Ryan Bruce

Dave Lodge wrote:Silver maple is also an interest to bees as it flowers earlier than most other plants. See a lot of bees on the trees.

^THIS I love this… The ranch is lacking in the bee department.

I have 4 massive ones in my yard. Smallest one is 3.5 feet in diameter. I have some areas on the ranch that pool water and one area where the water is close enough to the surface to fill a post hole. We are lucky enough to have 2 artesian wells on the ranch. Will I have to plant near these wet areas? I want to get as much good out of these trees as I can and I definitely want to give these seedlings a chance at life.

Hi everyone, I did an introduction a while back and touched on my plan to start semi foresting the family ranch.
Funds are tight so when the silver maples here in front of my house in billings dropped their seeds I planted about 60 of them and now I have almost 50 seedlings!
My question is how are these at land rehab? I thought that they would be amazing at adding organic matter because the trees in my yard put out an amazing (horrible being my yard but amazing if in an open field) amount if material between leaves, buds, and seeds.
I read that they are shallow rooted, is this less desirable? Also, how is it best to place the trees for best organic material dispersal? On a hill? Where the wind is higher?
Anything at all that you guys know about silver maple would be great!
Thanks again!

Here is a taste of the basic geography I will be working with. Never mind the blue blob of awesome

Hi everyone,
Firstlymost, I am new to the permaculture game. I have been watching videos and stalking this site for a long time now. I currently live in Billings, MT but I was born and raised in south eastern Montana. I am going through an electricians apprenticeship right now and my goals are to move back to the family ranch in 4 years. When I do go back to the ranch I would like to rehabilitate it and go in a permaculture direction. Right now my parents raise cattle in a very conventional way. (ranchers are very slow to change I find ) Hopefully over the next 4 years I can create a permaculture design and plan that will work well out there.

The ranch is 1600 acres with a leased school section so about 2400 acres. Two draws that I plan on creating dams and swales with. Hardly any timber and only cottonwoods in the draws. Otherwise it is nothing but buffalo grass and sagebrush. I have wild and insane dreams of planting hundreds of trees and diversifying the animal crops.

Obviously this is larger than a backyard garden! I need to have a real plan in place. Possibly help! I have a crazy dream that maybe someday I'll be able to teach others by using the place as an example.
"be the change you want to see in others"
^ this quote sums it up. The area is very slow to change and is extremely conservative. I hope to show people first hand that the way they've always done it isn't always the best way!

Anyway, enough rambling.
I hope to learn as much as possible and make some trips up to missoula when money and time permit!

Thanks
Bruceky