Forestry Mulching our Homestead | Was this the right choice?

Although we have nearly 40 acres, most of it is not currently usable for our off grid Tennessee homestead. We have plans to convert areas of thick brush and young growth into thriving pastured to raise livestock. This week, we try out a forestry mulcher to clear some land. Was this the right tool for the job? Let's find out!
Plant & Plot Garden Beds - plantandplot.com/?gad_source=...
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#landclearing #offgrid #homestead

[@RunawayMattCass]

What's up Runaways! WHAT A WEEK! Land clearing, broken solar panels, we both got sick...there's never a dull moment. It's been so interesting learning about heavy machinery and which tools best suit the jobs that we need done. Just like with every project we do, our learning process is all on a curve with some major success and some misses. As always, thanks for being a part of this incredible journey with us!

[@gammydebbie]

Do a mix of clover and grass, just toss the seeds on the mulch. Also put those big pieces of mulch in the bottom of your raised beds....they will help fill, and compost in beautifully.

[@Charles-xq6mr]

Thanks for the new content!! Always a fun watch!!

[@RunawayMattCass]

Happy to have you here enjoying the journey... ups/downs ans everywhere in the middle hahah! Thanks for watching

[@Charles-xq6mr]

Maybe till the bigger chips under, they will mulch up over time?

[@jacklabloom635]

Those mulchers can go over the area a second time and grind the bigger stuff left on the first pass. The second or third passes are much quicker typically. May not be worth the added expense, when paying for the operator and machine. Most of that will decompose pretty quickly, especially if you turn the soil over. If you want to remove it use a rack attachment on a tractor. Speaking of tractors, two years ago I purchased an old Ford tractor for two thousand dollars. It came with a scraper blade and mower. It has already paid for itself. I used to pay a guy $500 to $700 to grade the gravel road that goes to our cabin. I have found so many uses for the tractor, besides grading my road. Something you are probably already considering. That ATV is nice, but it cannot replace a tractor. I like your DIY wooden land leveler. I’ve used a section of hog pen fencing with concrete blocks on top to do the same thing. Works pretty well on leveling dirt.

[@kensrealadventures9047]

I love how y’all are being stewards of the land! Beautiful!

[@RunawayMattCass]

Thank you so much! That is really what we are trying to do here. Work with the land as much as we can and try to have most changes that we make to it be for it's ultimate benefit.

[@zubzub8280]

Rake up the bigger stuff and have a bonfire. Good job building the drag harrow as well. Y’all are getting more done than me lately I’ve been breaking the backhoe more than accomplishing anything lol.

[@RunawayMattCass]

Thank you so much! We are actually going to use some of it to fill our garden beds and will likely have a burn pile for the larger stuff as well! Appreciate the support!

[@deborahmcsweeney3349]

Nice beds! Fill those bottoms in with some of your chopped wood you want to clear out after that forest mulcher. Then you won't need as much soil and it will be great for your garden beds as it breaks down!!!looks great!❤

[@simpleoffgridlife]

Love it..! One step closer to your goal

[@kennethreynolds5564]

The best way I've found to level dirt and gravel is this. Get a 8' rail road tie and chain it like you did your. It works great and at a cheap price.

[@florencestaheli7459]

at 9:42... for raised beds you have the best "big-mulch-pieces" as base-material inside the beds

[@florencestaheli7459]

See how Bill from Live Simple, Live Free made the covers for the raised beds. Deer will eat everything including rose buds...

[@florencestaheli7459]

Matt... see how you are blessed with all those big pieces of "mulch" and see how you can use them up easily: Live Simple, Live free Building Raised Garden Beds (part 4) GO TO 9.05... HOW BEAUTIFUL... worms will work it

[@hdjohnk]

Glad you guys are back and feeling better!! I made a bucket stand with scrap lumber for 12 buckets last year as my garden. Worked awesome. But love your project alot better. Keep on keeping on ✌️ ❤️🍺

[@SugarcreekHomestead]

So sorry about your solar panel, glad it worked out! We did some acreage on our old farm for pasture and it turned out great. We sewed it heavy with KY 31 fescue and by third year mulch had broken down and pasture was beautiful. We picked up a lot of the bigger stuff left behind by shredder and burned it for garden ash. Really turned out well!!

