Revitalizing old neglected pasture

The pasture area around the livestock barn hasn't been used in years. It is overgrown with tall weeds that are over taking the grass. I want to restore this old pasture before I install fencing around it and put livestock on it. I need to knock back these evasive weeds and reseed new grass seed throughout the pasture. Some areas are so bad they need tilled up and completely replanted with grass seed.
Our Facebook page: / countryviewacreshomestead
E-mail us at: [e-mail]
We live in southeastern Illinois on a 41 acres homestead. We just finished building our log cabin overlooking our pond. We are trying to grow our own food and raise livestock. Follow us on our journey living the rural life and developing our property and becoming more self sufficient.
#pasture
#overseed
#countryviewacres

[@remushaynes2693]

let me take this method to voice my opinion: i follow and have followed many utube videos, homestead and construction. of all of these i treasure yalls the highest. while all i have selected are interesting to me, some are greater than others. i really liked some only to have them go bad, using profanity. before i am condemned by the trolls, i acknowledge the constitutional right of free speech. all i can do is leave the site when it happens. i am so thankful for you and ms. rebecca for being decent and respectful, not to mention, very entertaining. i hope all goes well for yall as yall form the homestead yall have dreamed about. thank yall from the bottom of my heart for all the hard work put out doing these videos........g

[@DieselRamcharger]

you can just block people you dont like. and there are no constitutional rights on an international privately held platform. just fyi.

[@cliff4695]

@@DieselRamcharger lmfao. Silicon valley, not International. Look up section 230, Google owns youtube. You might be surprised to find everything you stated to be false

[@Tonetwisters]

Let me add my support to this comment ... in this world of "let it loose," it is nice to see and hear down-to-earth, decency.

[@razorkane5011]

Your equipment choices don't matter (at least it wasn't a hand spreader😂) you're living how many would love to live... keep up the entertaining videos😊

[@loraineleuschke4186]

You have a lovely farm. I look forward to watching you grow your homestead.

[@OBRfarm]

Love your videos sir! Keep up the great work...

[@fernandobrown7386]

Another great video from y'all hope your grass turn out great

[@shawnharalson3764]

Great video! Thanks for sharing👍🏻

[@Beecozz7]

Nice video, great drone shots and go/pro shots, Illinois is sure pretty!!! You've got a beautiful place!

[@bevnelson3678]

Great work done going to look good when grass grows.

[@olddawgdreaming5715]

Looks good Evan, it’s getting more like you folks want it to be ! Thanks for sharing with us.

[@rollingacresfarmstead206]

its pretty amazing how quick nature takes over when left undisturbed

[@mechanic2874]

when every thing starts to grow next year try to mow to the pasture before the weeds start to flower it will take several mowing's to do this but if you prevent the weeds from going to seed you will have less and less weeds with each mowing as the weeds will use up their energy trying to grow and not be able to reproduce.

[@LibertyGarden]

Good video. Look forward to the fencing project.

[@yasminghani2073]

You have done a amazing job

[@russse2793]

I love how you work with what you have available to you. Your little spreader seems to have worked very well for you. Thank you for sharing, and I have been on a binge watching your videos. God Bless from Phoenix.

[@EC4400]

Good morning Evan, Great job on that neglected pasture. It is neglected no more. I bet it will fill in beautifully. The view from the drone is beautiful. I am happy for you both. The homestead is coming together really nicely. Hi to Rebekah for me.

[@bmcdonald7303]

I needed this as I am moving back home to the farm.

[@petedavis8701]

Best wishes, tthats a. lovely small farm

[@claireerickson1208]

So impressed every video, you are truly a very hard worker along with your wife. Amazing what you have done in the few years you have lived there. Wonderful job.

[@richardmiller3919]

Drone up sky shows how beautiful small farm with small lake is!!

[@stevenmundial1]

We just bought our first farm and close escrow in about 3 weeks this video was helpful thank you

[@jamesharless5357]

Looks great!

