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Earth Stewardship 101 - Part Two

continued

by Sheri Dixon

 The recommendation for the hay meadow was to do a controlled burn (again with the burning…) and then sow it with native grasses and wildflowers.

I was promised a report in the mail, suitable for submission directly to the county appraisal district, to apply for our ‘Wildlife Habitat Management’ tax credit.

To keep this in effect, we need to actively fulfill three of TPW’s list of recommendations per year and submit them with photos and receipts (if applicable) to the appraisal district.

So this year if we put up the wood duck nest boxes, do the burn/native grass planting in the hay meadow, and use Ward’s night scope that he got for Christmas to do a wildlife census, that’s our three. If we do the wetland burn, establish native flowers to attract butterflies along the roadsides and start planting viney things on the creek banks next year, that’s another three.  Adding onto or doing something to maintain or improve things we’ve already done count as well.  So (since we have such a long stretch of creek banks) we’ll specify where, what, and how much is planted each year.

The official report that Heidi sent me states our Objective as, “to improve and enhance the habitat for white-tailed deer, songbirds, waterfowl and other game and non-game wildlife for conservation and recreation purposes in conjunction with running a small family farm.  Likewise, managing and maintaining healthy, diverse, and sustaining populations of wildlife will create personal satisfaction in providing quality stewardship of the property.”

I like it.

Of course a big part of the "small family farm" equation means providing our livestock with food as close to year-round as we can.  My feeling was, that since goats are not really grazers, but browsers, instituting rotational grazing of a meadow of mixed grasses, forbs and legumes would actually be better for them than a diet of straight fertilized Bermuda, but I wanted to be sure, and also be comfortable tossing my little Arabian mare into that mix. I called my goat-vet, who’s known me for over a dozen years and likes me anyway.

Acreage already planted with the Prairie Starter Mix in the Texas Hill Country

Dr. Wilson was emphatic both in his assurance that my stock would not only do fine, but thrive on that type of management, and that considering the relatively small acreage involved and the fact that it is on a hill, it may be difficult to interest anyone to come cut and bale Bermuda grass for us.

That's not to mention the necessity of fertilizing the darn stuff every year.

Native is the way to go.  He was also quick to point out that the whole wildlife habitat restoration/non-chemical natural organic pasturing concept is just more "me" in every way. I think he meant that in a good way, but sometimes it’s best not to demand too much elaboration.

Heidi had given me names of several professional firebugs who do controlled burns for a living. She recommended calling the fire dept. and having them on hand ‘just in case’. I decided to see if I could do away with the middleman and called our volunteer fire dept and asked if they would be interested in burning off the meadow as a training exercise.  The excitement at the prospect was evident over the phone line.

They will be HAPPY to come set our field ablaze, and only ask a donation in return.  As soon as we get the correct timing and combination of rain followed by fair and calm weather, we’ll be witnessing (and Alec will be cheering) the conflagration of sticker burs, stinging nettles and goatweed (which I’ve learned is actually one of the only things that goats WON’T eat).

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