Size of a Sustainable Woodlot?

[waynek]

I would like to keep the thread going on woodlot size, but other sub-topics keep popping up that are very interesting ... Jackpine and quads - how has the mix of what you guys do with the land changed over the generations? What do you farm now?

The 1844 homestead grew to 360 acres. It started as subsistance farm with 1 or 2 milk cows, chickens and hogs. By the 1870s, wheat was the main source of income. Plant disease and insects halted that income boom. A dairy barn was built in 1896 and milk sold for butter and cheese production became the major income. In 1968, my dad and I decided we could make more money hauling livestock and freight. Currently all the crop land is rented out and I raise some beef for our own family consumption. In addition, I buy open holstein heifers and run a bull with them and resell them. Oh, and we always keep a couple of hayburners on the place.

To sum it up the homestead has evolved into a hobby farm.

Thank you and best regards,
Jackpine

 

[quads]

... Jackpine and quads - how has the mix of what you guys do with the land changed over the generations? What do you farm now?

We're still the same type of farm as it was long ago (dairy). The cows markings and coloration today still look much the same as old pictures I've seen. The only big difference with the farm is the trees are bigger. Back then it was prairie/grassland and very few trees. The land is still used basically the same as it always was, but since there are bigger trees now some of it is occasionally harvested for pulpwood. Also, not so much of it is used for pasture. We bring more feed to the cows now instead of letting the cows graze more for themselves. Only about 15 acres are pasture, whereas in the old days everything that wasn't a field was pasture.

 

[jdscj8]

we have 1500 acres total that we clean out fence lines all the time and use. but our 60 acre timber is were we get most of our wood from, our family has been cuttin out of there for 160 years and it never gets thin. right now i have 2 brothers and 4 cousins plus me cuttin out here every year. thats all we use is wood every year. i go through 6 cords a year my self.

 

[Henz]

jdscj8, that is awesome! Any good whitetail hunting out there I ahve 50 acres and just cut out alot of the mature white pines and some hemlock. trying to stimulate the hardwood growth. those white pines were choking out the growth due to lack of sun hitting the ground. I have decent mixed hardwoods throughout, btu I am guessing that they are really gonna start growing faster now with some sunlight. this will be the first year that I ahve taken 100% of my wood off of my property. I have about 6-7 cord cut/split and stacked back in april

 

[jdscj8]

the deer are out of contol around here we have a major river and 2 cricks that most would call rivers going through our land. we loose alot of corn every year to them, so we get permits every year to clear as many deer out as we can usually up to 25 deer a day for 3 days. lots of fun cause we don't like them much. 50 acres should keep ya busy for a while.

 

[timfromohio]

jdscj8 - 160 years from the same piece of land is awesome. Another benefit of a large woodlot - harvesting deer. Firewood, maple syrup, venison ... I'm sure the list will grow.