Well it didn't go well in rural Living

DaMadman · Apr 15, 2005

Well it didn\'t go well in rural Living

So maybe I will post it here.

I found a crop to plant this year to help feed the two goats the wife has.

I was looking for something that is interesting to grow ( I do something different every year) has high yeilds per sq. ft. and is going to be something I could use.

let em explain... I have two gardens, one about 1/4 acre which is veggie garden and another smaller are I plat with crazy stuff.
One year it was all sunflowers, one year big pumpkins, one year was sorgum, one year soybeans.

Well this year it is gunna be KENAF, it is a cousin to alfalfa and the hibiscus and the hemp plant I believe
http://www.satglobal.com/kenaf_feed.htm
Tells about using it for livestock feed.

Other uses are for fiber, paper, clothing, so on, so on,......

There is only one problem with the crop.

It looks a weee little bit like Marijuana..

http://espn.go.com/outdoors/conservation/news/2005/0125/1975112.html

That link tells about another person that is sueing the sheriff for burning his Kenaf plots that he planted for the deer.

LarryD · Apr 15, 2005

Re: Well it didn\'t go well in rural Living

Well with so many other uses, maybe you can smoke it.

Let us know if you have any side effects. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I wonder how that would work for deer plots?

notamustang · Apr 15, 2005

Re: Well it didn\'t go well in rural Living

Do you really want to explain to the sheriff why you crop looks like pot ? How about your neighbors, you might end up with a bunch of tie-dyed neighbors real quick maybe even squating on your property /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Just read the espn story, yea I am gonna argue that point with DEA. "Dude it has ummm... seven leaves ya know pot like only has 5 brau".

Not worth the hassle to me.

beenthere · Apr 15, 2005

Re: Well it didn\'t go well in rural Living

I don't see where it grows in Maryland. Do you?

Talk to your sherriff, as he/she might like to know and even be 'impressed' /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Jackrabbit_Slim · Apr 15, 2005

Re: Well it didn\'t go well in rural Living

Several years ago I talked with a fella in Saskatchewan who put a quarter section into hemp. Not reefer. Hemp. All done legally. Permits... the whole nine yards.

And it was well known that it was hemp. Published in the local paper etc. and the field was posted as such.

He wound up plowing it under in about July. He said the aggravation of constantly policing the field to stop morons from trampling things under to "harvest" pot just wasn't worth it. Reefer Madness, I guess.

Slim

edski · Apr 16, 2005

Re: Well it didn\'t go well in rural Living

What won't goats eat?

Darren · Apr 16, 2005

Re: Well it didn\'t go well in rural Living

Goats aren't grazers like cattle although they can live on pasture. They're browsers like deer. That's why they excel at clearing brush. In California they're used to eliminate brush to save on costs and reduce the fire hazard. If you let a goat into an orchard, you'll find that they'll trim the lower branches off as high as they can reach.

DaMadman · Apr 16, 2005

Re: Well it didn\'t go well in rural Living

( What won't goats eat?
)

actually goats are more picky then most people think. Especially when you have spoiled rotten goats that get lots of grain and "treats". The wife saves all the little bits of stale cereal, crackers cookies and other stuff and feeds it to them. These two spoilted rotten goats will turn thier noses up at certain types of hay I buy.

As far as it growing in Maryland, I asked the and it seems that in order for it to mature to a full fledged usefull fiber plant it does have a longer growning season but to to use it as feed it is best to cut and bale it at around 60-80 days maturity.

whoever asked if it would be good food plots for deer, that is what the guy that is sueing the sheriff was growing it for. He had the food plots growing for the deer on his ranch.

The other nice thing about it is there are more that one stran of Kenaf and one of the types I am planting does not have the palmated leaves, it has a single Okra like leaf.

I personally just like to try growing something different and interesting each year in my side garden. I have grown Cotton, wildflowers, sunflowers, many different things. If it is useful for something that makes it all the better. Hopefully the goats will like it and I won't have to buy as much hay this winter. At 4000 pound per acre this stuff is very high yeild. I am going to give it a try, I will let you all know how it went and if it was worth the hassle.

DaMadman · Apr 16, 2005

Re: Well it didn\'t go well in rural Living

( Well with so many other uses, maybe you can smoke it.

Let us know if you have any side effects. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I wonder how that would work for deer plots? )
Hahaha actually whether it was just to discourage doing it or if it is true I am not sure but I read in a couple places that it will make you sick if you try smoking it. So I don't think I will try it /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I'll just feed it to the goats and see if they act any happier after feeding time /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

DaMadman · Apr 16, 2005

Re: Well it didn\'t go well in rural Living

( Several years ago I talked with a fella in Saskatchewan who put a quarter section into hemp. Not reefer. Hemp. All done legally. Permits... the whole nine yards.

And it was well known that it was hemp. Published in the local paper etc. and the field was posted as such.

He wound up plowing it under in about July. He said the aggravation of constantly policing the field to stop morons from trampling things under to "harvest" pot just wasn't worth it. Reefer Madness, I guess.

Slim )

I have seen article on Industrial hemp being legal up there in Canada complete with pictures of acres and acres of it growing.
Back in the days of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson it was a law that all farmers had to raise so much hemp and the Gov't bought it and used the fiber for rope for the Navy Ships.