Pecan Creek Farm is named for the small creek that divides our 20 acres.  We don’t actually farm pecans, but we do farm grass.  For those of you who think lovely grass pastures just occur naturally, you’re in for a real shock.   Growing and maintaining good pastures in order to produce all-natural, grass-fed beef cattle is every bit as challenging as breeding the cattle themselves.

Grass farming is subject to the same variables as farming row crops.  Drought, excessive rain, extremes of heat and cold are factors that can really wreak havoc on pastures.  Our farm was used to produce corn and cotton until 1995.  So the land was heavily treated with commercial fertilizers.   The soil is heavy clay, and the farming practices of the previous 50 years have left the surface soil hard and compacted.
 
We’re working hard to reverse the damage to the soil.  It is best to begin by finding out exactly what the soil contains (or does not contain).  Soils can be sampled and analysed by soil testing laboratories.  We are using Texas Plant & Soil Lab in Edinburg, Texas.  These laboratories will send test kits and instructions.  Then they will send a written report documenting the current soil conditions, and they will also provide recommendations for improving the soil quality.  It takes about two weeks to get the report back from the soil lab, and the cost for each test is less than $40. 

We are currently using organic fertilizers on all our pastures.  We’ve used N-Texx Bio-Soil Enhancer for two years , but with the extreme drought of these two years we feel we haven’t been able to assess this product fairly.  This year we’ve started applications of compost tea to the pastures used for producing winter hay.  We are working with a local company, and we will be doing three to four applications of organic products to our hay pasture over this year’s growning season (Sustainable Growth Texas).  We’ve had excellent rainfall this year (way ahead of our monthly averages), and we’re seeing some improvement in grass production.  We will be concentrating now on adding some organic matter to loosen our packed clay soils.  The best source we have found for information on improving grass and pastures is a publication called the Stockman Grass Farmer.   It’s an invaluable resource