Reclaiming Pasture | Regenerative Ranching

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#regenerativeranching #regenerativeagriculture #soilmicrobiome

[@notbuyingit5698]

I really enjoy your channel, but not a fan of Graze-on. I would brush cut then roll out hay bales over the area and pitchfork them thinner for new grass to grow. It will take a year or two, but Graze-on has a 10 year or more half life, I've read, so it's much much quicker. Cancer just isn't worth it... But I still enjoy your content and wish you the best Cliff!

[@thenolackfarm]

I agree! I restored 20 acres, under the exact same conditions (clear cut and left to waste 15 years) with the method you just described. A few years later it is lush Bahia with cattle on it. Problem is no one wants to put in the work when there is a "easier" and cheaper solution. But the devastating effects of graze-on last a long time.

[@chrish1657]

could you run goats or sheep to take out the weeds?

[@SHOE53]

That was a good video on weedy pasture and what you did to help bring it back hopeful it as nicepasture as you other good luck.

[@danielpoe1325]

Thank you!

[@johnmathis7872]

You have 1000 lb landscaping animals that you can put in long narrow paddocks for 30 or 40 minutes to impact the paddocks. They will protest but their hooves will do the work

[@TnMtnFarm]

Thank you for the video of information! I mob grazed for 2 years and unrolled hay for a winter, but the cocklebur were too much. 1 application of broadleaf herbicide let the grass come through.

[@cliffhonnasregenerativerancher]

I’m hoping one application is enough. My home place doesn’t grow many weeds anymore because the turf is so dense. That’s what I’m hoping for.

[@russellsmith3825]

An out of the box option might be to spray a compost slurry to try to inoculate the soil with desirable microbes, I am 2 states north of you but I have severely degraded pastures and cropland I am returning to perennial pasture, perhaps someone like fed-n-happy can supply you a bulk bag of screened vermicast you could spray, along with some mechanical mowing to chop and drop whatever nutrients those plants are trying to mine and move to the surface.

[@cliffhonnasregenerativerancher]

Good thoughts. Will investigate. Thanks

[@MrGbarj]

Good info video, thanks! Fej

[@davidhickenbottom6574]

I'm spraying a weed here in New England as well. You do what you have to do. Sure is pretty country there. Looking forward to your progress on the new land.

[@jeremiahpowell355]

I try not to make any bad comments because I do understand different environments have to be treated differently, but I am in New England and I don’t ever need to spray to provide true regenerative grazing. In some instances, I didn’t need to brush hog or use other machinery for afterwards a multi species, some seed and unrolling Hey, it’s all I’ve ever needed. I’m literally just starting a new property right now, but I will be using the same methods.

[@T_Humphries]

Keep us posted on the progress Mr Cliff

[@cliffhonnasregenerativerancher]

Will do!

[@ericbradley4204]

In a situation like that, herbicide will give you a jumpstart on growing grass for your cows and reclaiming that neglected ground. Your doing good work Cliff.

[@cliffhonnasregenerativerancher]

I’m trying my best. It’s a big project. It’s amazing the improvement on most of it already. The great rains definitely helped!

[@masonbaylorbears]

Get bred corrientes for cheap, they eat alot of the forbes others wont especially when packing in high density. Then you get a half beef calf for basically free lol

[@iamsecond3625]

Another option is to hit it heavy with glyphosate and a few months later plant native grasses. The downside to that is it will take 2-3 years to have a grazable field and native grass seed is expensive.

[@jimmyjhoffa]

Renting boer goats or acquiring some until you clear the pasture, maybe?

[@pr4lviper]

Make a review of the kubota x1140 using in the farm !

[@cartermiller2705]

Nice job. Thanks for sharing. BTW, did you get a pH, acidity, etc. on that soil? I bet some lime would help some as well. 👍☀️

[@cliffhonnasregenerativerancher]

I did not but I’m sure it’s acidic. Need to do that for sure!

[@springtimeplumbing6240]

LOOKS like what I call dog fennel, but the resolution on my screen isn't the greatest. I have had quite a bit of that on a piece of land my cows are grazing. Bushhogged it kinda high this year, and then really short this year. I am starting to see grass making it's way back in, and the weeds losing ground. I have also heard that sheep will eat it, but no personal experience.

[@davidwalters9462]

Instead of terminating the weeds, why not spend a few days concentrating the cattle so they can trample down the weeds? Just curious if you considered this?

[@cliffhonnasregenerativerancher]

Always consider my options but for a variety of reasons wasn’t practical as zero grass beneath the weeds and wouldn’t have had anything for them to eat.

[@clintbryant3701]

woolly croton is goatweed not silver leaf nightshade. Enjoy your videos!

