While rotational grazing can certainly become a very grand and complex system, it really is a very simple and ideal land management tool.  Defined by its most basic terms, Rotational Grazing is nothing more than breaking down large plats of land into smaller units and moving animals from one unit into another.  This method of moving animals is essentially a dual system:  The animals get new, vibrant, healthy and more vigorous vegetation as they move forward while the land that they leave behind gets the opportunity to rest.  Not a terribly difficult idea at all.

Firth of Fifth Acres began as an idea about what an abused, abandoned and abrupt landmass had become and what it might be able to sustain.  Our first visit to this land was a surprise that our neighbors continue to echo:  The obvious land at the road was a study in erosion, ivy, shrub and thorny bush.  Hidden beyond was a marvelously full pasture.  Our work was to remove everything that could never support the needs of the land in the abused portions and combine the whole of it,  reforming the farm in its entirety until it had what it needed to thrive.

As the 2006 season prepares to green we have completed 9 Primary paddocks of 5-strand electric wire fencing for our ewes and lambs. Beyond the Primary we have an additional 20 sub-divisions that allow for grass and sheep improvement.  Moving to a new paddock as often as every two days, our reproductive stock works with us as we redefine our land.   

Our stock is accustomed to coming up through a lane to a topland resting paddock for water and minerals throughout the day, into a holding paddock at night for coyote protection and moving into a new paddock every couple of days.  Our Shetland lambs challenge this system and, without fail, every spring includes a number of weeks during which we recapture an escaped bugger or three each day and get him (ususally) or her (less typically) back in with their group.  While a bit more work that we might like, it is part of working with our flock and land and thus something we accept.  It is rare to see a lamb try this escape more than once (the Shetland ram lambs especially are desperate for mama and don't try this more than once) so we have come to a peace about it:  We capture from paddocks in which they do not belong and relocate to paddocks they do in fact belong about 60 lambs each spring and then this dance ends.  We believe it is a small price for the improvements in health of our land and stock.