Our pasture has never really been ‘tended’. When we bought the place it had only ever been mowed and, since we impatiently went right to throwing animals onto it, well – it really needs some work. Over the winter I formulated a strategy to manage grazing as we moved forward, pushing myself to be a better partner with the land.

My plan was to seed the front in Rye and clover early enough to get good growth and grazing this spring, then partition off the back to seed and begin rotational grazing.

The problem? I didn’t have a tractor to get the job done.

Rejecting the Consumer Mindset

We live in a world that teaches us to throw money at problems. Swipe now – pay later. Just go get what you need from the store! Do what you want and don’t let anything stand in your way.

That kind of quick-fix thinking makes us miss out on opportunities to cultivate resourcefulness and embrace a more mindful approach to consumption.

Don’t get me wrong… I’ll get myself a tractor and the implements I need at some point! In fact, I’m excited at the prospect and dream of how quickly I’ll be able to tackle projects when I have a good ol’ John Deer (or whatever) to putter around on. 🤠 But in this instance, that would’ve meant shelling out money I didn’t have. I needed to make do with what I had.

In all honesty, that isn’t something that cramps my style… I enjoy finding creative ways to get the job done even when money is plentiful. Since fighting society’s attempts to condition me to be an over-consumer is practically a core value at this point, I get a literal thrill from solving a problem with what I have on hand.

I’ve never been one to run towards the easiest fix, and, in this instance, that resulted in a cheap pasture tiller that worked like a charm.

How It Worked

This Make-Do Tiller was towed behind our riding mower, saving me from any kind of hand-raking. It’s purpose was to expose enough soil to ensure good contact with the seed I intended to spread and level out spots the pigs had tilled up already. The results were mixed depending on how tough the ground was.

**Sandy Loam** - Wherever the ground was sandy, this till worked like a charm. I even have rows of seedlings showing how effective it was in this kind of set-up.
**Sandy/Clay** - Sections that had mixed soil required more passes to achieve the amount of breaking up I wanted to achieve. Varying my directions proved key to acheiving the desired reesults.
**Clay w/Vegetation** - There really wasn’t enough weight to disturb areas that had Bermuda rooted, which was okay by me! These areas also proved rough on the tiller, which I trouble shoot with some ideas here in a bit.

What You Need

The only thing I had to purchase for this Make-Do Project was the spikes. If you don’t have a pallet, you could use scrap wood to create a similar frame. The heavier-duty the better, both for a pallet or other wood!

Heavy-duty pallet or scrap wood equivalent
6” spikes — I used 8” and I’ll size down next time.
Power drill
Hammer
Rope — A tie-down strap works well.
Riding mower
Concrete blocks — I mention an alternative in the ‘Possible Upgrades’ segment.

Build It

Putting it together was super simple, once I realized that I needed to drill holes for the nails instead of just trying to muscle them through the boards. Trust me, it’s worth grabbing the extra tool. Make sure you use a drill bit that’s a little smaller than the diameter of the spikes.

Step 1 - Drill pilot holes

Step 2 - Drive spikes through holes to desired depth

Step 3 - Attach tow rope to pull from each side

Step 4 - Weigh down with concrete block

Possible Upgrades

There were two things that could be improved to make it a more effective and longer-lasting two.

First, the weight issue. Without the concrete blocks this till just scraped across the top of the ground and made practically no difference. And, while the blocks helped, I could’ve added another couple. Which got me thinking about a way to solve this issue AND the other one…

While the till held up pretty well for what it was, going over 5 acres several times started to take its toll. The spikes began to tilt, which lessened their impact. It also led to cracks in the boards.

The thought crossed my mind that boarding up the gaps in the pallet and pouring a layer of concrete over the spikes might solve both issues. It would certainly be heavier, and it would also make it difficult for the nails to work their way up when the going got tough. That upgrade would come at a cost though, since it would be incredibly heavy and difficult to move.

Making Do for Now

The whole idea is to remember that progress is way more attainable than perfection. Last spring I showed you my Make-Do Greenhouse on Instagram. It’s not about having the Insta-worthy farm… It’s about showing up, getting creative, and refusing to believe the solution to your challenges is always in your wallet.

Yes, I’ll be watching used sales for an affordable tractor and implements. But for now I’ll use my Make-Do Pallet Till and just pile on more weight as needed.

Making Do with Petrichor Farm - Low-Cost Pasture Tiller