Preparing the Farm

Last month we did some dozer work, cleared the underbrush and removed all the cherry trees which are poisonous to the alpacas. Leaves that fall from the trees contain arsenic so they all had to go.

Because the pasture is very important, we killed the old grass and planted a blend of endophyte free grasses. Fungal endophytes were discovered in tall fescue and perennial ryegrass during mid 1980's. Since that time, we have learned of their potential to produce alkaloids harmful to livestock. The symptoms are usually not life-threatening, but can include abortion.

We had the soil tested by the University of Tennessee to see what we needed to add to it. A few days later we had the results back and a fertilizer blend was prepared and applied.

Next up will be to install fencing and then construction of a barn.