Indian Paintbrush Prairie Farm

Sustainable, Carbon Negative, and Profitable in Fannin County, Texas

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also, see us on the Hobby Farm Magazine!

Principles

Sustainable - multi-culture, or rotation culture, control pest via use of natural methods,
Carbon Negative - encourage the growth of native high-carbon-retention grasses and forbs
Profitable - multi-culture, organic fruits and vegetables, harvestable/forageable native grasses.

Resource Inventory 2003

Land and Crops

50 acres of ex cotton land along Cooper Creek in Fanin County.  Soil and Fertility erosion typical for land "burn-out" by decades of cotton mono-culture.  Post WWII, land either was left fallow or managed as forage for cattle.  Approximately 20 acres was re-seeded in Dallas Grass, and Bermuda Grass.  Sporadic locations of Johnson Grass, though it is not clear from the coverage if that was due to seeding or accidental spread from other land.  Cattle raising ceased circa 1990.  By  2003, 27-33 acres was unusable due to encroachment by Honey Locust, Cedar Elm, Bois D'Arc, Junipers (locally called "cedars"), and brambles.  (Estimated from aerial photographs and DoA land-survey software).  Large patches of Johnson Grass were expanding and prickly pear was common on all areas.

Facilities

Cattle Barn was built in 1946, by E. C. Parker, from lumber available at that time.  It is a textbook example of truss work using short length lumber.  It is also a great source of ancient manure. There is a small concrete water box without a bottom.

 

Water

There is no well or stream.  Water is by rain, and as caught in a pond.  There were two ponds.  The top one was built circa 1979, and is mostly silted due to cattle destroying the shoreline.  The lower one was built circa 1999, and is too small and shallow, running dry most summers, even "wet" summers.

Campaign One: Recovery

Campaign Two: Sustainability,
Carbon Negative, Profitable

2003

  • Hired local dozer to remove 8 - 10 acres of Honey Locust, and Bois D'Arc. (left 4 "specimen" Bois D'Arc to provide habitat for local fauna.
  • Extensive correspondence with Texas A&M University Agrilife staff in Fannin County and at Campus sites
  • Professionally surveyed land, provided the survey to NCRS for the first of several land plans.
2003

 

2004

  • Most of year was consumed in building on-property home.
  • Hired local dozer to remove 10 acres of Honey Locust and Juniper
  • he first USDA land use plan, pointing to recovery and

2004

  • Purchased and planted $1000 of Native Tall Grass Blend through the local Department of Agriculture National Resources Conservation Service (NCRS). 
  • First "crop" in last year's pasture was giant ragweed, sometimes called blood root.  Had to mow that down to get light to the native grasses.
  • With NCRS, created t
20052005
20062006

2007

  • After several vet bills for torn legs and other injuries, removed all the collected material, glass, and glass, asbestos, metal, old housing debris from the pasture.  Was able to mow for the first time.
  • hired local dozer to repair the lower pool, making it deep enough to hold water through a drought (I hope).
  • March, first of 5 planned controlled burns.  The pasture jumped with new forbs.
2007

2008

  • Designed and build stationary dock and fish.
2008
2009

2009

  • Planted 4 acres of Big Blue Stem prairie grass
  • Built a 50 x 40 barn to replace the original 1946 barn. Interior space of 30x40, insulated an heated to allow work during the cold and wet times
  • Installed 1550 gallon + 2 50 gallon Rain Water Harvest tanks. 
  • Installed over 1000 feet of underground "drip" irrigation
  • Planted new Orchard
  • Installed 300 feet of raised garden
  • 5  yards of "clay buster" expanded shale mulch mix
  • 8 yards of Horse Manure from Hannah's Horseshoes of Hope (composted before use)
  • 3 yards of Circus Animal doo, collected from the Carson Barnes Circus when they came to Bonham, TX