REAL TRUTH: If I’m gonna show you the good, I also want to show you the bad.

Today I’ve moved to other parts of the farm than where we’ve been the last few days. It’s the underbelly of the farm. Forages aren’t great. Fertility is weak. But if I’m gonna show you the good, I also want to show you the bad.

[@christopherwheeler818]

I appreciate you showing this, just about my whole farm is like that, it gets kind of discouraging watching all these grazers with beautiful grass stands while me and my cows struggle lol

[@puresouthpasturesfarm6460]

Come'on man! I feel the same way. 👊🏻 Glad to know someone else understands!

[@justin9055]

My wife and I have been working for the past 7 years at reviving her grandpaps farm which sat fallow for 30 years. About four years ago we soil tested and limed everything and drilled in clovers. The cows (40-50 pairs) no longer winter in the barn and we've been rolling hay all winter for around three seasons now. We are starting to see a turn around now with pastures filling in and fertility improving. We also drill in and utilize annuals like sorghum sudan grass, oats, winter rye, ect to add more grazing and improve the soil. Our butcher steers show increased gains compared to perennial grasses as well.

[@puresouthpasturesfarm6460]

Love this! I’ve really contemplated summer and winter covers. I appreciate you sharing.

[@i_be_eternity]

To me it looks like you could use some chickens to get some nitrogen input or do it the slow way and get your cows a mineral feeder

[@SasquatchBioacoustic]

That seems to be the problem with Elizondo's approach. It leaves half the farm for drought insurance, to be grazed the next year. But that assumes drought won't last more than a year, and your first half is going to recover before you have to go back to it. I'd rather keep good forage growing all the time across 100% of my farm.

[@puresouthpasturesfarm6460]

I understand what ya mean. I was hesitant at first too, but trying to take half/leave half resulted in allowing weeds/undesirables to have an advantage over desirable grass/legumes and forbes. Every method has drawbacks and some work better in certain environments. Where are you located?

[@SasquatchBioacoustic]

@@puresouthpasturesfarm6460 Cenbtral Virginia, KY31 country. I see it as a spectrum of approaches, with take half/leave half at one end, and high density mobbing on the other. Depending upon the situation, each has its application. But probably not the best idea to lean too heavily into one end or the other all the time. When I need weed suppression, I'll mob them up. But after that, the take half/leave half grows me much better forage.

[@laurawoodDavey28fan]

I will probably never need the information, but it is interesting just to learn :)

[@rharrell1]

For summer pearl millet and cow pea are a good combination if you have sections which you can use a no till drill or zip seeder. Best inputs are active growing plants have not used or needed any fertilizer or lime in years.

[@puresouthpasturesfarm6460]

Nice! Are those suited for southern heat?

[@rharrell1]

@@puresouthpasturesfarm6460 I live in NC and both can take the summer heat as a normal summer here is above 90 for at least 45 days from June - September. I got a lot of information about soil management from David Brandt he started no till in the 70's. Although he passed last year in a truck accident there are videos about his methods on KZbin and his family are still operating his seed company Walnutcreekseeds based in Ohio. Ray Archuleta and Gabe Brown also have information on KZbin for improving pasture soil.

[@godricfamilyfarm]

Good, honest video. This will be helpful to many people. Thanks for sharing

[@puresouthpasturesfarm6460]

Thank you and thanks for watching the channel

[@ronaldlucas5360]

Enjoyed

[@finbarrdinneen3430]

Could you not give it a light grazing, stimulate the grasses and plants that the cows will eat to grow

[@i_be_eternity]

Movement on a camera is fine if your recording at a high frame rate.

[@trudave_official]

Hello. We specialize in rubber boots and waders for outdoors. Absolutely love your style! I would love to discuss a collaboration with you.

[@puresouthpasturesfarm6460]

Hey there! I’d love to connect. My email is [e-mail] Phone is 501.680.4696

[@trudave_official]

@@puresouthpasturesfarm6460 OK!

[@RobbieHoward-vu5hb]

Are you picky about the hay you unroll being sprayed / not sprayed; fertilized / not fertilized?

[@user-kv2pt4lu9y]

Could grazing 1/3 intensively; 1/3 minimally; and 1/3 kept as stockpile for beginning the following spring be more advantageous? Shift the thirds so every third year is intense. Stock so numbers of acres will support animal units while assuming every year will be a drought?

[@puresouthpasturesfarm6460]

Nice thought! I think we would have capacity to do that.

[@user-kv2pt4lu9y]

@@puresouthpasturesfarm6460 thanks, been reading/watching regen books/videos. Wish my brothers would go regen, dad retired and cafo dairy cattle sold. Boys running beefers under a roof and big equipment.

[@godricfamilyfarm]

Do you think raking out those residual piles and spreading thinner would help?

[@puresouthpasturesfarm6460]

I think you are talking about the leftover hay from the bale grazing, right? Absolutely! Just haven't made time to get it done, but it sure would help I appreciate ya watching

[@RobbieHoward-vu5hb]

Are you picky about the hay you unroll being sprayed / not sprayed; fertilized / not fertilized?

[@puresouthpasturesfarm6460]

I would like to be more picky but last year I was just trying to nail down enough hay without paying an arm and a leg.