Food Plot Project

[Briar Hill Brittanys]

Being a long time lurker, and after reading Lostinthewoods thread "Shame on you people", I submit my first post. Man, I didn't realize I'd joined over a year ago. At any rate, thus follows my food plot project. This project started out when we first moved to our home and acerage. I've had an 8N tractor for about 6 years, using it about every day for upkeep of land and kennel. First attempts at plowing with a middle buster, and planting with a walk behind broadcaster quickly led to a 2 bottom Ferguson plow, and 2 row Allis Chalmers 600 planter. It was completely disassembled, stripped, new bearings, springs and hardware, and painted. I have planted field corn and sunflowers with it, sorry no pictures of the results. But everyone knows what it looks like when deer eat something to bare ground.

 

[Briar Hill Brittanys]

At about the same time I was working on the planter, I found a John Deere/Van Brunt 15 X 7 FB grain drill. Got it for a good price, only problem is the passenger side drive gears had several broken teeth. I had seen them cut down to use behind 4 wheelers and smaller tractors, so what the heck! The drill is a trip lift, no hydraulics needed, which is great for my 8N. It also is driven by each tire, basically all I had to do was cut the frame, seed box, and fertilizer box in the middle between the two drive points. Man oh man is there ever a bunch of parts on one of these drills. It had a grass seed box that attached on the front of the seed box, but it was beyond repair. The fertilizer section works, but I don't use it. It isn't the prettiest drill in the field, but I can back it on the trailer, and haul it to our other piece of ground.

 

[Briar Hill Brittanys]

I didn't really think I needed a boom sprayer, until it came to knocking down the pasture grass on our other property. We're going to plant veggies to sell at the farmers market on it, as well as the food plot going in on the back side. I tried using a 15 gallon spot sprayer to kill a big enough spot. Yeah, I can hear the guffaws and belly laughs from here. After seeing the cost of sprayers, I decided I'd build one. The best home built one I found was on this site, by a fellow named PineRidge. The thread was from 06, and was dormant until about the time I was looking for ideas. Someone else opened a new thread on it about then. I copied his idea for the boom and hinges (Thank you PineRidge). The upright for the 3 point was originally built for a disc hiller project that didn't turn out like I wanted, the rest of the angle frame came from an old John Deere disc found on our place. The steel for the boom, and tank straps were purchased. The tank and pump were found on e-bay, the rest was bought at 3 different farm stores after about 150 trips to town. It has a 30 gallon tank, 12 ' spray width, 4' stowed, 6 roller silver series Hypro pump, and capability to add a spray gun.

 

[Briar Hill Brittanys]

Although I'd plowed the food plot area last winter, I didn't get back over there to put anything on it for the summer. Probably should have put buckwheat on it, or something to keep the weeds down. It sits at the back of a 10 acre field. We bought the land to do a little garden patch on, as well as use for a training field for bird dogs. We'll plant crop strips on it, next summer (another project post?). The rest of the field was baled by one of our neighbors. These pictures show how thick the grass was. If you look at the shot of the back trail, you can see the patch that was sprayed.

 

[Briar Hill Brittanys]

Got the plot mowed, and the grass killed on the garden spot. I plowed both the areas, but didn't get any pictures during that. I don't know if the plow wasn't set up correctly, if the ground was too wet, or what. Man it was tough going up at the food plot. There was quite a few rocks and tree roots. The ground at the garden patch didn't have any rocks, but held a lot of moisture. I think the last rain was 5 or 6 days prior to plowing. Heres a few pictures before and after discing. My neighbor came and mowed the field while I was there, he raked and baled 2 days later. I'd a been done a whole lot sooner if I had that tractor. He laughed when he first saw me plowing. Hey, I had fun! Kept me outta the bingo parlors, too.

 

[yooper1]

Hello and thank you for the photos and the story

Now that you broke the ice by posting you will be sucked in and won't be able to stop posting

 

[Briar Hill Brittanys]

All that work on the implements, and the ground lead up to planting day. Only got 1 picture, the tractor and the drill in the field. The field behind the drill and tractor is a large bean field. I wasn't too concerned about getting anything on this field, soybeans are a big draw. The pictures yesterday show the results of the work. On the plot I drilled in 50 lbs of rye, and spread 3 lbs of purple top turnips on the field edge. On the garden spot, I drilled 50 lbs of wheat. Not a big, patch I know, but good education and practice for the next one. Mark.

 

[nybirdman]

Looking good,those old Fords are more than up to the task....not fast but for food plots and gardens great.Their only draw-back is with pto driven implements.You didn't say what you are planting in your food-plots.If it is for deer;we have been planting soy-beans(and corn) great year round food plot,lots of protein.
We are also into bird dogs...Elhew English pointers and German-short-hairs.:thumbsup:

 

[yooper1]

<snip>Hey, I had fun! Kept me outta the bingo parlors, too.</snip>

That is all that matters.

Any seat time is fun time

 

[BigMatt]

Man, that Allis planter look a lot like one I just bought! I am going to build a mount to go on my Farmall Cub. I wonder if it will hold two planter units or if I should play it safe with one.

I am going to take off the insecticide boxes and all of the bracketry to make it lighter.

By the way, if you need any spare parts, I won't be using the extra two units or the chassis.