Teleidoscope

Sun, Jul 29, 2007

Grass

Posted at 4:26 pm MDT to Technology

I just read The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan.

I was struck by the description of grass farming in the second section: the use of livestock to improve the soil while actually producing as much food as an intensively farmed Iowa cornfield. Looking out at the weeds and bare dirt in my yard is just depressing. It is probably too late to do much about the thistles this year, but I think that next year I'm going to hire a herd of goats to clear the weeds here.

I'm not here enough to keep any pets or livestock besides my cat, but the grass here really needs to be grazed by more than the wild rabbits. I wonder if some of my neighbors would be interested in getting their yards done at the same time.

And I think I'm going to start contacting local companies to get bids on planting native grasses and wildflowers on top of the new septic system and leach field. As dry as it has been, this is probably the wrong time to try to plant grass, but I'd rather have something other than thistles and invasive species.

I am reluctant to do much gardening that would require long-term irrigation: my well water makes good oven cleaner out of the tap. It is a bit less alkaline than the cartoon waterholes with cow skulls that say "You'll be sorry", but not by much.

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