[@bradleyschneider3871]

When I was a kid we grew up on a farm the land owner had a case tractor just like yours actually he had case equipment but it was in a little bit better shape than yours ...just reminds me of the good old times on the farm...I'm now 62...great video

[@JohnDoe-bh7uj]

Man you have a beautiful piece of property.

[@marcie4771]

Have enjoyed these videos--binged viewed till I caught up--whatever you can afford at the time is YOUR choice not --Ours--ty for each one.

[@thewhittierhousewife3898]

Great start, Evan! I'm excited to see more. If you should decide to get a milk cow, may I suggest a mini Jersey? Jerseys are the most adorable cow in the world, and a mini is even more adorable!💕😄

[@stevemartinez6757]

Very nice. Your place is shaping up to be a VERY fine piece of property (not that it already wasn't).

[@batpherlangkharkrang7976]

Hi..... Country View Acres, thank you for sharing your video homestead 👋 bye 👋 bye 👋 bye 👋 🎥👍👍👍

[@lemoncrinckles]

You obviously know what you're doing, combined with a great work ethic. Fantastic drone footage, too. Good job!! (:

[@Tonetwisters]

Evan and Rebekah are indeed, hard working; and Evan has a great sense of camera shots and he works very hard to get them.

[@denaredford6701]

Very nice pasture .

[@jasonross2300]

👍🏻enjoyed it!

[@mountainviewturning5319]

Nice video alot of work 👍

[@kirksawler1199]

Nice video, I’ve cut weeds out of my pasture a few times this summer and I’m going to frost seed it heavy this spring, I subscribed

[@Tomhohenadel]

Great video Evan. Good progress on getting the farm back in shape as a working farm. Must be an earlier video, trees still are yet to turn to the fall colours.

[@CountryViewAcres]

Yeah trees haven't really changed color. But some were losing there leaves already. They should change color soon. We got our first frost the other night.

[@tripler3724]

I will follow this with interest. We have done several pastures over the years and never had any luck over seeding without even a minimal amount of tillage. We have a tractor mount whirlwind seeder, used one growing up on the farm, as well as one for an ATV. This has worked well for crimson clover if you catch the weather right. When seeding without a drill or planter, we follow with a cultipacker. Seed depth is often critical, so no real good one size fits all option. We had a lot of CRP land, so we sold our West Plains no-till drill with grass box a few years ago; wish we hadn't done that; sure need it now.

[@Bass2010]

Nice drone shots looking good

[@CountryViewAcres]

My other drone broke a while back. Finally broke down and bought a new one.

[@tannenbaum3444]

Good luck on that Agrifab....bought one and the gear and assembly parts rusted through completely....used it once to spread fertilizer on my property, stored it in our pole barn over winter and the next Spring when I wanted to use it again, it had completely rusted through. The entire carriage parts were rusted through. I then purchased a new John Deere spreader, which I should have done to begin with, but the Agrifab was a bit cheaper. Two years into the John Deer spreader and we're still good.

[@russellpetrie119]

that topper does a nice job and you kept the second tractor too

[@CountryViewAcres]

Yes, everyone convinced me to keep it. Glad I did.

[@hvnfun8601]

Hey buddy, I have the same seeder. It works well for an acre or two. Need to drop an few seeds, some fertilizer - it will do the job. Mine is getting quite old and I have bookmark their parts page. Now, as for your dam - get ride of any tree on the back side. Their roots are guaranteed to make leaks

[@tcdollarman2010]

You did a good job on spreading the seed put some wire tie around at gearbox in a wire tie gate wire time you know where top fence up that works the best with what I found the work to best when I need like something like that small to tie up instead of a zip tie cuz sometimes it gets in a way

[@marilynwitherell186]

That seeder with work great on your small TYM tractor, it works great on my John Deere 1023e.

[@chokkan7]

Just an FYI, as I have had to do a similar task on my place. If you can find an old spring tooth harrow (I found a 3 section one for a song), these are great for dragging over the pasture after brush hogging to collect the thatch; everything will grow better once that is removed. Pile it up and let it compost in an unused corner... Get those potholes fixed; that's a good way to tear up a tractor wheel...also, try a 3-point cone spreader for fertilizing/liming/seeding...much easier (that coming from a 60 year old back)...planning to seed any clover (or Korean lespedeza) in? Hope that works out for you...

