Clearing 154 acres of woods in west Tennessee

[paulsharvey]

Looks like roughly $6k per month for a JD 160 class machine at sunbelt, and honestly, that's not bad at all, when you compare Much smaller machines rental fees.

 

[big bubba]

OP: some great advice here on your project...looking ahead, in your 5 yr plan, how do you envision this project ahead once cleared? would be interested to hear on your crops, market, transport, & equipment needs for this ambitious project.

Also, see you're new to the forum, welcome, & wise to post your intentions here, best regards

 

[Egon]

Caterpillar tractors ( D8 and up ) have cleared many sections ( 640 acres ) of land in the Northern Agricultural Regions of Canada. Basically, a tilt U blade with root rake for the clearing and large Disks or ploughs for final work. This may be followed by picking up short root pieces. Many times a rake was used to windrow the small stuff.

The excavators and backhoe type equipment may work for very small areas but for the lager land areas they take far to long and still require ancillary equipment.

Note: I’m not familiar with munchers.

 

[lman]

What I think (wait, are you asking my opinion? lol) is that we have plenty of cleared farmland already in this country, and what we need, is more forest and natural habitat, not less. There are thousands of acres of fallow farmland just around my own county here in Michigan. I'm sure there are in TN also.
Not to mention that 87% of our farmland is used for poor-rotation monocrops just to feed livestock. No, I'm not anything close to a vegetarian, but our food system is certainly pretty F%^&d up.

I stated clearly in my first reply that it was not my place to judge the ethical implications of carrying out this sort of idea, but as many others have astutely pointed out, it will also probably be terribly expensive and difficult, and perhaps not even result in achieving the stated goals.

Actually farmland is disappearing rapidly thanks to the growing solar farms around here. Almost 20,000 acres of corn fields went to solar farms here in the last year. Farmers are getting paid $1,000/month to lease their land for solar panels.
Maybe the op is going to plant solar panels.

 

[deezler]

Actually farmland is disappearing rapidly thanks to the growing solar farms around here. Almost 20,000 acres of corn fields went to solar farms here in the last year. Farmers are getting paid $1,000/month to lease their land for solar panels.
Maybe the op is going to plant solar panels.

Fair point!

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

I think knowing the purpose, maybe even a satellite (Google maps) view would help. Living there? House, barn, etc.? Land use?
Maybe fence 150 acre pasture first then decide? Here they have cows on part, then grow hay, round bale on largest portion and feed.
It there a creek? Well?

 

[Jchonline]

Actually farmland is disappearing rapidly thanks to the growing solar farms around here. Almost 20,000 acres of corn fields went to solar farms here in the last year. Farmers are getting paid $1,000/month to lease their land for solar panels.
Maybe the op is going to plant solar panels.

Cant wait to see the waste they generate when trashed in 20 years. Sure hope we will have an efficient way to recycle by then. However I am betting it will be the same sham we witnessed with plastic.

 

[mikester]

Outsourcing is the fastest/cheaper option.

The cheaper option would be to sell the property and buy already cleared farm land

 

[paulsharvey]

The cheaper option would be to sell the property and buy already cleared farm land

I believe the OP already covered that, and this was far, far, cheaper than currently in production row crop land.

I would guess, or hope, our OP, is currently working on a site plan, a financial plan, speaking with his ag extension, and talking to contractors, or rental guys.

 

[eddieirvine]

Leave it the way it is forget the future profit on farm ground, To ,many people i see destroying wooded land. Keep in mind these trees are what keeps us alive !!!