The fire is quite hot at first!

Experimenting with Biochar (the freaky s#$%)

by BiocharGetting Started with the FarmSilvopasture

Spring is almost here!

On our farm we are constantly improving everything we can regarding care of our animals and care of our land, and one exciting new way we are working to do just that is through the use of biochar.  Biochar is simply (or maybe not simply) charcoal that has been allowed to become filled with plant-available nutrition and bacteria.  We use a retort we built from recycled materials so that we can heat wood without burning it.  This process results in the wood being reduced to pure carbon (charcoal) which we then put through a composting process to allow that carbon to take up all kinds of nutrients for our soil.  Once it has been composted, also referred to as inoculated, we will add it to our garden plantings, tree plantings, and areas that will benefit from increased fertility and water retention.  We will publish before and after pictures as well as our retort building process so that anyone who wants to replicate our process can.  The retort looks like this:

A quick Google or YouTube search will yield many useful and interesting results for making and using biochar.  Here is a link that we have found particularly informative: Biochar Resources – The Survival Podcast

Biochar retort kiln
This is the kiln built from relatively easy to find materials

This site has taken the time to consolidate many (more than you likely will need) biochar resources into one easy-to-reference page.  One thing to consider is that before you bother improving the soil with biochar (or any other amendments) you would do well to stop any detrimental practices you are using such as tilling, spraying herbicides, pesticides, chemical fertilizers, not gardening, etc.  As was stated in a seminar we recently attended; “Get the basics down first, then you can worry about the freaky [stuff]”.

This is charcoal produced by the kiln
Biochar soaking to break the hydrophbic properties

Another exciting piece of news is our farm was selected to conduct a silvopasture research project by Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NE SARE).  Our project will consist of developing a system of pig rotation and establishing beneficial plants in our woodlot so that we are not only providing the pigs a more diverse and nutritious diet, but also improving the overall biodiversity and wellness of our woods and soils.  We will publish our activities and findings frequently so that other farmers (or would-be farmers) can see what we are doing and replicate it while avoiding any mistakes we have already made.  We look forward to showing you our progress as this project takes form!
Thanks for reading and have a great day!

-CJ and Tanya

Pigs in a woodltot

Big things coming this farming season!

by Silvopasture

February is the month were things start to get into gear for the upcoming farming season. Our
focus this year will be to continue to transition our pig grazing area in our woodlot from thorny
underbrush to a vibrant silvopasture system. Silvopasture is essentially pastureland that incorporates
tree species for a variety of beneficial effects. First the trees provide shade and water retention that the
grasses and animals can make use of. Additionally, many of the tree species we use will be edible so
when we prune the leaves and lower branches the pigs will have additional nutrient-dense forage in
addition to all the goodies they already find in the woods. The pigs have already had a tremendous
positive effect on our woodlot by opening it up, eating or uprooting many undesirable species like wild
rose bushes, and spreading fertility throughout, and we are excited to see how far the beneficial effect
can be taken. We are also taking out many trees (most of which are standing dead Ash killed off by the
Emerald Ash Borer) to open the canopy and dramatically increase the sunlight hitting the forest floor.
This increased sun exposure will allow many grasses and legumes to bloom for the pigs to come through
and eat.

Our silvopasture system will also attract a much more diverse array of insects, birds, and other
animals into our pastures which will all have their own beneficial impacts. As the system improves it will
inevitably augment the already spectacular quality of our pork and eventually, as the grasses become
truly established and perennial, we can run cows in the woods ahead of the pigs to increase the diversity
and quality of our farm even further!

2023 will also be our first year running workshops designed to educate farmers (or would-be
farmers) on additional options for running small-scale profitable operations within their communities.
Not everyone working a traditional job thinks they can raise, process, and sell meat but that is not
necessarily true. While we do have 12 acres here on the farm, we use less than half to run our current
operation and we believe that many others could replicate what we do. If you are interested in coming
out to see how we do what we do, or if you know someone else that may be interested, please have
them email us at skylinepastures@gmail.com or give us a call and we can set up a tour.
As always, thank you for your patronage and of course thank you for reading these updates!

-CJ and Tanya