[@AnxiousCowboy]

Do you dig the Harrow in or just sweep the top to collect the thatch?

[@pammccrary7915]

Your goats would do a great job of clearing the weeds out they love them.

[@CountryViewAcres]

Hopefully next year when it is fenced in the goats will keep the weeds under control.

[@travistharp4215]

Yes goats are the best option cause they chew up the seeds so weeds don’t grow much

[@Tonetwisters]

I did not know those Kasawaskis had GPS but it looks like it was working pretty good for ya!

[@lorenmeyer5290]

Evan it sure opened thing up at least you on what out there now! Great job! Your goats would take care if that field grass! Aren't you glad you keeper both trackor?

[@CountryViewAcres]

Yes, I am glad I kept the tractor. It has been very handy this year.

[@rocksandoil2241]

Fertilize? Soil test? Ph very important too. Orchard and fescue responds well to fall fertilizer. K very important for root development. A roller is good to press seed into ground but the drag will do part of that.

[@nickmastroianni5557]

I like to do my over-seeding on my "poor" lawn in early March when the soil is soft and damp. After over-seeding, I usually run over the lawn with my tractor tires to try to push the seed into the top layer of dirt. Seems to work pretty well from what I can tell; otherwise, over-seeding just did not yield very good new growth.

[@DanKlein_1]

looks like you had what I had... we call it goldenrod. it grows taller than the clover and grasses and chokes it out. so, when you mow it, all you have left is stems and bare ground. I didn't seed mine. too much of it. I had it(but no longer) in a CRP program that only allowed me to mow 1/3 of it every year. now that I am out of that program and can do as I please, I am going to try to keep it mowed a lot more during the growing season in hopes grass will come back on its own and because it is getting sun, will choke out the goldenrod. first year of that now and so far, so good.

[@charlesgrant6985]

Looks like you’re missing a clip on that right side axle also. Thanks for all the great KZbin content.🇺🇸🐗🐐🐓🦆

[@RichBurris2]

Perfect area for mob crazing a couple of head and section off into several paddocks. That would improve the pasture grass and soil health.

[@gmathis4829]

5 head, electric cross fencing, solar powered (Gallagher, all the way, accept no immitations)......buy older, solid-mouth pregnant cows....and, let Stock be Stock....

[@CountryViewAcres]

Once we install the perimeter fence, we will probably use electric fence to make paddocks for rotational grazing.

[@PaulHigginbothamSr]

@@CountryViewAcres splitting that into 2 to three pieces will improve the pasture substantially. Four head of cattle or 2 horses. If the brush was cleared off the land in front of the trees then 5 head. It needs ten bags of phosphate fertilizer, or 1,000 lbs if you have 5 head on it. If the brush isn't cleared back to the big trees then 6 or 7 bags.

[@AnxiousCowboy]

Paublus Americanus AMERICANUS what’s the fertilizer for

[@terrywagner7551]

Glade to see someone take interest in abandoned or neglected farm ground, instead of seeing Mother Nature reclaim it. Worse would be a strip mall or development

[@danielheartsill4269]

Keep the weeds mowed so they can't go to seed. It will take a few years but if weeds cant reseed they will eventually die out. It took five years to do this to my lawn as I bought a house with no proper lawn care for ten years. It's beautiful now without chemicals.

[@davidj.mackinney6568]

That looks like good goat feed.

[@themangarage2203]

How did this project turn out? Is there a follow up video? Are you happy with the results of grass coming back and weeds being suppressed?

[@michaeldunagan8268]

Thanks for the video of congrats to your Rehabilitation of your pasture. I guess my two cents for you would be maybe that's grass seeder was not designed to be towed at such a high rate of speed. I'm figuring that it's top speed was designed for that of a typical garden tractor and not a $3,000 four-wheeler like I believe you were using.