[@florencestaheli7459]

Raised Garden Beds Covers: from Live Simple, Live Free Building Raised Garden Beds Covers

[@shannisgeorge]

Chainlink fence with some cender blocks on it will definitely be good for dragging

[@JohnAmes]

I like to watch those Raised beds. I have to look into those.

[@beckypennington79]

I like your video I thought you guys really think things out ahead of time a lot and you're so active Nice to see young people doing something so positive it was funny because at the end when she was sitting inside I was thinking maybe a tarp inside of there might make a nice jacuzzi at least temporarily 😂

[@RunawayMattCass]

Thank you so much!!! And that is SO funny!!! Hahaha. We want to build a wood burning hot tub out of a stock tank eventually but all in due time (although our backs could use it today haha) cheers!

[@briankirby918]

First of all love the video's Greer south Carolina. Put a piece of chain link fence. Under the scraper or what u call it. And Drag it around it does awesome job. For this.

[@carpman_here8133]

Great video. Love that Matt is always looking out for what’s best for the land in his decisions. Honestly you are not behind, Mother Nature is a little ahead this year. You will be ready when it’s time. As always stay safe and love ya.

[@RunawayMattCass]

Really appreciate that! We're really trying to make sure that the changes we make will be for the long term benefit (of course it's all an attempt of haha). Mother nature is definitely a little ahead this year! Love ya too!

[@ronneglia2292]

I think the forestry mulcher was a good choice for you. It will require some cleaning up of the larger pieces, but at least you have good soil leftover as compared to bulldozing much of the good soil away.

[@bubbaredneck75]

might i suggest you get a good 20 foot tow chain and a comealong to keep in the truck in case you ever get stuck. plus u can use for say pulling/moving stuff and if u ever need to down a biggerish tree with a weird lean. i have a 20' chain,40' fabric tow strap, 8' wire cable comalong and a 30'strap style comalong in my recovery kit which ive used to move all kinds of stuff. plus the neighbors call me when they get stuck in the rainy season so i can get future small favors from them

[@RunawayMattCass]

It's a great idea to keep in the truck! It's on the list but of course, that list is pages long haha. We actually always had a tow rope in our van with various attachments. Always great to have on hand!

[@mikeduda3173]

You can use a lot of that larger mulch in the bottom of all your beds as fill. It will cut down on the actual amount of soil youll need by two thirds. Good luck 👍

[@Revtyme7]

Hi thete. I am enjoying your new beginnings. You would enjoy Living Traditions Homestead as they just put up these raised beds. Lots of good ideas on weed cloth underneath and on top.

[@Stephanie-C.S]

Use some of that mulch from the forestry mulched as part of the base layer for your raised beds! Seems like that would be a win win. 😊

[@deanhatch4179]

Hugulculture garden bed

[@user-go3jw6jc3r]

I would use as much as I could for firewood, I see tons of it.

[@andrewgee241]

Drag a harrow behind your ATV to rake up the larger pieces left over.

[@roadtriplover.]

Depending upon the types of livestock you’re planning to get, the soil with mulch and no grass yet, may be just perfect with the addition of hay feeding. Pigs, chickens and some cattle will love that.

[@ac0gv]

The broken solar panel while no longer weather proof may still produce electricity. Keep it and you will find a use for it.

[@JS-px3et]

You two remind me of the way my husband and I worked. And that "leveler" is just the kind of contraption Hubby would McGyver. I enjoy watching you and hope you enjoy working your homestead.

[@giraffaVT]

Don't forget to protect your garden from the wild animals that may come through and nibble. :)

[@vonheise]

I would rig a bar across the center top and about half way down each side on the raised beds as mine started bulging out in the center soon after a few rains.

[@matthewkahn3480]

Rake it up and. Keep the stick mulch you can burn it with wood stove or heat to keep warm, did you happen to look up Daniel Oliver you could pump the creek water up hill with that set up !

