The Life of a Custom Mowing contractor

[scootr]

I can’t believe how similar, in some ways, our lives are.
So many large property owners are land rich, money poor.

Taxes?

 

[LHF2019]

Looks like he has a goldenrod problem.. ..
I can’t believe how similar, in some ways, our lives are.
So many large property owners are land rich, money poor.

The farmer that was using it doesn't put anything back and has been using it for decades(best guess 50+ years)The guy that owns it and purchased the property next to it is my mechanic and dad's also. Been with him since he opened in the early 90's. Almost family. The new field of very nice golden rod I approached the previous owner about using it just never got around to it. Might work out for the best because now as I might not have to invest as much if he assists with the costs. He had been after the property as he does not own his own driveway to his house. Owns his house, owns land beside his house, and until this transaction did not own this little sliver going up the center of his property and wrapping around.

Also acquired some other ground for hay that was recently purchased from the farmer that doesn't put anything back. They just want it used and look nice. No rent. We weren't looking and yet they keep coming. Based on my renewal of rain insurance we are now up to 250 acres we do for hay. That does not include the straw and annual crops for our animals(35 head w/13 expecting to calve next spring, sweet corn, and pumpkins. Put UPS on top of that and it makes you feel your age.

There will be some posts about the new ground in my thread.


Regarding your fence line cleaning. Here are some pictures of mine on the home farm. Based on the tree probably had not been cleaned in my lifetime. Same. All hand cleaning. To wet to use a tractor without creating ruts. Luckily very little multifloral rose. Just brush.

Before

After

Before

After

The tree on wrong side of fence. Indicating how long since clean

Before

After. Whole mower width plus I have claimed back.

Before

After

Before

After

 

[hayden]

Maybe you guys could offer some advice. I have 20ac of hay fields that a guy in town cuts and bails several times a year. But nothing ever goes back down on the fields, which I don’t think is good.

The question is what should I be doing? Spred manure? Leave one or two cuts to decompose in place rather than taking it all out? Do nothing?

Thanks in advance.

 

[bearthebruce]

I manage a 210 acre property.

I catch hunter on the property and I told him he had to go he was trespassing.

He said, "If the property is not posted, then anyone can hunt it."

I replied, "No one can enter another person's property without their permission, trespassing signs or not."

Where has the respect for property owner rights gone?

 

[hayden]

I manage a 210 acre property.

I catch hunter on the property and I told him he had to go he was trespassing.

He said, "If the property is not posted, then anyone can hunt it."

I replied, "No one can enter another person's property without their permission, trespassing signs or not."

Where has the respect for property owner rights gone?

For better or worse, he’s right in a number of states. I don’t know about your state in particular. It’s not unlike open grazing states where cattle can go anywhere in your land, and it’s up to you to fence them out if you don’t want them.

 

[LHF2019]

I manage a 210 acre property.

I catch hunter on the property and I told him he had to go he was trespassing.

He said, "If the property is not posted, then anyone can hunt it."

I replied, "No one can enter another person's property without their permission, trespassing signs or not."

Where has the respect for property owner rights gone?

Straight from our state police. Regarding hunting. Absolutely not. They still need permission and gets worse for the trespassers if they have been told.
§ 3503. Criminal trespass.

(a) Buildings and occupied structures.

(1) A person commits an offense if, knowing

that he is not licensed or privileged to do so, he:

(i) enters, gains entry by subterfuge or surreptitiously

remains in any building or occupied

structure or separately secured or occupied portion

thereof; or

(ii) breaks into any building or occupied structure

or separately secured or occupied portion

thereof.

(2) An offense under paragraph (1)(i) is a

felony of the third degree, and an offense under

paragraph (1)(ii) is a felony of the second degree.

(3) As used in this subsection:

“Breaks into.” — To gain entry by force, breaking,

intimidation, unauthorized opening of locks,

or through an opening not designed for human

access.

(b) Defiant trespasser.

