Filed under: July 2012
Rape and turnips coming up!
July 26, 2012
Despite being in a drought, the likes of which have not been seen since 1988, my little field of rape and turnips are starting to grow. We got a sprinkle overnight and more rain is forecasted for today. The moisture will help everything especially these tender seedlings.
Rape grows much like kale. The leafy vegetable has much protein and nutrients for the pigs and sheep. The pigs eat it like candy. They also eat the turnips tops. They don’t seem to be too crazy about the turnip bulb, but the sheep love them.
This is one more way to balance our farm and it gives great testimony for mixed-specie grazing. The sheep will follow the pigs in this case, but each will eat different forbes, making great use of the pasture and everything in it.
There is some grass coming up in the small field. No doubt, there are some weeds too. The rape and turnips should smother out much of thier competition, but what survives will be eaten by somebody 😮
As king corn prices continue to rise, thinking outside the box will be the ticket for small farmers and homesteaders. I didn’t have to think much at all. I just consulted my “Morrison’s Feed and Feeding” book. I have also tried this combination in years past.
The little field will most definitely yield some feed for our stock. The grass based feeding continues to help with profitability, without compromising quality. This fact embraces sustainability and that is what it is all about!
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