Preventing Erosion

Since we cleared almost 30 acres of our land, erosion has been a major concern. In the last 3 years, although the fields are not in great condition, they are much better this year with more growth. The areas that we are concentrating on are around the driveway, which are mostly winding and steep areas, prone to soil erosion. This spring I have been planting grass (contractor's mix), granulated lime (for slow release) and then either mulch or straw on top. Straw has been very difficult to find, since the drought last summer caused a short growing season. Cattle operations had to begin feeding hay early fall and this lead to a shortage.

Grass that I planted in the last three is weeks is coming up sparingly. If we can encourage some growth this spring, it will give us something to build on in the fall. At that time I will add fertilizer designed to boost root growth during the winter. This photo is taken close to our house at the flatest spot on the driveway.

Water Management

A few months ago, I had a question on the blog about water management. Since our farm is located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, we have very hilly land. I never realized how important water management would be, especially since there is a creek running through our property that is shared with other farmers.

When our driveway was designed, my husband knew that water management would be key to managing erosion. It was also necessary for preventing our driveway from washing away (which has almost happened on several occasions). Our driveway is 4/10 of a mile long and is not flat in any one place. This has made it necessary for us to install pipes. The pipe in this photo is metal and 16" wide. We have tried plastic pipes, but they tend to collapse easier than the metal. When the trenches were dug on the side of the road, we added different types and sizes of rock. The rock in this photo is called 'rip rap', a rather large rock that generally does not wash away during those severe thunderstorms.

Occasionally the rocks cannot hold back the water and maintenance on pipe cleaning takes place. In the 3 years since we've been in our house, this will be the first year that pipe maintenance is necessary.