[Jacob-list] Hedgerows

[Zach Oaster]

Maybe fewer farmers were concerned about the invasiveness of the
multiflora rose in the 30s, as more farmers had sheep and goats to eat
it. Funny that some of our land management problems these days is more
evidence of the wisdom of our ancestors with their smaller general
farms... with collections of various animals for different purposes.
So much of the specialization these days has its consequences. The
subsidies and circumstances that drove out the american sheep farmer
in the 60s now haunt us in prickly vine form. (gosh those inward
curling thorns are buggers!)

^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^
Zach Oaster
zach at fattoaster.com
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Visit Zach's worship resource and blog site: http://www.fattoaster.com
Visit Zach & Lindsay's farm blog: http://www.fattoasterfarm.com
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On Sat, Jan 29, 2011 at 1:31 PM, Neal Grose <nlgrose at yadtel.net> wrote:

> My grandfather helped people plant multiflora rose and kudzu for erosion

> control back in the 30s. One of his friends said that it was the only evil

> thing Mr. Joseph ever did. Both are famously invasive now, and both can only

> be with goats and SHEEP!

> Neal

>

>

> -----Original Message----- From: Zach Oaster

> Sent: Saturday, January 29, 2011 10:42 AM

> To: jacob-list at jacobsheep.com

> Subject: Re: [Jacob-list] Hedgerows

>

> In mid-Michigan, back in the 1960s, my great uncle once planted

> several fence rows of multiflower rose for the purpose of natural

> livestock containment. While this worked great for a while (after the

> initial growth/pruning period), my grandfather (who lived down the

> road), and other neighbors started complaining that the multiflower

> rose was beginning to show up in their fields and fence rows. Within

> the period of a few decades the plant has literally infested the

> entire area. It had not been native to the area, but you wouldn't know

> that now.

>

> All of this to say that natural fences can be an unnatural addition...

> and that species that tend to grow and populate easily will do so with

> or without your consent. Choose carefully.

>

> ^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^

> Zach Oaster

> zach at fattoaster.com

> Visit Zach & Lindsay's farm blog: http://www.fattoasterfarm.com

> ^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^

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