Wildflowers peak and grasses brown as Summer’s heat sets in at EEC Forest Stewardship. The State is in a drought, our irrigation is on and keeping the crops thriving, though the water table continues to drop and seeps vanish. Green patches are grazed down first, and standing hay is still ignored, but come late August, any stem will do. We’ve been managing pastures for drought, and expect to begin haying the sheep in the barn by late September, though pasture conditions in our region would usually stretch into late October with proper rains to keep the pastures green and lush. Observation like this is crucial to keeping the land healthy and the animals properly fed. I’ve been noticing land around me being damaged by overgrazing and girdled trees. Many folks are not observing the climate changes, and still turning stock out into fields all summer with no oversight. It’s having an impact, and I’ve watched beautiful land turn to moonscape in just a few weeks of animals not being rotated off in time.
Here’s a good picture to show the eaten vs. uneaten swath of land. The left side is eaten thoroughly, on the right, grass is still green and lush. The fence is being moved to open up onto that fresh ground, while the eaten down side will be fenced and rested. Below is another picture of grazed vs. ungrazed. One might think it still looks lush and good under those apple trees- but the unprotected grass outside the canopy is at its limit, so the flock is moved on. That shaded grass will recover faster, but you should base your rotational timing on the most vulnerable part of your pasture, otherwise the gap in quality will grow, and hard hit areas of the landscape will erode faster. It’s sometimes hard to measure exact conditions, and here on the western slopes of The Cascades, our landscape is very non-brittle most of the year, but right now, in the height of summer drought, we are as brittle as it gets, which means poor land rotation can cause great harm. This ecosystem management has become extreme, and without proper grazing adaptation, even our lush rainforests could become deserts.
The heat also makes great demand on our water resources. Gardens get full irrigation every other day, and the young orchard cries out for another deep watering, which will come at the end of August. We’ve received no impactful precipitation into the soil, but a hard rain at the end of July for a few hours charged up our cisterns at the right time. A 500 gallon tank will keep our livestock well hydrated though the rest of the summer- if we get our rain in October, but last year, we had no rain in October, but it did remain in the 90s for a few more weeks. These are extremes for Western Washington, and with a major drought on this summer, 2023, we are not going to catch up in rain missed, for if we do, a true flood would have to occur several times between now and the end of the year. It could happen, as hundred year floods have become 20 year floods, and those 1000 year nightmares are also sure to come. If we did get a deluge in early fall, before the soil has a chance to re-hydrate, the erosion impact could be catastrophic.
Here at EEC Forest Stewardship, we do our best to keep the soil covered. Canopy is optimal, but even with tall trees, no understory will allow erosion through, and since we’re already on a hillside, we have to slow and sink in all walks and forms. Even with our water catchment systems, dusty soil is vulnerable to erosion, so we’re continuing to work on mulching by layering vegetation to act as a sponge. This may seem counterintuitive with all the fire danger out west, but rainforest is more resistant to burning because of the water retention in the soil of deep forest duff. When we remove that forest floor much, the soil dries out faster, and the plants wilt and become brittle tinder. My garden thrives on less water when I mulch, and that layer of protection plays out the same way in the woods. Sheep manure adds to that mulch, but the sheep also denude the landscape, so again, balance in all things.
Warmer summer days turn into beautiful evenings best spent on a lake fishing, when there’s a chance to get away from farming long enough to catch a few trout for the larder and to enjoy this beautiful landscape all around. In less than an hour we can have our hooks in the water at an almost private alpine lake watching the sun dip low in the west. There’s a light haze of smoke in the air, but the mists blanketing the mountains to our east floating on light crisp mountain breezes across the lake, sending a shiver over the shimmering water. Evening light stretches on, allowing us a little extra time recreating in this great place we call home. When it’s hot, escape to the mountains, when it’s dry, water wisely, and move the animals more frequently or reduce numbers on the landscape. Take time to rest when working in the heat, our 90F days will leech the life right out of us. Thankfully, our location offers some climate reprieves- only a few days of truly hot temperatures have arisen- thus far in our summer of 2023. We are not out of the frying pan yet, but with some good preparedness, we won’t end up in the fire. May the cool clouds bring rain and respite to all in need. May the fires that rage in so many places this year be quenched by the sacred waters, which are the life bringers of all things. May the heavens open gently and return the trickle of life to every creek and spring. Keep our soils fertile and our stomachs fed.
EEC Forest Stewardship 