Homestead in Weld County needing blueprint to easily wrap minds around - Ask Extension
We were formally an established farm in weld county. We are now Looking to Homestead the 14 acres we have remaining. I have been doing various researc...
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Homestead in Weld County needing blueprint to easily wrap minds around #736784
Asked January 16, 2021, 1:53 PM EST
We were formally an established farm in weld county. We are now Looking to Homestead the 14 acres we have remaining. I have been doing various research for seven years on the different components of raising our own food, preserving it, smaller livestock production, aquaponics, as well as demonstrating off grid techniques. But in laying out The acreage we have with companion planting techniques and succession planting techniques, I am finding this all a bit overwhelming. Are there any local resources to help me map out everything in advance and make certain I’m turning the correct soil at the right time as well as good placeholders for the acres I just won’t get to this year with herbs or Low growing perennials to control weeds?
Weld County Colorado
Expert Response
Hello!
Planning a homestead can be a daunting task! Here is a simple guide to help get you started in putting all your ideas and goals together: https://sam.extension.colostate.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/07/sust-homestead.pdf
You can follow along with this webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_p0vcJBlxY&feature=youtu.be which will walk you through filling out your goals.
Remember, record keeping is your friend! Record what you do in each area and how effective it was. This can help you adapt your management to meat your long-term goals.
You have several options for perennial covers, including herbaceous plants or grasses. Perennials are often slower to establish and require extra watering in their first year. Due to the drought conditions in CO, it might be difficult to establish a hearty plant stand to compete with weeds this year. Alternatively, you could plant an annual cover crop this year, such a cereal rye or sterile sorghum, that will compete with weeds and provide additional plant residue to the soil. You can also control weeds selectively using mechanical or chemical methods and allow any existing plant stands to grow in the area. You can refer to the CSU Forage Guide (https://sam.extension.colostate.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/07/forage-guide.pdf) for species options.
If you are interested in scheduling a site visit in the spring or discuss your property in further detail, feel free to reach out to your local CSU Extension office.
Planning a homestead can be a daunting task! Here is a simple guide to help get you started in putting all your ideas and goals together: https://sam.extension.colostate.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/07/sust-homestead.pdf
You can follow along with this webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_p0vcJBlxY&feature=youtu.be which will walk you through filling out your goals.
Remember, record keeping is your friend! Record what you do in each area and how effective it was. This can help you adapt your management to meat your long-term goals.
You have several options for perennial covers, including herbaceous plants or grasses. Perennials are often slower to establish and require extra watering in their first year. Due to the drought conditions in CO, it might be difficult to establish a hearty plant stand to compete with weeds this year. Alternatively, you could plant an annual cover crop this year, such a cereal rye or sterile sorghum, that will compete with weeds and provide additional plant residue to the soil. You can also control weeds selectively using mechanical or chemical methods and allow any existing plant stands to grow in the area. You can refer to the CSU Forage Guide (https://sam.extension.colostate.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/07/forage-guide.pdf) for species options.
If you are interested in scheduling a site visit in the spring or discuss your property in further detail, feel free to reach out to your local CSU Extension office.
