Old ford and past projects

[Greenvalleymatt]

Wanted to share some of the things I've been working on for years. Spreading woodchips, making compost, improving and building soil. It's been fun. I sold the old ford last week since I upgraded to a modern tractor. Soil here was hard compact clay with very little to no organic matter. Not so much anymore. I'd say I've added around 4 inches of top soil over 4 acres over the last 5 years.

 

[Thomas]

Congrats on the new tractor.
Your soil looks better than ours,NH known for growing rocks.

 

[Greenvalleymatt]

Started with the first small garden, which was simply me finding partially composted horse manure and shavings, the garden that year was infertile, the weeds and grass won the battle, but I was determined. The pasture was in poor condition due to my great grandfather abusing it decades before.

 

[Greenvalleymatt]

Established a beneficial relationship with a tree service that had as many wood chips as I wanted. I accepted them all. Overtime I've spread over 4 acres. No nitrogen added, but I do broadcast cover crops from time to time, mostly legumes.

 

[Greenvalleymatt]

Each spring I watched the winter grasses bounce back faster than my neighbors, and grow far taller and more lush. It's something of beauty, and I thoroughly enjoy watching the process from year to year.

 

[Greenvalleymatt]

Thank you. I'm lucky to have several soil types on property, the poorest is the picture where the potatoes were planted, it's a nasty yellow rocky clay. Two years rotating a flock of 50 ducks over woodchips there has turned it to great soil now.

Congrats on the new tractor.
Your soil looks better than ours,NH known for growing rocks.

 

[Jstpssng]

You really made that turn around in 5 years.

 

[Greenvalleymatt]

You really made that turn around in 5 years.

The great part is I just hoarded organic matter, the rest i couldn't mess up!

 

[Greenvalleymatt]

Somewhere around 5000 yards of organic matter

 

[Jstpssng]

Somewhere around 5000 yards of organic matter

Wow! That's a LOT of material!!!