This week at the Stiles Farm was very productive. On Monday Bobby and I fed hay to the main herd, specifically placing the bales so we could move them to the eastern pastures later in the week. Tuesday we had a calf get out and we were able to get it back to the herd and find the piece of fence that had been damaged.  Bobby showed me some of the different ways we fix barbed wire fences, using stays, wire stretchers, and simple wire ties. On Wednesday and Thursday Bobby, Jimmy, and I moved over one hundred bales of hay from the hay pasture to where we store them. It was awesome to see how much we could get done once we got a system and a rhythm going. Also this week I accompanied Ryan to the USDA Farm Service Agency in Georgetown and learned about some of the crop insurance options that farmers have and how subsidies for commodities work. On Friday we finally were able to move the main herd to the eastern pastures after a few attempts.

 Stiles Blog 9-21-18

Georgina Macias Fall 2018 Intern 

This week I began cleaning small mammal (Sherman) traps in preparation for our upcoming small mammal surveys. In order to remove biases from our survey, it’s important to clean out previous bait and animal waste left in each trap. During the dry part of the week, I was able to set out 3 time-lapse cameras throughout the prairie restoration project areas on the south end of the farm.   Each camera is set to take a picture every 24 hours so that we can see in detail how the project area is changing over time. At the end of this week, I was able to spend some time with Jimmy learning how to use the tractor and the shredder. Shredding strips in the public hunting fields on the farm will disperse seed on the ground for the doves as well as make it easier for the hunters to spot and retrieve birds.

 

AnMarie Ulery-Wild Life Intern

 

At the beginning of this week the weather stayed relatively dry and allowed me to get more training on the tractor, loading and feeding hay and moving hay rings under Bobby’s supervision. Bobby and I also fixed some of the fences along the southern pastures and taught me the basics of putting in t-posts and barbed wire. The cows in the 4 corners pasture got out on Tuesday morning and we were able to get them all back together and lead them to some green grass. 

Due to spotty showers in the middle of the week and the conditions being too wet to do much, it gave us the opportunity to do some maintenance work on the equipment in the tractor shed and attaching a new implement for the horticulture field. On Tuesday, I attended a grain producers meeting with Ryan, hosted by the county extension agent, and was able to meet some farmers in the community and our local extension agent and get some insight on some one of the many projects he does for the county.  This week I was also trained on driving the ranger so I can take it out to the pastures on my own in the coming weeks. On Thursday Bobby and I checked cows in all the pastures and checked the perimeter gates and fences to prevent more cows from getting out. We also went to Williamson Co. Grain and Bobby showed me how we get molasses and minerals for the cows to supplement protein and essential nutrients. We loaded the molasses tub and set out the smaller tubs in the three small herds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lastly this week due to the wet conditions we just checked each herd to make sure they’re ok for the weekend and had no obvious health issues. We had a few cows give birth this week and we’re keeping an eye on the cows to make sure they’re recovering ok and the calves are nursing properly. It was a busy week at the Stiles Farm and there is lots of Slowly I’m working into awork to always be done.  Slowly I’m working into a routine in checking cows, and in the coming months we will be getting ready to wean the older calves and get cows back on schedule.

 

 

-Georgina Macias Fall 2018 Intern

Stiles Blog 9-14-18

It was a rainy week this week at the Stiles farm. Farm intern Georgina and I continued spraying mesquite when we could. Unfortunately, spraying when it’s wet makes for a less effective kill due to the chemical not being able to stick to wet leaves. In addition to spraying mesquite, Georgina and I went to each of my vegetation transects and flipped cover boards in hopes of finding reptiles or amphibians taking shelter from the rain. Finding “herps” depends on a variety of factors including temperature, rainfall, time of day, and habitat being searched. Although we didn’t find any this week, we hope that after a few more weeks and a little more rainfall we may have a better chance of success. Another rainy day activity that I spent some time on this week was data entry from my vegetation surveys. By transcribing my initial data to an excel spreadsheet and identifying plants that I couldn’t ID at the time of the survey, I am able to better analyze the data and get an idea of species diversity on the property.

AnMarie Ulery-Wild Life Intern

During my second week here at the Stiles Farm I was taught the safety procedures of handling chemicals, specifically Sendero, which is used for killing problem mesquite trees. After learning the proper safety protocols, long sleeve, long pants, shoes and socks, gloves, and safety goggles, I helped AnMarie spray mesquites in the Sancho pasture. While checking the cows this week we found a new calf that has been born. 

The little bull calf is looking healthy and sticking by his mother and growing fast. Ryan and Bobby taught me how to drive the hay loader and feed hay to the different herds. Due to the rain this past week we were able to start working on some tractors and equipment that weren’t working. Overall this past week was rewarding and very informative, learning different types of mechanisms and safety while working with tractors and equipment.

“Getting a new farm started is hard work. And unless you can find a great deal, it can often get pretty expensive to get everything you need. As every farmer knows, however, there is often a high cost for used or “free” items. But the other day, when I really needed some poultry manure for the new veggie farm’s fertilizer, I am infinitely pleased that I found a good neighbor in Bird and Bee Farm.  Just up the road in Rockdale,  Bird and Bee Farm produces poultry for urban and rural customers, bees for honey and naturally fed livestock.  I called and they said” “Come on!”.

This could be the beginning of a beautiful relationship.

Steven”

This week I continued spraying mesquite on the southern end of the property.  I also helped with checking cows and surveying our public hunting areas to make sure everything was ready for opening day on September 1st. While I was in 4 corners, I picked up the game camera that was set up at one of my vegetation transects where I was hoping to capture some photos of a northern bobwhite.  Unfortunately, there were no bobwhite photos from the bait station. There were, however, several pictures of rats and mice using the milo and then several more pictures of a barn owl taking advantage of these rodents foraging out in the open.

AnMarie Ulery Wild Life Inter

 

“Massive thanks to Paul Jones and Cowboy Fellowship in Pleasanton, TX for making a huge impact on the new Stiles Veggie Farm.  Paul and several members of the youth group made the several hour journey to get the farm started off on the right track.  Paul, y’all are welcome back any time!

Steven”

  

Here at my first week at the stiles farm has been an instructive learning experience. During the past few days I’ve been getting to know the layout of the farm, and slowly learning the names and locations of the different pastures. On Wednesday Ryan began teaching me how to drive stick on the truck, and safety protocol for the herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers that we use here on the farm. Mostly Ryan and I have been working on the sprayer, spraying cotton and observing him, and seeing how to maintain and safely operate farm equipment.

This week I also learned how to attach a trailer to the farm pickup, and the extra precautions that have to be taken when using equipment. We had a cow get out on Thursday and we were able to get it back with it’s herd. All week we’ve been checking the cows body condition, making sure their water sources are supplying enough to the herds, and supplementing hay due to the drought. Lastly this week Ryan thought me how to use the ranger, checking for the proper fluids and maintenance of the radiator. This week has been a great, hard working week, but a positive start overall to my internship here at the Stiles Farm.

-Georgina Macias Fall 2018 Intern

Stiles blog 8-31-18

 

This week at the Stiles Farm, I continued to help farm intern Taylor Burrell spray mesquite. In addition to an aerial spray that will be conducted on the property, we are hand-spraying certain areas where the mesquite trees aren’t as dense. Removal of this invasive species will hopefully create the opportunity for more grass and forb growth and diversity in these areas. This week I also checked on a game camera that I’ve had running in an old hay barn on the south end of the property. It captured some great photos of one of the two barn owls that we suspect may be currently roosting in the barn.