[@suziqbrown7073]

I hope you do an update on your grass out the back of your house. would love to see if you got grass to grow good

[@CountryViewAcres]

Yeah, I probably will in a week or two.

[@taem111]

Two years in from this video, how's the pasture doing? what kind of a catch did you get on the broadcast seeding? Are you doing rotational grazing now?

[@ldg2655]

Your goats will do a great job "mowing" where you can't. Check out Greg Judy's youtube before spending the money on pasture grass seed. He has been very successful at regenerating pasture, simply by good management..

[@floydfarms1578]

Absolutely! Put up fence and let the animals in to clean it up. Goats eat weeds, chickens eat weed seed. Way less labor to just put in fence and no cost for seed.

[@cerridwenrowan]

Why didn't you just pen the goats in small sections and seed after they cleared it?

[@CountryViewAcres]

You could, but that would be labor intensive. You would need temporary electric netting and charger. By the time the weeds come back next year hopefully we will have our perimeter fence installed and can let the goats into the pasture to control the weeds.

[@annacompan7219]

He has got the equipments to clear😊.

[@steveclement504]

Next time try a cement mixer to mix the seed up, can do the same with fertilizer to make your blend.

[@mrgoodtimes05]

Are kidding me, It just fell apart? We can't have nothing good. Your going to use the handheld spreader, until I feel you've learned a lesson. Good video sir.

[@alanl.simmons9726]

Keeping the dam clear of brush would discourage rodents from burrowing into the dam. Mowing more than once a year would help reduce weeds going to seed and give your grasses more sun & rain. Thanks for sharing.

[@CountryViewAcres]

I am planning on clearing the backside of the dam this winter.

[@SciaticaDrums]

I'm buying 31 acres in NH soon. Part of it is a huge field that was used for cattle decades ago. The amount of ticks in there is epic. I'm looking for a way to take it back. I may invest in a flail mower for my ATV. What I really want to do is have the fire department do some training and do a controlled burn and start over.

[@jksatte]

Were you are farmer in another life or something? How do you know how to do all this stuff? Your place is beautiful. Janice

[@barrymcdonald9868]

thanks for a great video, how did the germination rates go

[@BillCoSmith]

Someone may have mentioned this ( as I did not want to read all 100+ comments) If you have an agricultural extension office or a coop near by, they sometime have a seed drill you can barrow or rent. Using the seed drill will help germination a lot.

[@CountryViewAcres]

They do have a drill you can rent. I rented it in the spring. It didnt work very well. They dont keep them maintained.

[@normajeanslagel4633]

Ever seen a scythe? It would be indispensable for hard mowing area. I just got mine and now learning how to cute tall grass and weeds. I. No pro with this anciet tool ut woow it is great. Now heavy gas tri.mer or line to worry with. No barrtery tos needed. It is quiet and efficienct even in the ha ds of a novice 62 old gal.

[@heatmoon]

I see mustard and ragweed that is like 7 feet tall, that’s nasty stuff. Break any sheer pins? The CRP program made us take weed wackers to get thistle off of rock piles. 3 quarters, did it, Suburban came back with 2 good tires.

[@gmathis4829]

Eventually the Fescue will overtake the Orchard Grass. Your best bet in the Mid South and Lower Midwest is to just overseed with Legumes, particularly White Clover, if your Goal is to reduce the effects of the Endophytes in the typical Fescue Pasture. You've got the place looking good. Keep the Mice out of the leftover seed, Buddy!!

[@CountryViewAcres]

I have a 25% white, 75% red clover mix. I was going to frost seed it next year. Probably mix the left over orchard grass with it when I spread it. I spread that clover mix in the planting pasture grass video and it came up way better than the grass seed.

[@gmathis4829]

@@CountryViewAcres that's great to see! Buy some Breds or Pairs outta Kentucky..... they're Dry as a Popcorn Fart.....and them Cattle will do well on the Pasture you've got started.

[@DonTXPgr]

It looks great 👍🏼. Love the green pastures. By the way how is your hay field?

