We have just gone through three of the best seasons I can remember. Spring, Summer and Autumn were mild and moist too, perfect for grass growing and a comfortable environment for our livestock. So much grass allowed us to mulch the paddocks continuously during all three seasons giving us plenty of feed stores for the Winter months when the grass growing slows.
As part of our regenerative farming practices at Laurel View, I have been focussing on ‘cell grazing’ for the past few months. This is an approach that uses temporary fencing to create smaller paddocks for short periods. The idea is that the livestock fully utilises the pasture in a concentrated area, ingesting all the nutrients available while excreting other valuable nutrients back into the soil – reducing the need for fertilisers.
The herd then moves on, and the used paddocks are rested for as long as possible to allow the soil to rejuvenate and grow back the next mass of healthy natural food for the hungry mob!
On the subject of good soil, one of the main indicators of healthy soil, is having plenty of earthworms. Earthworm activity means increased nutrient availability, better drainage and stable soil structure which is key to regenerative farming practices. We found this fella last week and we are happy to have him on the team!
After this highly productive time, we move now into Winter where grass production slows significantly at the same time the animals need to eat more to keep warm. We are fortunate at Laurel View to have plenty of stores to ensure our heard of purely grass-fed animals remain strong and healthy.
Stay warm all!
John Mauger