[@brockdelorenzo7505]

I am in Kentucky and was debating whether to do mulching versus bulldozer/nice skid bushwhacker. The mulching up here was literally twice as expensive so I chose not to go that route. I am still hoping I find somebody eventually to give it a try in a few areas.

[@jessiemorse1121]

You guys work so hard. Hope it’s worth it in the end.

[@RunawayMattCass]

We think it will be :)

[@troybizeau5979]

use a old bed spring and put some bricks on it we used to use that set up on our camp road

[@Shelleys4Seasons]

If noone mentioned it, put hardware cloth on the bottom before adding the trees, limbs, and dirt. Helps prevent critters from digging up. We are in the process of selling our homestead and purchasing more raw land ND I like the mulcher approach. Of course goats and pigs can do the work as well.

[@marvinturnmire7406]

Just rent a wood chipper and run that material through it and add it to your compost pile or use it directly for your mound beds.

[@billiehuskins8129]

Your videos aren't long enough **** so good ****

[@bubbaredneck75]

if you till that stuff in then size of the chunks shouldnt matter as much. will take longer to break down but is still better for the land than bulldozing. might not b immediate help now but in a year or 2 you will see the results of it.its a natural progression with trees and leaves falling then breaking down on the surface.you could also do some terracing if u need more space going down the side of the mountain

[@RunawayMattCass]

That's exactly what we had in mind when we went with the mulcher. We're going to try to scrape up some of the excess material but he mulched in some of it when he did it so that'll be perfect over time!

[@sabinekantenseter5581]

Love how things are slowly coming together for you guys. ❤

[@wadeprior5203]

Good morning and good afternoon you guys hope you guys have a wonderful day keep up the good work on Friday thank you guys later

[@mscarlarn]

What a busy week!!!! Can’t wait to see what y’all get done this week.

[@user-zz6vv2mc5l]

i really think yall are close by to us! We're in Dickson TN

[@littlegriffoffgridalberta6837]

Good job guys ! big change in one day , Love my log raised beds I can grow so much in a small space :) Them look like pretty cool beds you bought & they went together easy" Fresh Pea's soon :)

[@paulettepickering1880]

Yee Yee ! so glad to see you guys up and feeling better , love your gardening ideas ! ❤ following!!! Enjoy these pretty days !!! “

[@vonheise]

Mavic 3 ? Are there any lakes near where you are? We live in Collierville, and there is nothing scenic near us except or the big muddy, aka the Mississippi River. Areas where trees and other growth have been always makes great top soil. I get leaves from my neighbors to put on our garden to enrich the ground. I get some seeds too that have to be dealt with but much cheaper and healthier than fertilizer. Burn the larger residue and spread the ash over the garden space for even more nutrients. We used to play and coach softball and we smoothed our makeshift practice field with what you made with a square of chain link fence nailed to the bottom and it did great! Planting season outside is a month away, but there also is still time to start tomato and other seeds inside now. I start in my garage in February as the garage never freezes and I have starter heating pads and grow lights.

[@Mewsielynx]

Yay !! Yous have come such a long way in short time..always look forward to your show..thankyou !😊❤😊

[@michellenelson6888]

Looking beautiful and excited to see all that you plant!!!

[@jeffdyer2393]

It would really benefit you to look around for an old tractor. You can find a good one for 3 or 4 thousand dollars. Your going to need one anyway.

[@NovaBill6264]

Awesome video God Bless you and your family

[@user-rm9zt7pg7h]

good job guys its a learning experience like you said,you guys are doing a fantastic job its all about the animals and the life there going to have on the land.

[@Geema1952]

Maybe the blades weren’t as sharp and that’s why it didn’t shred the material as well. Jason, Sow the Land, had a lot of trees, etc. mulched up and it sure looked a lot smaller pieces.

[@imachristiandad]

Next time, drag a section of old, heavy gauge fence wire next time.

[@FlipandTheBlueMule]

👋👋👋Hello from Mirphy NC 🇺🇸🫡👍😎

[@Powells-Off-Grid]

Hello guys! We've been watching your channel and wishing you the best. We are just starting out but are in our 60s and are also in TN. We are looking for any advice on helping our channel grow. We are happy to add links to your channel on ours. Hope to hear from you!