[@CountryViewAcres]

Hay field is good, probably 12 inches tall. Some areas never filled in. May go ahead and reseed those areas. I have a little bit of seed left over from the original planting in the spring. Now that I have a pull behind spreader, it should be quick and easy. Overall it is looking really good.

[@johnzink3309]

thx

[@nautilusshell940]

Since a piece went missing after its first use, id return the spreader. You can find 3pt spreaders on craigslist for $400 -$500 and theyre much better built. Tractor supply sells them new for not much more. But i have to second what others have said, just fence around the pasture and let the goats have at it.

[@CountryViewAcres]

I wanted that 5 bushel style spreader, but the pull behind version. They are like $750 brand new. Couldn't find a used one. Ended up with the agra-fab. I hopefully I will get my money's worth out of it.

[@dpgoodall]

Country View Acres plus it’s nice to be able to use the 4 wheeler instead of having to run the tractor over soft ground.

[@JK-co6wk]

15:00 Are you missing the pin for the RHS wheel on the inside? I see one on the left wheel and see a hole in the right wheel but no pin.

[@CountryViewAcres]

You insert a pin to engage the drive gear. Both wheels have the hole, but only one side of the axil has a hole. So it only takes one pin.

[@masterful7574]

How much of that seed do you think actually made it to the ground with the grass that long?

[@miltonhurd1016]

Do you have plans to clear the saplings off the back of the dam? Thanks for getting a larger spreader!

[@augustreil]

Was going to ask the same as I have heard, trees on a dam are No good.

[@CountryViewAcres]

Yes, trees in a dam are no good. I am planning on clearing it this winter.

[@augustreil]

@@CountryViewAcres, Thanks !

[@sheilamclaughlin963]

If it is that wet take that roller and make sure that the seed has contact with the soil, not sure why u didntseed the clover at the same time

[@AmericanRebel.Crusader]

Very good video man . By the way what's the name of the song at 10:32 thanks

[@jeffmay6418]

Looking good. I understand trees growing on damns are not good.

[@CountryViewAcres]

Yes, I plan on clearing the back side of the dam this winter.

[@PaulHigginbothamSr]

since you are a new farmer I will say you have done a good job. I would have pushed all those trees from behind the dam back to the big trees. And run a chipper and chipped up especially the evergreens. Cattle like shade, which the larger trees provide, but smaller trees just steal pasture and acreage. Yes you would have had to use your powersaw a bunch more, but those evergreens poison pasture, and don't offer shade for cattle.

[@gurubhat6680]

You install some temporary electric fence and let loose the goats, they will clear any weeds in just 3-4 days; reduces your feeding costs and your goats will get some natural green/vegetation.

[@wayneschmidt9620]

do you think it might have been beneficial to aerate the ground prior to over seeding? love you channel. Thanks

[@CountryViewAcres]

Yes, it probably would have. But I dont have an aerator. But I did search for some used, but without luck.

[@pammccrary7915]

Check in your Extention Center my son takes care of the equipment they lone out to farmers and land owners needing help to reseed their land. They are a great resourceful center for each area covered by each area they are in. They also know what type of seeding is best in your area. They also have wonderful information for homesteaders and check valves and gauges on canners. They will also check water levels and safety for your wells and ponds. They have information on trees and restocking of ponds. Check them out they are such a wonderful resource few people use or know about.

[@CountryViewAcres]

Yes, our extension has a seed drill that you can rent.

[@joconnor3567]

Goats, goats, goats! Just keep rotating them

[@CountryViewAcres]

Hopefully when the weeds try to come back next year. We will have the fencing up and the goats will be eating the weeds down.

[@Three-leggedRanch]

Evan, is that the same pasture you burned off last year? If so, it sure greened up nicely.

[@CountryViewAcres]

Yes, I burned it off this spring.

