Making More Pastures

Our woods are in terrible shape. First there were the pine beetles that destroyed all the pine trees, and then there is the wind that finishes off any tree that may not be at its strongest. Our family loves the woods there is no doubt about that. Just last night our son and four of his friends camped out in the woods. Michael and the boys enjoy hunting and our woods help provide a nice habitat for deer and other wildlife. We invited an extension officer out to help us determine the best fix for our woods. He said they needed to be cleared because of the massive amount of damage. We have been holding off on that recommendation. First it is costly, and second we just couldn't stand the thought of mowing down all the trees.Now that we have sheep we have another problem. We just don't have enough pasture for the amount of animals that we want to keep on this property. Most of our land is covered in damaged woods, and we are spending a small fortune on buying hay. So we made the decision to go ahead and clear the woods. We found a man that is willing to work around all of our hardwood trees. There aren't many hardwoods, but we wanted to keep each and every one of them. Most people just want to come in and clear cut the whole forest, but the man we are hiring is willing to work around our wants.

Starting on Monday, our woods will be in the process of being cleared. It is going to be very costly. It is still cheaper than buying more land so I believe that it is the best decision. I am still very sad to see the woods go. I know they are in poor shape, but I still love to go walking in them. I just have to be careful not to go there when the wind blows.

We have decided to leave a stand of trees around our pond to encourage wildlife. Right behind our pond is a very steep hill that isn't much good for anything except wildlife. The trees will remain there, and I am thankful for that.

grace and peace,

julie