The Gift of Clover
About this episode
The episode discusses the transformation of a pasture from dense brambles to a thriving ecosystem with clover, highlighting its benefits for sheep and honeybees.
When our sheep first started grazing at Hill-Stead, the pasture consisted of multiflora rose, a few saplings and poison ivy. The brambles were so dense the sheep’s wool would frequently get hopelessly tangled up in the thorns and they’d be completely unable to extricate themselves. I’d rescue them by cutting one thorny branch at a time until they were finally able to yank themselves free – inevitably trailing a branch of thorns which would shred my fingers as they bolted away. Despite its heavenly fragrance, I grew to hate multiflora rose with a passion. We mowed the roses with our “brush hog” and when they tried to regrow, the sheep grazed them down again, and again. After a couple years, the multiflora rose disappeared, but unfortunately, under those massive bushes was bare ground which quickly filled in with poison ivy. After a few more seasons of grazing, that too has pretty much disappeared and has been replaced by a wonderfully tasty assortment of grasses (according to the sheep). This spring, much to our great pleasure, we are beginning to see various clovers starting to grow. I have come to truly love clover if for no other reason than it is a very reliable and abundant…
People in this episode
Host: Bobbie Emery
Topics covered
- sheep grazing
- pasture management
- clover benefits
- honeybee nectar sources
- nature restoration
Keywords
- sheep
- grazing
- clover
- honeybees
- pasture
- nature
- multiflora rose
- poison ivy
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: honeybees
Products: multiflora rose, poison ivy, clover, White Clover
Places: Hill-Stead
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