So, in Florida we would just mow the duff out of the pasture at the end of the season. Apparently, those that live on the prairie are pyromaniacs. Here in Kansas, we just purposefully light it all on fire!

The neighbor called last Monday to give me 30 minutes heads-up that the local fire department would be conducting a controlled burn on the CRP abutting the South and East sides of our property. So, I quickly confined the horse and the rams into their stalls (they’re on the east side of the barn) in an effort to keep them from panicking.

The wind was out of the north and sometimes northeast. It was a pretty good day to burn as we had smoke from the California wildfires already anyways. It was only in the 70s. The grass hadn’t been burned in more than two years, was quite thick, and was so tall it was way over my head. It was overdue to be burned.

It was my first time, so I was nervous. It also didn’t help that they told me the last time they burned that CRP, my neighbors, not the fire department, burnt down another neighbor’s trailer. Luckily, this time, they had thought ahead and mowed a fire break around the outside of our property, which was nice.

All in all, it went very well, and the fire department was very organized and methodical and started down wind of us and never lit more than they could handle at any one time. I figure they either know what they’re doing or I got really lucky. Glad it’s over though!

The horse was startled to see the results. She couldn’t figure out what had happened while she had been napping inside her stall lulled by the sound of her nice, loud stall fan. When we walked to the edge of her pasture, I was entertained to see her reaction.