Sold the last of my hay!!!

[DWSmith]

I'm out of the hay business ... finally!

Going to plant some trees in the hay fields.

I want to encourage wildlife with improved habitat and plant flowers to help my bees.

[Jay-ell]

Does that mean you don't need the tractor then?

[Zelenina]

I don't know what kind of hay meadows you have or how intensively you managed them, DW. But old permanent hay meadows are usually full of native wild flowers and are very good habitats for wildlife. So if that's the kind you have I think you need to be careful about destroying the existing ecosystem and replacing it with something less natural. Find out what you already have first, because it might be worth conserving.

[DWSmith]

Does that mean you don't need the tractor then?

Nope! The new Kubota tractor is more for the lawn and vegetable garden so it won't tear up the lawn nearly as much but it can do some field work too. The old Ford tractor is needed for mowing in the fields and some snow removal on the driveway (250' long).

I'll get a post hole augur for one of the tractors to dig holes for planting trees. Too many to dig by hand.

I don't know what kind of hay meadows you have or how intensively you managed them, DW. But old permanent hay meadows are usually full of native wild flowers and are very good habitats for wildlife. So if that's the kind you have I think you need to be careful about destroying the existing ecosystem and replacing it with something less natural. Find out what you already have first, because it might be worth conserving.

Not a lot of wildflowers in my fields but some and there are more along the edges of the fields. I'd like to preserve what I have and over seed with flower seeds that my bees will use.

It will take time but I will get something accomplished over the years.

[Zelenina]

I found this interesting guide to managing and restoring grasslands in Worcestershire, England. But I don't know how relevant it would be to mid-west USA where you are. I suppose the principles would be the same, although the species of plants and animals are probably very different.

http://www.worcswildlifetrust.co.uk/..._guide_2_0.pdf