Subject: Re: Applications

From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 8 Oct 1997 07:04:31 -0400 (EDT)

In a message dated 10/7/97 10:04:47 AM, you wrote:

>Pardon me, in advance,
>    But could a poor educated peasant farmer like myself get an
>answer to my "animal tractor on strip cropped" question or is this
>not the appropriate forum?
>    What few of us farmers that are left here and as misguided as
>I know we have been, are in the midst of continual battles risking
>all that we have worked for for generations--weather, prices (cheap food
policy)
>, etc., and now corporate hog farms. That is why I'm asking a somewhat vague
>and purposely dumb question about a better way of protein production
>as a viable and healthy system and one which will better unite "green"
>people. Don't get me wrong, I love intellectual discourse, but now I must
>roll up my sleeves and put to the test what I've learned.
>     Gotta move.....
>        Mike Skinner

Mike there are many versions of animal tractors.  Some confine animals in the
extreme and may not provide proper shade, etc.  Others are more extensive and
therefore slower.  I personally have trouble with extremely concentrated
animal populations in most contexts.  (I've seen some mob-stocked strip
grazing that was perfectly humane, however.)  While people may take pains to
attend to animal comfort, we all have lapses.  

My preference is for an arrangement of several areas in which animals can be
roatated.  I seem to recall that you question related to strip grazing on
contour--correct me please if I recall wrong.  I don't save most posts.  I
see no problem with this if the animals have access to reliable shade and
water and are moved daily or so from strip to strip.  You will get the
benefits of contour strips and the benefits of strip grazing, which is a big
bump in forage yields and a big drop in parasite problems.  Beyond that,
design considerations will be site specific.

For Mother Earth, Dan Hemenway, Yankee Permaculture Publications (since
1982), Elfin Permaculture workshops, lectures, Permaculture Design Courses,
consulting and permaculture designs (since 1981), and now correspondence
courses via email.  Next starts in Oct. 1997. Internships available.
Copyright, 1997, Dan & Cynthia Hemenway, P.O. Box 52, Sparr FL 32192 USA
 [email-masked]  

We don't have time to rush.