[@cliffhonnasregenerativerancher]

I figured that out later. Thank you!

[@s.o.g.7259]

Thank you for this video. I need content like this. I just recently acquired 20 acres in south Texas. Would letting loose some goats on the weeds take care of that problem? Also does Bahia grass do well in Texas climate

[@cliffhonnasregenerativerancher]

Bahia does excellent east of I-35. Needs rain to flourish but is pretty hardy. I live just north of Bryan-College Station and it does excellent here. I doubt the goats would eat these weeds but I really don’t know. Thanks for watching!

[@mecheed7656]

I just bought a 16 acre property in Caldwell. It's beyond bad, but I'm up for the challenge. We allowed the former owners to lease 13 acres for their cattle, but only for the year while I get this mess figured out. So far, we have found 7 old car batteries, all of them were within yards of the ponds. WHAT!!!!

[@kylebrumfield3515]

Thank you for that. How long do you think before that Grazeon is gone and the microbial life can come back, assuming that it hurts that?

[@cliffhonnasregenerativerancher]

Can’t find an answer online but once the weed competition is gone, the grass grows very robustly. I would think it doesn’t affect microbial life much in the grass roots and below the soil surface to any great degree. I would surmise there’s no surface microbial life where those big patches of weeds die and then there’s just bare ground. I would suggest just from my observation though that grass will start growing in those spots within 4 weeks, so I would suspect microbial life is returning by then. I may be right or wrong about the above.

[@greggmcclelland8430]

@@cliffhonnasregenerativerancher Danny at Deep south homestead has a whole video about straw or hay that had grazeon sprayed on it. he used it on his garden. It killed his garden and he could not grow anything there for 3 years. He ended up stripping the soil out and replacing it with different soil. I would say that Grazeon is terrible for microbial life. I would never use it on my pasture. Get sheep or goats and feed cattle hay on the weeds in winter.

[@cliffhonnasregenerativerancher]

@@greggmcclelland8430 I will get a look at that. Thanks!

[@XiaoFury]

Would goats eat all those weeds?

[@TheKajunkat]

DId you think about making one pass through it with the cows before spraying to get some hoof actions and a little manure on it before the kill? Just asking, I know you think things through pretty good before acting. Sure appreciate you sharing how you are progressing.

[@cliffhonnasregenerativerancher]

I have run cows on the place for several years. Little spots of grass that would provide about a week of grazing. After I sprayed, I let it rest 3 months. They are currently grazing their 4th week in that pasture and we have had a 3 month drought. Zero rain until yesterday.

[@MistressOP]

goats and about 5 buckets of alfalfa pellets? instead of spraying if you plan on leasing land might be worth it. Sheep might do it but you can't always depend on sheep for reclaiming. Easier to manage though. but growing a crop is underrated. So many people try and push cattle/sheep/goats. Without simply growing a crop on the area. sorgum and rye, with come cowpeas work as well.

[@stevecapps6332]

Why would you not bush hog it after it dies? just curious because I sure dont know.

[@cliffhonnasregenerativerancher]

Because they just keep coming back year after year. They are amazingly hardy and the only way I have found to get ahead of them is to kill the root.

[@iamsecond3625]

Why waste the diesel?

[@charleskreger9622]

Do you have an estimate of the per acre cost to spray the weed killer?

[@cliffhonnasregenerativerancher]

Just the chemical is about $6.20/acre.

[@davidhartquist9685]

Great video. I am currently struggling to regenerate a newly acquired pasture and mowing the weeds is just not “cutting” it. Thanks for sharing.

[@cliffhonnasregenerativerancher]

Good luck!

[@vineranch8103]

Which herbicide did you use? Thanks

[@cliffhonnasregenerativerancher]

Grazon.

[@leedza]

How would pasture pigs fare in a situation like this.

[@cliffhonnasregenerativerancher]

Where the weeds are bad, I don’t think there would be much to eat but I really don’t know.

[@tritchie6272]

I don't know whether or not pigs would eat that or not. But I've seen video footage where pigs have really cleared some land. If I remember what those weeds are called I might try to look some stuff up online.

[@cannabinerd9665]

There's nothing regenerative about Graze On.

[@dylandunlap212]

100% lost me at that point. Wish he would have started with that so I could turn the video off at that point.

[@jeremiahpowell355]

Brush hog it burn it anything but spray it

[@tcaputo]

How long do you wait to graze after spraying?

[@cliffhonnasregenerativerancher]

According to the manufacturer: GrazonNext HL herbicide has no grazing restrictions for any class of livestock, including lactating dairy cows, horses (including lactating mares) and meat animals prior to slaughter.