[@peterkoster5053]

Concrete tie wire over zip tie for the spreader repair... might work better

[@kalahunter1174]

One project I would like to see you do is remove the corrugated panels on back of Barn & put them back on Vertically then Paint the Whole Barn

[@CountryViewAcres]

Where the corrugated panels are on the back of the barn, is an addition and not the original barn. I plan on turning that area into a lean-to that is semi-open in the back. Use it to feed hay and for livestock to bed down in. Probably replace the metal with wood. Then paint the barn.

[@billnowlin9148]

Most county ag agents have connections to rental opportunities for farm equipment. A no till drill might have been a better choice for overseeding that grass. Just a thought. ;-)

[@CountryViewAcres]

I rented the country extension drill in the spring. I didnt work very well. It isnt well maintained.

[@jamestate7851]

That is good news, now I will be able to sleep at nights.

[@HarryHound1]

Did you collect the grass cuttings? And what did you use? Thanks Michael

[@ivhoseful]

Same question. I am trying to reclaim 3 acres on my land similar conditions as video. But what to do with the cuttings?

[@d6joe]

Some varieties of grass seed, the germ really gets bad after the first year of storage.

[@AkkaVoskuil]

So when mowing those weeds, did you take them off the pasture afterwards or did you leave them there to return plant matter/nutrients to the earth as they decompose? I'm new to all this, but about to buy some land that is pretty overgrown and weedy, and trying to figure out the best way to deal with it while avoiding tilling and re-seeding if possible

[@CountryViewAcres]

I mowed them down and left lying on the ground to decompose. But I wished I would have mulched it up better. And maybe mowed a few weeks in a row before seeding. Seeding works best in spring or fall. Aeration or a drag harrow could rough the ground up a little before seeding could help as well.

[@AkkaVoskuil]

@@CountryViewAcres Thank you that is super helpful!

[@afghanbunny1]

I remember that you once said you were located in Illinois. Big state with very different grow zones. Would you share which County?

[@CountryViewAcres]

I would prefer not to disclose the exact county. But I live along the wabash river, beside indiana. That will get you down to 5 possible counties. I hope that is close enough to understand which region I live in.

[@afghanbunny1]

@@CountryViewAcres I was guessing a little farther South. My family is in Vermillion County. I was in McHenry, up north. I have other family just north of St. Louis - that's where I had guessed you might be. The terrain looked similar.

[@CountryViewAcres]

Across the road from me is a big creek and creek bottoms. My pond flows Into that creek. So my land changes elevation as water flows toward that creek. The elevation changes gives my property more character and makes it look like it belongs somewhere else.

[@dawncooper4739]

👍🏻

[@miatch085]

How successful do you think the overseeding was? Do you think you got good germination and growth from that? We're in the process of buying 20 acres and will have pasture that needs reclaimed and revitalized.

[@trrowland7849]

You could do with rolling the land to get rid of the ruts everywhere... Look bumpy

[@toolguy4760]

Is it fenced yet

[@michaelmorgan6154]

Use your animals to clear the weeds. No fuel cost free fertiliser and ground disturbance win win!!!😎

[@kevinashby3784]

Are you planning to just grow hay. I see no fences so assuming no grazing

[@brettcleveland1106]

Got the same seeder! That lever you set the amount of seed spread sucks!

[@CountryViewAcres]

Yes, it does.

[@PlanetMojo]

Kinda weird watching this video. I have been doing the exact same stuff clearing pastures here on our homestead -- except that the current pasture we are working on ( 2 1/2 acres) is pure orchard grass. With horses it is recommended that pastures have a single grass and single legume because horses are browsers and will waste more if given a choice. Our land is 100% hill so a ton of clearing was done with a brush cutter -- after we had a forestry mulcher come in and clear as many trees as possible. We girdled a lot of the bigger trees and are slowly removing them. Lots of work! We have that same Agra Fab spreader. It saves time, but is very flimsy! We did a one acre pasture with a push spreader (on very hilly land) and it was no fun at all, but if I had it to do again I would not by that same pull-behind spreader.

[@CandleMFG]

It didn't seem to be a very big area, you should have just disced the entire area, harrow, seed, and then use your cultipacker.