[@williamwoehl3868]

❤

[@SunraeSkatimunggr]

That's a Red-neck grader. MacGyver would have used more metal😉

[@kingglizzer]

The only thing better than recoding video of you doing work is recording video of someone else doing work? Bummer about the solar panel. Did it still somewhat work or did it take out part of your array? One problem with solar panel manufacturing is the glass is adhered to the cells to maximize efficiency, and to improve safety if it gets smashed (no glass shards). This is at the expense of repair and recycling (glass replacement and disassembly).

[@RunawayMattCass]

That is so true!!! Hahaha 😂 it shattered straight through the glass so I just disconnected that one string. Our replacement panel will be coming this week!

[@deanhatch4179]

When leaving all that ground up material in place and trying to grow through it, it will rob a HUGE amount of nitrogen as it decomposes. Be sure to add a bunch of nitrogen rich manure.

[@brooklyn_autumn]

So is it 32 or 39 acres? Y'all said both. Cool property. We live up north and want to head down there or Kentucky. I myself prefer out west in the south. Finding property is a pain because I don't want to be too far away from jobs, stores, gas, etc. A lot of land is all forest and it's frustrating. I take it that the less desired a property is, the cheaper it sells for. Trying to find about 20-40 acres for dirt cheap but a lot of the sites have been a dead end. I'd be curious how much y'all paid for it and what site u recommend.

[@Goldnugget47]

LOVE THE BED' HERE CAN i GET ONE?

[@krnlueck]

Where did you get the garden boxes? Didn't see a link

[@RunawayMattCass]

Plant & Plot Garden Beds - plantandplot.com/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA0bWvBhBjEiwAtEsoW_ey1fs_oaMu-FEIuxORW5zX-Te67I9KyS-tb9w2DuOcWdBbE0vbkhoC2iQQAvD_BwE Here is the link!

[@jeffchadick8003]

I have several questions. Roughly where in Tennessee are you? We have some land near Linden. Have you encountered rattlesnakes? I'm a bit concerned about letting our dog run free. Also tornados? Do you have any contingency plans just in case?

[@roscoe9988]

How long was the mulcher there working and what did they charge ?

[@susanfrens8837]

Why didn't you just build them in the garden? Seems it would have been faster than having to carry them over.

[@RunawayMattCass]

This was for multiple reasons - 1) where we assembled them was flatter/smoother ground that allowed for easier assembly and the ground was less wet. 2) If we assembled them in the garden, we'd have to rearrange them all (with them all being in the way) to get the configuration that fit the space the best 3) the boxes were further away from the garden and were slightly cumbersome to carry.

[@youneedtruth4674]

Just bought land in lexington tn how much did it cost to clear all that and who did you go through?

[@paynemeikle5853]

Dang that sucks there's no good trees on your property

[@Cavecreekjojo1011]

😊☀️👍🤟😎

[@michaelconner9537]

What happened to the shed house

[@JS-px3et]

My question, too.

[@rccollins8160]

So jealous you guys can use a forestry mulcher. Here in Maine we have far too many rocks for a mulcher to work we are attempting to reclaim 100 acres of pasture on our 250 acre property. And even with two excavators, a dozer and two Kubotas we can only re claim about 3-5 acres per year..

[@JamesLutherCantrell-o8h]

Guess don't a real friend have in prison

[@JamesLutherCantrell-o8h]

Can i tell you you something i really was in her video i have been in a few where my money

[@oliveacres7743]

Good to see you getting into the raised bed gardening. This is my second year of raised bed gardening and second year of freeze drying a lot of what we grown. So nothing goes to waste. Look forward to seeing you you’re doing. Been enjoying your adventure. What are your plans for soil. kzbin.info/www/bejne/j2eYmJ2CqLxpebssi=1GngXjfoOSA4it9-

[@ddolde]

A lot of videos use this “coming up” phrase but WHY ?

[@bonnieplastow7018]

❤