How much do you like animals? Did you see the field and think "now I can get that goat I've been dreaming of!" or did it just come up as something that shows up on farms? If you are really excited about the idea of animals - and I think you have to be, because they require huge amounts of work and new knowledge and are sometimes hard to find responsible new homes for if you lose interest - wool sheep sound like they might work since as far as I know (I could be wrong) you can geld the males and keep them. You could find a rare breed to carefully breed. There is a "uses of rare breeds" section on the site that might give you other ideas. I've heard of people renting goat herds to eat brush down in some areas. You could also foster animals in need of a home, probably in partnership with a local rescue organization. For any animals keep in mind you will need appropriate fencing (varies by animal, and you generally want 2-3 field partitions), shelter, and the rusting machinery needs to go. Also I think inevitably when you keep animals you will someday have to make the decision to have one put down, and you need to know you can do that.
posted by sepviva at 9:20 AM on September 6, 2010
For what you should do with it, though, I'd have a million questions before I could even start guessing. In the US we have county extension offices that could probably tell you what the consequences of doing nothing to the field are over time. I see you are in Scotland, but don't know what the equivalent there would be. They may also be able to suggest appropriate uses based on where you are.
How involved with maintaining it do you want to be? Did you buy the house for the field, or did it just come with the house? If you don't want to be really actively involved in it, you could possibly rent it to someone farming the neighboring land, or someone who wanted to put plants or animals on it. The area that I horseback ride in has many bits of land that have been turned over to habitat for birds that live around the edges of agricultural land. I'm sure there is maintenance involved, but it's mostly a controlled reverting.
How much do you like plants? Do you want something that kind of does its thing most of the year with a short period of harvest and maintenance? I think trees might fall into that but am not sure. Or do you want to be involved in a garden all year? You say you don't have a tractor, but in the overall costs of buying trees or animals or building a barn or fencing I don't see why you couldn't get at least a small one. Do you want to produce something just for yourself, or also to sell? Near me there are various "pick your own" places that grow berries or pumpkins or christmas trees and people can pick them themselves.
How much do you like animals? Did you see the field and think "now I can get that goat I've been dreaming of!" or did it just come up as something that shows up on farms? If you are really excited about the idea of animals - and I think you have to be, because they require huge amounts of work and new knowledge and are sometimes hard to find responsible new homes for if you lose interest - wool sheep sound like they might work since as far as I know (I could be wrong) you can geld the males and keep them. You could find a rare breed to carefully breed. There is a "uses of rare breeds" section on the site that might give you other ideas. I've heard of people renting goat herds to eat brush down in some areas. You could also foster animals in need of a home, probably in partnership with a local rescue organization. For any animals keep in mind you will need appropriate fencing (varies by animal, and you generally want 2-3 field partitions), shelter, and the rusting machinery needs to go. Also I think inevitably when you keep animals you will someday have to make the decision to have one put down, and you need to know you can do that.
posted by sepviva at 9:20 AM on September 6, 2010
Thirding-fourthing-whatevering orchard.
You can sell or trade the produce - or, especially for apples, turn it into booze! I don't know what they call applejack in the UK but it'll just be another regionalism for "frickin' awesome."
posted by codswallop at 10:00 AM on September 6, 2010
You can sell or trade the produce - or, especially for apples, turn it into booze! I don't know what they call applejack in the UK but it'll just be another regionalism for "frickin' awesome."
posted by codswallop at 10:00 AM on September 6, 2010
I'd offer part of the land to someone or a group who'd be willing to mow it and till it. Then you could both have the benefits of a garden, without your need for heavy equipment. Yes, that's sharecropping.
If you offer the old metal stuff for scrap, you can probably find someone to haul it away.
The fruit trees are going to take a while to mature, but you could plant a shelterbelt of faster growing trees to protect the orchard from the wind.
Knowing your growing zone and climate would make giving advice easier.
posted by Ideefixe at 10:09 AM on September 6, 2010
If you offer the old metal stuff for scrap, you can probably find someone to haul it away.
The fruit trees are going to take a while to mature, but you could plant a shelterbelt of faster growing trees to protect the orchard from the wind.
Knowing your growing zone and climate would make giving advice easier.
posted by Ideefixe at 10:09 AM on September 6, 2010
If you are thinking about the horse route please, please do your research first. Owning horses is completely unlike owning a couple of big dogs. I know way too many people that didn't get that when they bought their special snowflake daughter a horse after her first riding lesson.
posted by COD at 10:12 AM on September 6, 2010
posted by COD at 10:12 AM on September 6, 2010
You might be able to rent a herd of goats. Seriously. They're a green way of clearing land. This kind of covers it. Heck, if you don't want to rent them, buy a few young ones - old enough to know that you've got all girls or all boys, and let them spend a couple of months clearing down the grass and sell them.
If you just want animals for companions, check with your local aspca or humane society, they do rescue horses and the like and need good homes for them.
posted by lemniskate at 10:19 AM on September 6, 2010 [1 favorite]
If you just want animals for companions, check with your local aspca or humane society, they do rescue horses and the like and need good homes for them.
posted by lemniskate at 10:19 AM on September 6, 2010 [1 favorite]
As a chicken owner and a vegetarian, I recommend keeping chickens. Assuming you're the sort of vegetarians who eat eggs, obviously!
