We try to treat our land with the same approach as our animals: Take good care of it, and it will return the favor. Farmers, especially those with livestock, may be the ultimate recyclers and have been so for many centuries. Farming is all about cycles—weather cycles, crop cycles, calf-to-cow-to-calf cycles—even economic cycles, the longest of all.
Dirt is the foundation of everything. Here in Addison County, the dirt is clay—Panton clay, Addison clay, all kinds of clay, but when you’re working it—it’s all the same! Clay—nothing like it! Grows your feet, ...and great alfalfa. But it needs a bit of help. Old crop residue gets plowed down, providing nutrients for the following year’s crop. Manure, although it does smell when disturbed, does our fields a world of good. If applied at the right amount and time, it does not only replenish a portion of the nutrients taken when the feed for the cows was harvested, it also improves the structure of the soil. Manure is stored for several months, then spread in spring and fall. Spreading on frozen ground is not only poor husbandry, but is illegal here in Vermont. Manure completes the soil-to-crop-to-cow and back-to-soil cycle.
So, there’s our cycle of dirt. Constantly adding plant fiber to the clay helps improve drainage and permits air to circulate—both are needed for good root structure and crop growth. Applying manure where (and when) crops can best use it, along with frequent crop rotation, keeps weeds and bugs under control, lets us minimize use of fertilizer and herbicides, and keeps the soil loose and healthy. By having a good animal-to-acreage ratio, we avoid too much build up of certain nutrients, depletion of the soil, and erosion. And we are rewarded with excellent feed for our herd, which translates to great milk and a superb Yogurt Drink!