It’s time for an update on our Fencing Fields Kickstarter campaign! By the time we successfully reached our Kickstarter goal, the plot of land we planned to fence first had already been planted to organic corn. We had to wait until the corn was harvested to start transforming this organic cropland to pasture for grazing organic dairy cows. Well, that time has come! To the right is a picture of Zach getting ready to drill our first post hole to install corner posts on our new fence line!
Below is a picture of the field that we are starting on. We plan to plant oats early in the spring for quick grazing, and then will plant pasture mix in the late summer. This will help us avoid the weed pressure that’s so prevalent in the spring. Good stands of pasture 
are established much more easily when planted in the fall rather than in the spring – although it’s a standard practice to plant oats interseeded with pasture in the spring, every farmer does it differently. Our plan is to graze oats (we should get two grazings) and allow the corn more time to decompose.
The photo to the right shows the fencing we will be 
installing. This is a photo from a nearby farm with established pasture. We will be using a high-tensile wire fence that is easy to install and fix. The line posts are made of fiberglass, so they will not rot. Also, this fencing is very flexible and forgiving, so if a deer hits them (which happens often in Iowa), they will bend! We will also have moveable interior fencing that will allow us to manage the cows and grass growth!
It looks like it will be a warm winter, so we hope to continue making progress on the fencing as long as the ground remains unfrozen! More updates to come!
Happy holidays from the Farmers Creamery, Kalona Organics and Marilyn Farms team!