Barnes called his local NRCS extension agent to see if his idea would work , and a short time after planning with NRCS , his brainstorming turned into a new pond . “ I had the idea , called NRCS to see if it could be done , and now the field I took the soil from looks untouched and I have the pond ,” he said .
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Barnes ’ ponds feed into concrete troughs , so all he needs to do to water his cows is turn a valve . He has even built a pond that will stay thawed all winter , so his cattle never have to go without a drink . Another project Barnes is currently working on through NRCS is a water tank that will help him better utilize the water he catches from rooftops on his buildings , which could be used to water his cattle or his hay .
In addition to tank-captured water , a unique way Barnes waters and fertilizes his hay is by the use of trout emulsion . Barnes takes several tanks , each of which holds 275 gallons , to a nearby trout farm . The employees at the trout farm fill his tanks , and he hauls the fertilized water home to spread on the land . “ To date I have hauled more than 24,000 gallons ( of trout emulsion ), and it works beautifully for my hay ,” said Barnes . He sells the hay to folks in his community , who benefit from his stewardship and conservation practices .
At one time Barnes raised anywhere from 100 to 200 head of cattle , but today he keeps only enough to ensure his pastures stay clean . Although he has fewer cattle than he once did , Barnes relies on internal fences for rotational grazing .
NRCS provided the technical assistance for a portion of the inner fences on Barnes ’ farm , so his cattle graze in the same area until they have
NRCS is easy to work with . They are good to help you engineer your ideas .
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completely utilized the forage . Once they have eaten everything possible in one area , the fence can be easily moved to rotate the cows into a new area . The practice of rotational grazing maximizes forage
Photos : Opposite page : Some of the picturesque ponds on Barnes ’ property . This page , above : Several cattle graze in front of one of the barns on the property . Bottom right : A pond under construction .
West Virginia Farm Bureau News 17