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He believes that a balance of grasses and legumes is a stable, long-lasting mixture. “Grasses and legumes have a symbiotic relationship, and provide higher quality forage than any single species.”
Christopher Bird employs natural methods on his farm in part because, over the long term, they make the best economic sense: “Natural methods help to keep nutrients in the fields and out of the streams.”
A holistic approach to farming
“Polyface, Incorporated” is the name of Joel Salatin’s farm on the east side of Little North Mountain in Augusta County. Mr. Salatin’s main product is beef that is 100 percent grass fed. He feeds no grain at all, and produces a top quality product.
“God didn’t make ruminants for grain,” he told the group of farmers. “No ruminant needs grain if perennial forage is handled properly.”
The Salatin family acquired their farm 25 years ago. At that time, the entire farm was eroded and unproductive. “We had gullies up to 14 feet deep,” said Joel Salatin. “That’s why conservation and erosion prevention are such concerns to us. We’ve seen it first-hand.”
The approach to farming at Polyface is a holistic one. Mr. Salatin views woods, hedgerows, streams and ponds — as well as pastures and livestock — as integral parts of the farm.
Over the years, his objectives have been to develop a diversity of habitats and to take advantage of the “edge effect.” “Wild animals like to forage along the edges, where two types of cover come together,” he explained. Edges such as dense hedgerows encourage birds and other “natural pesticides” to forage in his pasture land.
The high points of Mr. Salatin’s grazing system are chip composting, intensive grazing and a one-ofa-kind portable loafing shed.
Movable sheds provide shade
“Cattle don’t sweat; they need a shady area to rest,” he explained. “Usually, they lounge under trees in a pasture, in the same place day after day, trample the ground cover, create a “clay yard” and make a place for pathogens to breed.”
Mr. Salatin’s alternative to a permanent “clay yard” is a 1000-square-foot portable loafing shed. It’s moved from field to field with a tractor, weighs three and a half tons and shades 50 cattle at a time.
Usually, the shed is moved twice a day. Mr. Salatin calls each relocation of the shed an “application.” “Each application,” he said, “is worth six tons of ma
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