You can buy baby chicks from the feed store, and keep only hens. If you want to be absolutely sure you don't end up with a rooster, get a sex link breed. These are breeds where the chicks are different colors based on gender, so it's foolproof.
DO NOT BUY STRAIGHT RUN CHICKS. These have not been sexed; statistically, half will be roosters.
Chickens require a shelter built, and protection from the elements and the whole world of predators who want to eat them. But they require less infrastructure than larger animals like goats and cows.
And if you're ethical vegetarians, the life of the battery hens who provide grocery store eggs is... not good.
posted by ErikaB at 10:32 AM on September 6, 2010
You can buy baby chicks from the feed store, and keep only hens. If you want to be absolutely sure you don't end up with a rooster, get a sex link breed. These are breeds where the chicks are different colors based on gender, so it's foolproof.
DO NOT BUY STRAIGHT RUN CHICKS. These have not been sexed; statistically, half will be roosters.
Chickens require a shelter built, and protection from the elements and the whole world of predators who want to eat them. But they require less infrastructure than larger animals like goats and cows.
And if you're ethical vegetarians, the life of the battery hens who provide grocery store eggs is... not good.
posted by ErikaB at 10:32 AM on September 6, 2010
Response by poster: Thanks for the great answers, everyone. I should have mentioned that we're already planning on getting chickens but we definitely don't want horses.
We live in the far north of Scotland, hence the fact that I mentioned it's windy - the wind blows straight in off the North Sea. I know there are some varieties of apple trees that should be able to grow up here so we'll order some of those, plus some pear and plum trees.
Money is a real concern as basically after buying the house and renovating the interior we won't have much to play with at all. We both work but will be spending most of our money making overpayments on the house.
I think I'll approach the local sheep farmer to ask him if he'd either like to use our land for grazing temporarily, or if he'd like to mow it and take the hay.
We're definitely going to grow us many fruits and vegetables as we can. We'll sell them, plus jams, chutneys and eggs, by the side of the road using an honesty box. It's just that we won't be able to work the rest of the land by ourselves. We definitely can't afford a tractor, even a small one!
posted by hazyjane at 11:04 AM on September 6, 2010
We live in the far north of Scotland, hence the fact that I mentioned it's windy - the wind blows straight in off the North Sea. I know there are some varieties of apple trees that should be able to grow up here so we'll order some of those, plus some pear and plum trees.
Money is a real concern as basically after buying the house and renovating the interior we won't have much to play with at all. We both work but will be spending most of our money making overpayments on the house.
I think I'll approach the local sheep farmer to ask him if he'd either like to use our land for grazing temporarily, or if he'd like to mow it and take the hay.
We're definitely going to grow us many fruits and vegetables as we can. We'll sell them, plus jams, chutneys and eggs, by the side of the road using an honesty box. It's just that we won't be able to work the rest of the land by ourselves. We definitely can't afford a tractor, even a small one!
posted by hazyjane at 11:04 AM on September 6, 2010
That's a problem I'm encountering with my land, not enough resources to get a tractor to get tilling and producing seriously. I have a flock of Shetland sheep (heralding closer to you than me in Canada) on a small fenced in portion of my land, they are a very small breed so you could manage them if you wanted to on such a small bit of land. You'd need to buy in hay though, no chance of
growing it and a veggie garden too. Shetlands have pretty much one of the softest fleeces of all the sheep and are unique with many colors and patterns, the retail price
for rams is high from what I've seen, or you can keep them around as wethers. Alternatively you can choose not to breed them. Can you tell I enjoy running my small farm! Feel free to message me for more specifics or check out my farm blog, link in my profile. 3 acres is a perfect little chunk of land to play with!
posted by Meagan at 6:38 PM on September 6, 2010
growing it and a veggie garden too. Shetlands have pretty much one of the softest fleeces of all the sheep and are unique with many colors and patterns, the retail price
for rams is high from what I've seen, or you can keep them around as wethers. Alternatively you can choose not to breed them. Can you tell I enjoy running my small farm! Feel free to message me for more specifics or check out my farm blog, link in my profile. 3 acres is a perfect little chunk of land to play with!
posted by Meagan at 6:38 PM on September 6, 2010
Oh, and if you can't afford a tractor, that's fine - 3 acres isn't enough to warrant a tractor. Maybe in a few years buying a garden ATV is something you'd consider, if your needs warrant it. But don't forget your neighbor farmers (if they exist) - they have the equipment and the knowledge needed to run it, so bribing one of them with delicious baked goods or of course good old money is way more cost advantageous than buying a tractor you will use only a few times a year.
posted by Meagan at 7:21 AM on September 7, 2010
posted by Meagan at 7:21 AM on September 7, 2010
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If you leave the field, eventually it'll turn into woodland. It'll take some years, but tree seeds will arrive and start growing. Over time, they'll crowd out the other species and you'll end up with a forest. This might have already started, depending on how long the field has been left for.
I'm not an expert, but I think cows would only need to be milked if you didn't have a calf to do the work for you. Dairy cows have their calves taken away from them so that the farmer gets to keep the milk for himself.
The phrase that you need to google is "smallholding", if you want the land to be productive. Otherwise, you could just leave it and it will take care of itself.
posted by Solomon at 4:56 AM on September 6, 2010