(1) A person commits an offense if, knowing

that he is not licensed or privileged to do so, he

enters or remains in any place as to which notice

against trespass is given by:

(i) actual communication to the actor;

(ii) posting in a manner prescribed by law or

reasonably likely to come to the attention of intruders;

(iii) fencing or other enclosure manifestly designed

to exclude intruders;

(iv) notices posted in a manner prescribed by

law or reasonably likely to come to the person’s

attention at each entrance of school grounds that

visitors are prohibited without authorization

from a designated school, center or program official;

or

(v) an actual communication to the actor

to leave school grounds as communicated by a

school, center or program official, employee or

agent or a law enforcement officer.

(2) Except as provided in paragraph (1)(v), an

offense under this subsection constitutes a misdemeanor

of the third degree if the offender defies

an order to leave personally communicated

to him by the owner of the premises or other authorized

person. An offense under paragraph (1)

(v) constitutes a misdemeanor of the first degree.

Otherwise it is a summary offense.

(b.1) Simple trespasser.

(1) A person commits an offense if, knowing

that he is not licensed or privileged to do so, he

enters or remains in any place for the purpose of:

(i) threatening or terrorizing the owner or occupant

of the premises;

(ii) starting or causing to be started any fire

upon the premises;

(iii) defacing or damaging the premises; or

(iv) unlawfully taking secondary metal from

the premises.

(2) An offense under paragraph (1)(iv) constitutes

a first degree misdemeanor. An offense

under paragraph (1)(i), (ii) or (iii) constitutes a

summary offense.

(b.2) Agricultural trespasser.

(1) A person commits an offense if knowing

that he is not licensed or privileged to do so he:

(i) enters or remains on any agricultural or

other open lands when such lands are posted in

a manner prescribed by law or reasonably likely

to come to the person’s attention or are fenced or

enclosed in a manner manifestly designed to exclude

trespassers or to confine domestic animals;

or

(ii) enters or remains on any agricultural or

other open lands and defies an order not to enter

or to leave that has been personally communicated

to him by the owner of the lands or other

authorized person.

(2) An offense under this subsection shall be

graded as follows:

(i) An offense under paragraph (1)(i) constitutes

a misdemeanor of the third degree and is

punishable by imprisonment for a term of not

more than one year and a fine of not less than

$ 250.

(ii) An offense under paragraph (1)(ii) constitutes

a misdemeanor of the second degree and

is punishable by imprisonment for a term of not

more than two years and a fine of not less than $

500 nor more than $ 5,000.

(3) For the purposes of this subsection, the

phrase “agricultural or other open lands” shall

mean any land on which agricultural activity or

farming as defined in section 3309 (relating to

agricultural vandalism) is conducted or any land

populated by forest trees of any size and capable

18 Pa.C.S. § 3504 Pennsylvania Crimes Code & Vehicle Law Handbook

608

of producing timber or other wood products or

any other land in an agricultural security area

as defined in the act of June 30, 1981 (P.L.128,

No. 43), known as the Agricultural Area Security

Law, or any area zoned for agricultural use.

(b.3) Agricultural biosecurity area trespasser.

(1) A person commits an offense if the person

does any of the following:

(i) Enters an agricultural biosecurity area,

knowing that the person is not licensed or privileged

to do so.

(ii) Knowingly or recklessly fails to perform

reasonable measures for biosecurity that by posted

notice are required to be performed for entry

to the agricultural biosecurity area.

(2) It is a defense to prosecution under paragraph

(1)(ii) that:

(i) no reasonable means or method was available

to perform the measures that the posted

notice required to be performed for entry to the

agricultural biosecurity area;

(ii) entry is made in response to a condition

within the agricultural biosecurity area that the

person reasonably believes to be a serious threat

to human or animal health as necessitating immediate

entry to the agricultural biosecurity

area; or

(iii) entry is made under exigent circumstances

by a law enforcement officer to:

(A) pursue and apprehend a suspect of criminal

conduct reasonably believed by the officer to

be present within the agricultural biosecurity

area; or:

(B) prevent the destruction of evidence of

criminal conduct reasonably believed by the officer

to be located within the agricultural biosecurity

area.

(3) (i) Except as set forth in subparagraph (iii),

an offense under paragraph (1)(i) constitutes a

misdemeanor of the third degree.

(ii) Except as set forth in subparagraph (iii),

an offense under paragraph (1)(ii) constitutes a

summary offense.

