I am looking to buy a house in Maine with 45 acres but only 10 acres cleared for pasture. I would like to know, what would be the quickest way to clear some of the wooded area for pasture, for use in the future. Ten acres will do me for now, but I would like to have more pasture, hayfields etc. I plan to have quite a few animals(my husband still thinks that I am nuts) but I need to have more grazing area. Anybody with any suggestions?Thanks cara lewis cnllewis@email.com

-- cara lewis (cnllewis@email.com), May 02, 2000

Answers

A bulldozer is quickest but not cheap. For clearing, the larger (dozer) the better, you pay more per hour but get more done. Get a gung ho operator who will charge through it. If I were clearing pines I wouldn't worry much about stumps = they will be soft rotten in 3 years. Oaks stumps, however, can last forever. Some dozer operators like dirt moving others like clearing. Its important you get one that likes and is set up for clearing.

Suerte

-- Charles (cburandt@olemiss.edu), May 02, 2000.

Definitely a bulldozer is quickest, but you would need to make clear to the operator in advance that you don't want your topsoil pushed up in the pile with the trees! If the trees are big enough you would be best off to sell the timber -- making sure the loggers aren't going to tear up your place while they are there (see if you can find someone logging with horses or oxen -- I know there are several small companies doing that here in NH). Then get the dozer guy in to clean up the stumps. In a year or two you would be able to burn the pile of stumps, and the money from the timber, if it's decent-sized wood, should pay for your fencing, and possibly even for your barn. Or you can have some of the wood milled into lumber for your barn, as payment. You want to work with a licensed forester though if you do sell timber because they know how to set up the contracts, cruise your timber so you don't get ripped off, find loggers that will follow instructions as regards how they treat your property and your roads, make sure the loggers obey laws about how close they can log to a waterway, and so on -- there is a LOT to it! If your trees are too small to log you may want to wait a few years until they are big enough; otherwise, unless you or your husband has some experience falling trees, it would be safest to hire someone to cut them. Felling is one of the most dangerous jobs there is, even for professional loggers. Once the wood is out of the way (maybe leaving a few deciduous trees for future shade) it would be feasible to prepare the ground by running pigs on it (use electric fencing, give them a fairly small area to work on, then move them when that is adequately worked). Plant your seed in the ground where the pigs have been, leaving the stumps to rot on their own. It won't look as pretty, but is the fastest and cheapest way to do it. The stumps can be removed later -- you won't be able to hay that land with machinery, but in a pinch could scythe it. Let us know how things come out with your purchase!

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), May 03, 2000.

Excellent advice in the 2 responses above. If I may reiterate what Kathleen posted, if you're thinking of selling the timber ( a great idea if it's a few acres of good hardwood ) hire a professional forester to help. They are more than worth what they charge. They can recommend a good logger that will follow all the enviro. regs., take care of your property and above all follow your instructions. Unfortunately there are a lot of timber harvesters who will make a big mess, wont give you what the timber is worth and possibly get you in trouble with the state conservation or environmental folks. Regardless if you sell the wood or not, if the trees are of any size at all and you don't have experience in felling, have a professional cut them. As Kathleen said, felling trees can be very dangerous, even for professionals.

-- Steve in TN (lynswim@mindspring.com), May 03, 2000.

Cara, just be careful that there isn't a reason for those 35 acres to be in trees-like shallow bad soil, rocky and prone to erosion. Running livestock, especially cattle in trees will kill off the trees given time if you can't find someone to cut them for you. Gerbil

-- Gerbil (ima_gerbil@hotmail.com), May 03, 2000.

Hi There, We did A very similar thing. If the lot is of fairly mature growth you can help yourself out tremendously. On 20 acres of wood we with a forester, reputable logger, and a portable saw mill collected 24,000 bdft of lumber. Enough to build the majority of our farmstead.Best yet- all done right here in south central Maine.The whole process takes some planing and time (the time part I've found most frustrating ). To the point. If we can help please feel free to contact us. Our experience may save you a couple of headaces. Good Luck Steve E.

-- Steven Erving (ervings@gwi.net), May 03, 2000.

Hi There Again. Follows is our correct e-mail address

-- Steven Erving (ervings@ctel.net), May 03, 2000.

Wish I could agree with Steve in TN, but our foresters don't give a flip about regulations or enforcing them. The contract they hired out to for surrounding areas of their land (adjacent to ours) was done in the messiest, uncaring manner unfortunately typical of harvesters in this area of MS. Replanting looks like it'll be an impossibility for quite sometime!

-- Sonya (msmenagerie@yahoo.com), May 03, 2000.

Thanks so much for all of your replies!!! I believe that they will help alot. It is also comforting to know that there is someone out there in Maine. I feel like I am moving to another galaxy, coming from southern New Jersey. I know what I am doing in the livestock/animal area, but all others including clearing land, jumping into the "homesteading", and many others are just sooo scary!!! I really like this forum and treasure the information that I have received from everyone! Thank you all again!!! cara lewis cnllewis@email.com

-- cara lewis (cnllewis@email.com), May 03, 2000.