Building a Hobby Farm- from woods to eggs

[tony123]

Easygo, so 12 trees are enough to get you and all your friends sick of apples? if so, I might limit myself to about 8 trees and leave room for something else, like the pecans.

I, too, think they'd be fun, even if the deer get them all.

[easygo]

Tony,

I think it may not be the amount of apples, but the lack of my experience for uses. The trees are old and some of them don't produce too much for some reason. They were not pruned for a few years before we bought the place and I have been slowly working away at that. To my pleasant surprise, each year the apple crop is increasing. I would say as your trees will get bigger and start producing more you will keep coming up with ideas to use a lot of the fruit. We have been using more and more each year as we came up with new ideas. At first we just gave away a couple hundred pounds, ate a bunch and left the rest for the animals. Then we started making apple sauce and gave away even more and there was plenty left for the animals too. Just a few days ago my wife mentioned something about getting a cider press. So. I looks like we will have more fun down the road. Here is a picture that I love seeing within a hundred feet of my house.

[tony123]

Easygo, thanks for the photo! That is pretty cool.

UPDATE !!!!!

We finally got a little rain around here! I called the FD and FS and it was a burn day! Finally!

Here's some photos of all the fun.

Of course, with rain comes....MUD. Not only is it fun, but the mud puts out the little fires on your tires! :0



Here's a shot of one of the piles burning down. I started it with about 4 gallons of deisel, in the pouring rain. Took a bit to get going, but once it did, the rain was no match.



The boxblade worked well for keeping the pile tight into the fire, and stoking when necessary at the end.




It all burned down to nothing in about 6 hours. Now I've got to consolidate all the little pieces left over and have another burn. Whats left would fit in a pickup truck.

So, seems to be the verdict that I should just grade all these ashes right into my soil?

After this weekend I should have everything cleaned up and graded smooth again. I'll post some photos then.

Next up, fencing!

[hunterridgefarm]

Tony,

glad you got some rain so you could burn. We finally got some rain here but its too late for me to burn, my brush is pushed in a hole.

Keep the pics coming. What kind of fence will you be putting up?

David

[tony123]

David, can't you burn in the hole? or did you already bury it?

The fence will likely be 5' tall wire mesh (2x4" holes) with wooden posts. There are a few places where it is adjacent to the house and the neighbors, that I'll plan to face it with a four rail wooden fence.

[hunterridgefarm]

Originally Posted by tony123

David, can't you burn in the hole? or did you already bury it?

Partially buried, fill dirt mixed in. When I did most of my clearing there was no rain for a couple months. I am piling some brush now to burn or mulch if I hire a mulcher to thin some of the thick brush.

[tony123]

David, burying the debris will lead to settling of the ground as it all rots. Be aware of that. You might be wise to burn what you can. Certainly don't do it in a location that will have hardscape.

Discovered this evening that the bulk of what is left in my pile is a crumpled up "bundle" of what may have been several hundred feet of 4' wire mesh fence and barbed wire! I'm not sure how I'm going to get rid of it? I don't think my garbage service will take it. I may have to cut it down to managable pieces and go to the dump with it all.

[easygo]

Good to see that you got to have some fun there Tony. You can grade the ashes into the soil where you will have your garden. It will like you for it. I put all my wood ash from the stove on the compost pile.

How about instead of cutting up the wire fence you could just try to compact it with the back blade by putting it against a tree and just back up. It would have to be a tree that you will cut down eventually because the bark will certainly get damaged in that process. But come to think of it if that doesn't work, it's going to be more difficult to cut it up.

[weldingisfun]

Originally Posted by tony123

David, burying the debris will lead to settling of the ground as it all rots. Be aware of that. You might be wise to burn what you can. Certainly don't do it in a location that will have hardscape.

Discovered this evening that the bulk of what is left in my pile is a crumpled up "bundle" of what may have been several hundred feet of 4' wire mesh fence and barbed wire! I'm not sure how I'm going to get rid of it? I don't think my garbage service will take it. I may have to cut it down to managable pieces and go to the dump with it all.

If you have a metal recycling center anywhere nearby you can take it there.

[tony123]

This morning we (as a family) graded out all the ash. Loaded the wire mesh in the truck and found a local recycle center that took it. And, various other cleanup. A picture or two to follow later this weekend.

I didn't have a tree to use, but did have a cut bank in the dirt to press the wire into. Worked out pretty well.