(iii) If an offense under paragraph (1) causes

damage to or death of an animal or plant within

an agricultural biosecurity area, the offense constitutes

a misdemeanor of the first degree.

(4) For purposes of this subsection, the terms

“agricultural biosecurity area” and “posted notice”

shall have the meanings given to them in 3

Pa.C.S. § 2303 (relating to definitions).

(c) Defenses. — It is a defense to prosecution

under this section that:

(1) a building or occupied structure involved

in an offense under subsection (a) of this section

was abandoned;

(2) the premises were at the time open to

members of the public and the actor complied

with all lawful conditions imposed on access to or

remaining in the premises; or

(3) the actor reasonably believed that the owner

of the premises, or other person empowered to

license access thereto, would have licensed him

to enter or remain.

(d) Definitions. — As used in this section,

the following words and phrases shall have the

meanings given to them in this subsection:

“School grounds.” — Any building of or

grounds of any elementary or secondary publicly

funded educational institution, any elementary

or secondary private school licensed by the Department

of Education, any elementary or secondary

parochial school, any certified day-care

center or any licensed preschool program.

“Secondary metal.” — As defined in section

3935 (relating to theft of secondary metal).

Act 1972-334 (S.B. 455), P.L. 1482, § 1, approved

Dec. 6, 1972, eff. in 6 months; Act 1978-76 (S.B.

189), P.L. 497, § 1, approved June 23, 1978, eff.

in 60 days; Act 1995-53 (S.B. 223), P.L. 334, § 1,

approved Oct. 27, 1995, eff. in 60 days; Act 1998-

121 (H.B. 413), P.L. 933, § 3, approved Dec. 3,

1998, eff. immediately; Act 2002-116 (H.B. 582),

P.L. 806, § 3, approved Oct. 2, 2002, eff. immediately;

Act 2010-125 (S.B. 906), P.L. 1360, § 4,

approved Nov. 23, 2010, eff. immediately; Act

2014-192 (H.B. 80), § 1, approved Oct. 28, 2014,

eff. in 60 days.



Trooper Dwight A. DAMCOTT |Patrol Unit

Pennsylvania State Police |Troop E- Warren

22001 Route 6 | Warren PA 16365

Phone: 814.728.3600 | Fax: 814.728.3607

I have been told the same thing from a hunter but same applies and that is from the game commission officer. Land does not need posted.

 

[bearthebruce]

Virginia law is similar. You must not hunt a property without written permission from the property owner.

One does not trespass on a property on which such permission has not been given.

Unlike Trooper Damcott, I do not have all the pertinent law but the Virginia Hunting Guide does tell hunters to get permission and even has a suggested form to use, holding the property owner harmless should an injury occur while hunting the property etc....

The disrespect for the property owners is sad.

Trooper Damcott, I am a PA resident and I thank you for your service to our state.

I grew up hunting in PA and was always taught property rights by dad. I guess that is something that is not taught these days.

Apologies to @Hay Dude - we are taking this thread off topic.... we need to get back to making hay!

 

[LHF2019]

The disrespect for the property owners is sad.

Trooper Damcott, I am a PA resident and I thank you for your service to our state.

sorry if my post reads that way. What I posted was a copy and paste from an email I received from the state police officer. I am not him. I was just showing I had a legitimate information relevant to my state

 

[Hay Dude]

Maybe you guys could offer some advice. I have 20ac of hay fields that a guy in town cuts and bails several times a year. But nothing ever goes back down on the fields, which I don’t think is good.

No it isn't. It's sometimes referred to as "mining" the land because you are taking its minerals from the soil.

The question is what should I be doing?

You should be telling him he needs to address the issue.

Spred manure?

Spreading manure is one of several ways. It depends on what is readily available in you area. Do you have any mushroom houses? Poultry producers? Large equine operations? Those are sources of compost or manure.
Even big landscape companies with shredded leaves.

Leave one or two cuts to decompose in place rather than taking it all out?

That's an option if there's NO other options, or money is too tight for fertilizer.


Do nothing?

I wouldn't do nothing. You'll end up with a desert.

Thanks in advance.

 

[LouNY]

My first choice would be soil testing and then commercial fertilizers, or manure.