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Tom Stanley
Winter’s grip on Rockbridge County has eased a bit. Last w e e k ’ s milder temp eratures brought some relief but February is famous for mud and negotiating farm fields this time of year can be frustrating and treacherous. But spring will come and now is the time for landowners and farmers to think ahead about farm maintenance and improvements for 2025.
Cattle prices have been good and cash flow is strongly positive for most livestock farms in the Rockbridge region. 2025 should be a good year to attend to land and farm maintenance needs.
There are five items that are essential to maintain most farms in our area. These are: fence maintenance and renewal; control of woody invasive weeds (like multiflora rose, autumn olive); soil pH (which we correct with lime applications); soil phosphorus levels; and soil potassium levels (a.k.a. ‘potash’).
A recent analysis of the cost of addressing each of these needs indicates that for a 50-acre farm in Rockbridge County, the total cost of addressing these five things and spreading that cost over an eight-year period, costs between $70 and $130 per acre per year, not including labor. I will repeat that: it costs around $100 per acre per year just to maintain a farm and keep it productive.
Of course, many farm owners over the years have elected not to address one or more of these maintenance items. When they are not addressed, the decline in the farm’s productivity is very slow at first and may go unnoticed for eight or 10 years. But after years of ignoring fences, weed control, and soil fertility the farm’s productive potential can be entirely lost and much more expensive to restore. A once lovely country property loses marketability when the pastoral view is dominated by autumn olive shrubs and dilapidated fencing.
Farmers and landowners both have a stake in keeping our pastures as productive as possible. While the landowner may depend on the annual rental payment, the farmer may need some assurance they will have use of the farm for three, five or eight years in order to recapture any investment in maintenance they make. Conversely, the landowner that invests in maintaining or improving the farm should justifiably expect a higher rental payment.
Every farm situation is different but remember these five most essential items to keep our farms in Rockbridge County functioning: Fence maintenance and renewal; suppression or control of woody invasive weeds; adjust soil pH with lime according to soil test results; applying fertilizer to maintain both soil phosphorus and potassium at medium soil test levels. In some circumstances, a farm may qualify for government assistance with maintaining or installing new interior fencing and waterers if the perimeter fence is in adequate condition and there is a natural water source on the farm from which livestock can be excluded with fencing. Contact the Natural Bridge Soil and Water Conservation District at 540-319-6453 to find out more.
A cost and expense spreadsheet for pasture maintenance is available at rockbridge.ext. vt.edu. under ‘Budget Templates.’ Contact Tom Stanley at (540) 463-4734 or [email protected] for strategies for prioritizing farm maintenance needs and how landowner and farmer tenant can agree to address this important investment.
