Straw Bale Gardening

[IsaanAussie]

Yesterday a guy turned up and apologises, he had baled one of our rice paddies by mistake. He asked if I wanted him to finish the off the other two plots, or would I pay him for the bales he had already made. Just to gauge his reaction, I said no, but after he had respread the straw he could take the string back if he wanted. Well you should have seen his face drop. I thought, I'm enjoying this, lets look angry and drag it out for a minute or two. Yeah I know sadistic but it isn't often I get the upper hand. Call it ATM revenge!

Anyway I now have 300 "small" square bales (1.3m long) and have decided since they won't all fit in the pig sty loft, I will try growing some veggies in the rest as a straw bale garden. 

Has anyone else tried this here? 

[khwaibah]

Last years lot taken out to a certain project. The green patch is a rice nursery for the winter crop.

 

 

Wife uncle and his kit.

 

 

This years crop coming in. My boss is now up to over 550 new bales.

 

 

Latest addition a new Black Angus Bull.

 

 

Those bales are used about the project as ground cover, making of compost and yes some is used for feed of the heard. The wife has successful grown potatoes, mushroom and strawberries in the bales. 

[IsaanAussie]

Mushrooms are the easiest. Just leave a few bales out in the early wet season. All you have to do is get there first to harvest them!

Did you wife condition the bales before she planted the strawberries and potatoes? Timing? Now?

[khwaibah]

2 minutes ago, IsaanAussie said:

Mushrooms are the easiest. Just leave a few bales out in the early wet season. All you have to do is get there first to harvest them!

Did you wife condition the bales before she planted the strawberries and potatoes? Timing? Now?

Note a clue..????????

[IsaanAussie]

Just now, khwaibah said:

Note a clue..????????

Ha Ha, there is an answer I am quite familiar with around here. But we got there quicker than usual. Congrats on the new calf. 

[khwaibah]

17 minutes ago, IsaanAussie said:

Ha Ha, there is an answer I am quite familiar with around here. But we got there quicker than usual. Congrats on the new calf. 

My wife has her contacts that are mostly spot on so I just stand back and support her. Her latest brain storm is a cassava factory about 15km from us down by the crossing. She brought back 500kg of cassava skins as cattle feed. This is non cyanide. 100 baht per 500 kg.

Some happy cows tonight as you could smell the fermentation a km away. She is trying to get a 10 wheeler.

 

[kickstart]

1 hour ago, khwaibah said:

My wife has her contacts that are mostly spot on so I just stand back and support her. Her latest brain storm is a cassava factory about 15km from us down by the crossing. She brought back 500kg of cassava skins as cattle feed. This is non cyanide. 100 baht per 500 kg.

Some happy cows tonight as you could smell the fermentation a km away. She is trying to get a 10 wheeler.

 

Looking at that calf's mother she is on the thin side ,to put it mildly ,you will have to feed her up ,or that calf will be short of milk .

And using  cassava skins will not help with a protein of about 1.5%   a DM dry matter  of about 20%, that is  20% feed and 80% water ,not a good feed  that is why it is so cheap, and  cattle will not put on any weight for certain .

We have had dairy farmers feed it ,does nothing to milk yield .most have stopped feeding it .

 

[farmerjo]

Mrs KB would have done her homework.

The feed bought in would be more a concern for the organic status of the rice and meat.  

You would not risk a cheap product otherwise.