Beginner's Guide to Owning Chickens
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Chickens are relatively easy to keep and with the right care, they can provide your family with eggs, manure, and companionship.
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Tips on Land & Water Management for Puget Sound Rural Living
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There’s a lot to know about owning and managing land. This booklet will give you lots of information and ideas for a place that you can be proud to own. We’re all part of a watershed and our actions can affect others. The things that you and your neighbors do can greatly improve the health of the resources we all appreciate about Puget Sound.
Read MoreConsejos Sobre el Manejo de Agua y Tierra para la Vida Rural del Puget Sound
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Hay mucho que aprender sobre tener la tierra y administrarla. Este folleto le dará muchas ideas e información para poner en practica en su propiedad, de la cual usted se sentirá orgulloso. Todos nosotros somos parte de una cuenca hidráulica y nuestras acciones pueden afectar a otros. Las acciones que usted y sus vecinos hagan pueden mejorar grandemente la salud de los recursos del Puget Sound que todos apreciamos.
Read MoreWorking Buffers
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Forested buffers along waterways help filter runoff, reduce erosion, keep water cool for fish, provide wildlife habitat, increase carbon sequestration, and more! ‘Working buffers’ allow farmers to widen these forested areas without losing farmable land by integrating perennial trees and shrubs into their agricultural systems. Tree crops such as fruits, nuts, and timber are mixed with understory crops such as berries, floral industry greens, mushrooms, and livestock forage. The farmer benefits in many ways including diversification of products, improved soil health, pollinator habitat, and protection against flood damage.
Read MoreLime for Pastures and Crops
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When it comes to managing soil health, it’s common to focus on the big three nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) and overlook a fourth key aspect: soil pH. Soil pH refers to how acidic (sour) or alkaline (sweet) soil is on a scale between 0 and 14, with 7.0 being neutral. Most plants and crops prefer soil pH levels in the 6.0–7.0 range.
Read MoreWhat is a Farm Plan?
/A farm plan is a tool that is developed by your local conservation district and you, to help you manage the resources on your land.
The plan contains an inventory of your farm or property and outlines actions and a schedule for you to make improvements based on your goals for the property. Once you decide that you want a farm plan, the Conservation District planner will evaluate your property’s inherent resources such as; soil, water, animals, plants and air quality. You will also receive an aerial photo showing soils, field layout, water sources, and other features.
Read MoreLivestock Heavy Use Areas
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Living in the Pacific Northwest we deal with a lot of mud. To eliminate mud, install a heavy use area for your livestock. A heavy use area is used to protect your forage and pasture ground by keeping animals from damaging and compacting the soil in winter or from overgrazing in the summer.
Read MoreBest Management Practices
/Living in the Pacific Northwest we deal with a lot of mud. To eliminate mud, install a heavy use area for your livestock.
Heavy use areas are used to protect your forage and pasture ground by keeping animals from damaging and compacting the soil in winter or from overgrazing in the summer. Heavy use areas also:
Read MoreAfter an Animal Dies, Then What?
/Our wet, windy and damp winters can be very hard on aging and sick animals. Winter can also be a difficult time to bury a carcass on your farm, or to remove it. Mud makes it difficult to drive through pastures and around barns, roads are slick, and the groundwater table is high. If you believe you may lose an animal over the winter, think ahead about where to bury or compost it on your farm, or if you would prefer to have the animal picked up for rendering or cremation.
Read MoreCover Up with a Winter Cover Crop
/A cover crop, sometimes called green manure or catch crop, is grown for the sole purpose of being tilled back into the soil in the spring. A cover crop can be a grass, cereal grain, or legume. It provides multiple benefits and can be an inexpensive way to build better soil in your gardens. Cover crops are helpful for small garden spaces up to large acreages.
Read MoreHow to Know When Your Grass Will Start Growing
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It all depends on how warm the soil is. Soil temperature determines whether soil microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi, are active or not. These organisms transform the raw materials of the soil into available nutrients for plant roots. No grass will grow without active soil organisms to help them.
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