Condition of the farm in 1998
At the time Scott Hollow Farm was purchased in July 1998, it had been leased for many years for grazing and growing corn, and parts had been recently timbered. Cattle roamed freely through most of the open land and much of the forest. With only boundary fencing, cattle had unfettered access to the farm’s extensive wetlands, ponds, and the Calfpasture River which flows through the entire property. Over-grazing and the nutrient imbalance from over application of poultry litter was not only impacting the farm’s sustainability but also severely compromising water quality. Wildlife habitat was non-existent. The wetland areas were denuded and void of any life and the banks of the Calfpasture displayed all the adverse impacts of unrestricted cattle access. Clear cutting of steep slope woodlands damaged the root systems that stabilized the shale-based soils, adding to the runoff challenges. In short, the farm, its wildlife habitats, the woodlands, the wetlands, and the river were all in decline.
Restoration Activities:
1998:
We stopped the over-application of poultry litter.
We temporarily removed cattle from the farm until internal fencing was installed.
Timbering on the shale slopes was halted.
1999:
34 acres along the river and tributaries were planted with hardwoods.
65 acres of bottom land on the east side of the Calfpasture was planted in warm season grasses to create habitat and begin the slow process of returning the soil to a more balanced state.
100 to 300-foot vegetated buffers were created along the river and tributaries.
Fences were built along the edge of the buffers confining cattle to very specific non wetland pastures.
Springs were developed into a watering system for the cattle.