Lazy Farmer Uses Pigs to Clear Forest

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0:00 Intro
0:38 The before
1:02 Catching the pigs
2:55 Day 4
4:00 Treasure found in the woods
5:11 a word from our sponsor
6:37 Day 7
7:05 450 lb snuggle muffin
7:54 Misconceptions about pigs
9:48 Pigs vs forest explanation
10:51 Friend's before/after
11:19 Reviewing the progress so far
13:59 Toilet area, etcetera
14:54 Infrastructure setup
18:04 A question for ya'll
19:13 We've only just begun

MORE ABOUT ME

I'm Anne of All Trades. In NASHVILLE, I have a woodworking, blacksmithing and fabrication shop, a selection of furry friends, and an organic farm. Whether you've got the knowledge, tools, time or space to do the things you've always wanted to do, everything is "figureoutable."

I became "Anne of All Trades" out of necessity. With no background in farming or making things, I wanted to learn to raise my own food, fix things when they break and build the things I need.

12 years ago I got my first pet, planted my first seed and picked up my first tool.

My goal is to learn and share traditional techniques and skills while showing my peers how to get from where they are to where they want to go, how to do the things they are passionate about, and what can be done TODAY to engage their own community and grow deep roots.

Whether it's carving spoons, making my own hand tools, restoring my antique truck or growing heirloom tomatoes, the farm and workshop definitely keep me busy and support - whether financially through Patreon, through shopping my affiliate links, through buying merchandise, plans or project videos, or even just liking, commenting, and sharing my content with others helps me GREATLY to keep producing quality content to share.

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Other places you can find me:

[chrisconversino]

They are also very likely to clean up your snake problem too. Add in some nesting boxes for opossums and your ticks will be drastically reduced. As ways, I'm amazed by you.

[ThomasKud]

I love what you’re doing with the pigs being able to clear your land for you. When you mention LG I used to be the President and CEO at work. Give the hardest job to the Laziest Guy and he’ll find the easiest way to do it. I wasn’t lazy, but was a very hard worker trying to figure out the right way to do it and the easiest. You should leave your goats in with the pigs to help clear it out faster, keep up the good work. I love what you’re doing.

[AgnesMariaL]

We bought raw woodland and our pigs are essential to our land-clearing endeavors! Behind them, we knock down trees that are still standing and either plant gardens or sow pastures for our grazers! Bonus: pasture-raised bacon 😁

Also, only the pink pigs are susceptible to sunburn. If you want a sunburn-proof pig, get berkshire or giant black ;)

[markpiersall]

Consider installing a Screech Owl nest box. Owls eat rodents which host ticks. Rodents feed and attract pit vipers, Coyotes and Bobcats. Screech Owls have a 90% diet overlap with Copperhead snakes; mostly Deer mice and White-footed Forest mice.

It you have Briars on your property, go out on your first Crop Insurance planting day and toss Turnip seeds into your Briar patch. Sixty days later take a pail of corn out and let your hogs see what you can, lead them out and scatter the corn into the sticker patch. They will root up the briars and chew and suck the sweet liquid out of the roots. When they are done they will leave the ground ready for planting. Fluffy soil that looks like a rotor tiller has been run.

[jeas]

So.. for the keeping grass/weeds down on fence lines: I use old asphalt roof shingles around areas that attract digging predators (chicken coops) because they don't like the nail file feeling and it works well. Otherwise I use quickcrete on a low enough profile that I can run my mower deck right over top of it. I am getting old and I am not slinging a weedeatter around.

[alskjflaksjdflakjdf]

For keeping the grass down along the fence line, when we had cows we used to put the electric wire a bit higher up so the animals could still graze on the grass underneath the fence, solving the problem for us. When they got a little too eager they would lean too far forward and get a shock, but they quickly became artists at getting close to the wire without touching it. Some of them would even kneel down so they could reach further. The same idea might work for you with pigs.

[ilovemichigan-]

5:12 THIS!!! I feel the same exact way! I do things a lot like you do. I'm so incredibly thankful and happy that I found your channel. Keep on keeping on girl! You are doing AWESOME 💯

[samplumbe]

I run our 3 Kune Kune pigs through some woodland in a small area and it is amazing what they can clear. Absolutely desamated the brambles and nettles. The amount or rubbish they have unearthed is amazing. Bricks, plastic and metal that previous scumbag owners had dumped. They are doing a fantastic job. I keep them in a tighter space and move them on once it is clear. Grasses etc are now coming up on the areas they have cleared. Love what you are doing. PS I only need two strands of electric wire to keep them in. Under fence lines I use a deep bed of wood chip.

[musicmama]

My Dad had our pigs do that when I was growing up. Thanks for reminding me!

[_JanetLouise]

Love this! Great story! Here on the East side of Hawaii Island my husband employed the wild pigs to clear forest areas by luring them in with dog food. 👍👍👍👍👍

[ozarkrefugee]

Old timers used to use hogs to clear out a patch of ground, it doesn't take long.
That pile of limbs you have, get a chipper /shredder and make wood chips/compost out of it, don't waste it.
While they are doing their job clearing, you could walk back there once a week a with a seed spreader and start spreading grass and clover seed, the pigs can be trampling some of that seed into the soil.

[cherylstarke]

Love your videos! We've been using premier one netting for 6+ years. Weed eating is a pain. We're getting ready to run 2 sections of several nets 30 ft apart around our garden. 2 livestock guardian dogs will patrol. Keeping deer out and bear away from my bees. I just ordered 1.4 ft wide ground cloth to install under the fencing. Will pin down with landscape staples and hopefully this will end my issue with weed eating. Pray it works! Love and blessings from North Georgia

[andysq]

For preventing grass and weeds in the fence line, you could put old recycled shingles down under it. They will prevent weeds from growing, being black they give a better visual than red dirt and they last forever.

[dfredk]

We run plastic or fiberglass posts 45 degrees from the permanent fence with a strand about knee high. Cows will reach under to graze and keep the fence clear without putting pressure on the permanent fence. May work with a 1’ high wire for shorter beasts

[GoldensRott]

My wife and I just bought 50acres in the mountains of NE Tennessee. Really rocking soil in sections. Currently leasing the land to a neighbor with cattle on it. Can’t wait to move there permanently. Coming from MN. What breed of pigs do you have? Love what you’re doing, looking forward to help heal the land and meet like minded people.

[patconner]

Do your chickens know/respect electric netting? If they get along with the pigs, they'll take care of your tick problem and help mix your pig's poop pile in with the nearby sticks-and-twigs

[jenwykes]

Growing up we had a small herd of highland cattle. They are much heartier than north American beef cattle and they can digest a wider variety of food. the down side to them is that they will take care of everything including foliage the size of the wild plum/cherry trees that you mentioned wanting to let grow. As they break down the smaller trees they use the stumps/ broken off pieces to groom their coats. Its amazing to see what animals are capable of.

[RobbertvanHaaften]

You are my new favorite youtube 'gardener' channel! I just recently discovered your channel and I've already watched a bunch of videos I really like your smile and positivit. Great tips and tricks i've already seen and could benefit from. i'm just starting out my homestead / food forest farm from scratch. I would love to start out with two donkeys as farm companion animals.
I'm excited to see more from you and all the best, Greetings from slovenia! mediterranean europe.

[MarkWYoung-kyuc]

You have some beautiful hogs there Anne. I'm convinced that the inventor of the bulldozer came up with the idea after watching pigs root.

[francesshort]

I love your videos, Anne! You are so talented and intelligent! I am going to welcome 2 wethers to my small hobby farm this summer and plan to use the stall design you shared in a video! Thank you for sharing your life and learning with us!