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Shelby, MT | strips....when mt and western states were homesteaded the farmers farmed everthing every year or farmed in blocks and alternated....the continuous croping didn't work since we only get between 8-12 inches on moisture from jan thru Dec.....so ground was left fallow but since everthing was disc or mulboarded that left big field open to the wind and erosion.....so, somebody will know a better date(Ed Boysun) in the late 60-early 70's most ground went into strips thus leaving half the ground fallow to get two years moisture built up and the other for crop and then at the same time reducing the wind erosion by having buffer stips....in our area 20 rod strip are still common....and the North south is for the reason of us being lucky and living on the east side of the rockies and the wind pretty much blows from the west or southwest, saying goes if the wind isn't blowing from the west it is sucking from the east...and in Jan...things can get real dry and the dirt use to realy start moving....now with chem fallow/notill, people have and are getting rid of the strips and back into blocks...we have just been afraid alittle but are slowly moving to blocks or 40 rod strips...on real dry years the ground can blow with chem fallow... | |
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Largest Field (Acres)
