Over 70% of our land is woodland.
The storm in year 1999 left most of the forest devistated.
We set to with a woodland cleaning program.
First job being to clean a 2 metre strip around the exterior of woodland. We then put up a 4 strand electric fence and let the goats & llamas loose. They eat all the brambles and undergrowth to about 2 metres high.
After , the pigs go in. they turn over the ground eating the bramble roots and turning the now dead brambles and leaves into the ground. The pigs also break up the rotten trees and work them into the soil too. Once they have finished the forest floor is clean. We can now gain easy access the woodland to get to the fallen trees.
The dead trees on the ground are cut up along with the dead ones still standing.
We then selectively choose to cut down trees that are too close, bent/leaning or diseased.
This opens space and allows light onto the woodland floor and promotes healthy new grow.
Note: We never clear fell a forest.
If we need to plant trees, we will only plant native trees, never pines for example which make the soil acid and gives no fertility back to the soil.