The Farm – Homestead on the Range

Cheviot

Today, the Cheviot is one of the top mutton breeds in the United States. There is also an American Miniature Cheviot developed for homestead use.

Grazing Management by Species: Goats

Goats are true browsers, meaning they prefer to eat foliage above their shoulder height. This makes them great foragers of shrubs and small trees.

Barbados Blackbelly

The Barbados Blackbelly is a hair sheep used almost solely for meat. Some are raised and marketed as purebred lamb, but crossbreeding is common for commercial meat production.

Grazing Management by Species: Sheep

While sheep consume grass as 60% of their diet, they more than any other type of livestock will also eat forbs (non-woody flowering plants, commonly known as “weeds”).

Grazing Management by Species: Swine

Swine are not exactly grazers. They will eat some grass, but they typically prefer legumes, weeds, roots, and other types of food.

Grazing Management by Species: Horses & Donkeys

Horses are almost exclusively grazing animals, consuming grass in even greater percentages than cattle.

Grazing Management by Species: Cattle

Cattle are the quintessential grazing animal, making them roughly equivalent to bison in the ecosystem.

Best Plants for Compacted Soils

Plants with the ability to resist compaction and its associated problems, for garden, orchard, lawn, field, and pasture.

Optimizing Your Land Use

Best results will follow from tailoring the farm layout to the farm conditions. So what are the optimal conditions for common aspects of a farm?

The Law of the Minimum vs. the Law of Return

The Law of the Minimum and the Law of Return are regarded as representing opposing perspectives on soil nutrients and plant health. But can they coexist?