Farming historical ground

2,142 Views | 8 Replies | Last: 2 yr ago by Rabid Cougar
CanyonAg77
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AG
In Progressive Farmer magazine, I found this article about a US record 616 bushel/acre corn yield. For reference, average US yields are about 200 bu/a, and 616 is nearly 35,000 pounds per acre. One and 3/4 acres worth would fill a semi truck. an acre would gross about $3,600 dollars. Another way to look at it, is that one acre (about 1 football field) could supply the yearly needs of 1,000 people.

But the reason I bring it here, is that he farms some of the oldest farm land in the US. The record field is near Charles City, Virginia, about 10 miles from Jamestown. It has been in continuous cultivation since 1609. (412 years) Obviously, they aren't wearing out the ground.

The other reason is that he has this and other farms all the way to Richmond. The farms have been crossed by armies in both the Revolution and Civil War. The farmer says that he used to allow relic hunters. But the ones who trespass without asking, added to the ones who had permission, but didn't even refill their holes, has soured him on the amateur archeologists. So what did he do about it?

When he loaded up his lime spreader, he took a bucket of scrap nuts and bolts and mixed it in. So now, the relic hunters get hundreds of false readings, making it not worth their time.

I get it...but I don't. He says he doesn't care that much about the history. I guess he's right.

https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/magazine/your-farm/article/2021/11/01/hula-harvest

https://www.wtvr.com/waynes-world/for-virginia-farmer-breaking-records-is-in-his-familys-dna
BQ78
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AG
I can't blame him if the amateur archeologists are leaving their holes.
Rabid Cougar
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Very familiar with this county from my college days when working at Petersburg NBP.
It has some of the best bottom land farm land that you will ever see. Also very heavily forested with several National Wildlife Refuges there. Both sides of the James River are that way in this area.

This county is right across the James from City Point of Petersburg Campaign fame. It is also where the Berkley Plantation and Harrison's Landing is located from the 1862 Peninsula Campaign.

I can see why he has the problems with the artifact hunters. Depending up on where his land is located it would be lousy with ACW era camps.

Malvern Hill and Bermuda Hundred aren't but a few miles west of there in Henrico County.

Sowing metal is not a bad idea. Game cameras are cheap too. Use them on our archeological sites on the federal public lands that I manage.

HollywoodBQ
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Thanks for sharing that.
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pmart
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This is the opposite of what you are looking for, but over the summer I went by the fort velasco location, which is not much more than a wooden fence in a circle and they had signs telling you not to relic hunt.

When telling someone about my visit, they recounted a story they were told by someone who said they found very rare old gold coins at the fort. I did a few internet searches, but never found a news story about it or anything similar at other Texas forts. So it is either made up or I just missed the story or they are good at keeping it quiet.
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TheSheik
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https://fortchadbourne.org/index.html

Garland Richards at Fort Chadbourne decided to do his own restoration and preservation of the Fort on his ranch between Abilene and San Angelo. He did not like the rules and limitations the Historical Commission said it would take to have their help to raise the money. So he did it himself. Besides restoring several of the buildings and putting a visitors center together he's got a lot done in the last 20 years. Well worth the stop if you are ever in the area.
https://fortchadbourne.org/enlisted-mens-barracks.html

He mapped the area around the fort and gridded off into squares and started collecting artifacts. He has huge vault with buckets and boxes full of years of fort and ranch detritus of spoons, buttons and bullets. Boxes of cannon ball pieces from the all along the shooting range. Great museum with a fantastic collection of guns and stuff. Garlands ancestor was a lowly confederate militiaman when they enticed the union guys out in 1861.
https://fortchadbourne.org/archeology.html

Garland always said he thought everybody had a fort in their backyard.


Rabid Cougar
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TheSheik said:

https://fortchadbourne.org/index.html

Garland Richards at Fort Chadbourne decided to do his own restoration and preservation of the Fort on his ranch between Abilene and San Angelo. He did not like the rules and limitations the Historical Commission said it would take to have their help to raise the money. So he did it himself. Besides restoring several of the buildings and putting a visitors center together he's got a lot done in the last 20 years. Well worth the stop if you are ever in the area.
https://fortchadbourne.org/enlisted-mens-barracks.html

He mapped the area around the fort and gridded off into squares and started collecting artifacts. He has huge vault with buckets and boxes full of years of fort and ranch detritus of spoons, buttons and bullets. Boxes of cannon ball pieces from the all along the shooting range. Great museum with a fantastic collection of guns and stuff. Garlands ancestor was a lowly confederate militiaman when they enticed the union guys out in 1861.
https://fortchadbourne.org/archeology.html

Garland always said he thought everybody had a fort in their backyard.





Well he is right! I have Bryant's Station in mine in Milam County.
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