Sounds like you have a good situation lined up. Shoot does like crazy. Legumes should still be green and tender yet by the time the farmer harvest his crop if done at the typical harvest time of Oct. or early Nov. A corn plot should be a real magnet late in the year if you get up. I would have plots in the apple orchard and the pasture. Here' s an ideal for that old unused hay field: Mowed it this fall and keep the grass down low. Topseed clover heavily late winter, and keep it mowed in the spring until the clover has a chance to compete with the grass. Fertilze for clover as well in the spring once you know you have a decent stand.

On fences: Trees are not the ideal place to put up barb wire fence. The reasoning behind this is two fold. One is that they will damage the tree. Two is that eventual the tree will grow around the wire and cause the wire to rust and break. Saying this, I do and will use trees on my farm in the right situation. Generally as corner post or anchoring divise inbetween long streches of wire. I realized the disadvantage and settle for the advantages that are trees are easier, quicker and cheaper then setting large metal or wood brace posts. Some people insulate the trees by placing a piece of tin or metal between the wire and the tree. Never wrap a tree completely in barb wire because this results in the eventual death of the tree.

On cost associated with fences, numerous extension office has determine that electric fences are cheaper in the long run. However, they are a real pain in the back end when you consider the upkeep time. It' s a real pain to replace the electric shocker when it gets zap by lightning. In the mean time, if cattle finds that its not working, they will walk right through an electric fence. You did not include a battery or post on your cost analysis of electric fences.

I have 3 or 4 wire barb wire on all of my food plots. There is less maintenace with barb wire. Some hints if you choose barb wire, go with 4 wires so the calves can not craw through and place the first three wires relatively close together for the same reason. Be sure to have good corner post (or trees) and stretch the wire very tight. In my area, you can buy high tensil barb wire on sale for about $22 a row. Gaugo (sp) and Red Brand are some name brands in my area. They are generally easier to work with and will actually last as long if not longer then the heavire gauge wire that you priced. Six foot steel post run about $2 on sale. Place a post about every 4 steps (10 to 14 feet). You can buy a hand driver (a heavy weighted closed pipe like devise) for about $20. You will need something to strech the wire with as well. Likely, the farmer will have the equipment to build a barb wire fence, you will just need to buy the wire and hte post. He will probably know the best places to buy the supplis as well and when they will be on sale (generally in the fall and the spring).

On electric fences, use at least two wire fence with each one hot. A three wire scheme works well too and middle wire will be the only one that will need to be hot. If you a battery shocker, use a marine battery to power it. Put some type of lightning protection devise on it. Be sure to use the adequate number of ground rods to ground the fence.

I hope I am not insulting your intellegence by anything I am writing. I am writing this as if you are a complet green horn.

Good luck

gred