The fall is a time that my husband George prepares the pastures for the winter. During the summer, he took a soil sample to get current data on the condition of our soil. We have found A & L Western Agricultural Laboratories an excellent place to do this work. If you are interested, their address is: 10220 S.W. Nimbus Ave. Bldg K-9, Portland, OR 97223 or Phone: 503-968-9225. We live on the top of a hill that is old forestland that has been reclaimed for pasture. This soil, although very high in organic material, is very acidic and low in nitrogen. There is a great deal of variation of soil types, and it’s important to get a solid understanding of exactly what you have to work with before you invest in the materials necessary to produce thriving pastures. We recently took a pasture management class hosted at a nearby farm. This included both classroom work and a pasture tour that enabled us to get a first hand look at prime forage. That has inspired us to continue to improve the production on our own pastures here at Hawks Mountain Ranch.. In September, George will take a harrow and score the surface of the pastures. He will have lime applied to "sweeten" (raise the PH level of) the soil. He did this last year as well. It will probably take 3 years to get the PH to the ideal level for grass to grow at optimum production. In early October, he will also apply a nitrogen fertilizer and overseed with some annual fescue and white clover. The soil will be harrowed again to work the seed into the soil. The fertilizer will give the newly planted seed a good start and will also provide a boost for the existing plants. This boost in root growth in the fall, will insure an early start and quick growth in the spring to come. The fescue and clover are good summer producers. They will compliment the pasture we currently have that is primarily orchard grass. We are trying to develop our pasture to provide forage later into the warm months of summer which reduces our hay feeding costs. We have found that the adjustment of PH and the addition of fertilizer twice a year has been a good way to accelerate the development of the pasture. There is nothing quite as rewarding to the "grazier" and to the shepherd, as seeing a flock of new lambs on rich green grass in the spring time. Taking a little care of those pastures before they close down for the winter will help insure very cost effective forage throughout the growing season into the next spring and summer.
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