I've had a notion that's been on my mind for sometime. I guess with the weather slowing down spring work today I'll post it here. The area of Kentucky in which I live has what is called rolling type land. I have areas on my farm that are fairly level, but I also have some steep hillsides. These hillsides are in pasture but have been allowed to grow up a bit. I've been working as time permits to cut the brush, mainly consisting of cedars and honey locusts. I've been stacking the brush in gullies that the former owners allowed to form, and with some pretty impressive success. I had a few gullies when I bought the farm that were over my head which are now filled and growing grass. I mainly laid in the brush, tromped it down, then fed hay on it and this has really worked well. In years past the hills were bush hogged, though I think the tractors did more harm than good. The hills are breaking a way in places and rutted pretty bad from the bushhogging. My notion is to get the brush off, then try mowing the hills with a number nine set up with a 4 foot bar and my mules. We'll see how this goes. The thing that comes to mind is, I know they farm steeper ground in the Alps. I've read a little about hay making on these hillsides and I know it can be done. What I've seen though, when I looked into finding more info, is that there is no info to be found or it's in German, Swiss, Italian or French. Apparently they think no one in the English speaking countries care how to farm a hillside. Has anyone ever seen anything beyond a few videos of scything and a few short articles on hand made hay or walking tractors? My goals have been improving the farm, and I think in general I'm doing well. I think it's time to give a more serious look to the hillsides and beyond treating them like flat ground on it's edge, I figure there might be more helpful info out there. I plan to soil test, and I know it will need lime. I figure I can spread it on the top a little heavy and a little lighter as I go down and count on it work it's way down the slope. I don't have manure enough to spare on steep ground but I might figure a way of coming up with some organic matter to lay on the steep ground. I'm already putting my tobacco stalks there. We rotate the pastures on them, but this doesn't help with the brush, it'll have to be mowed. I know there has to be more that can be done than just letting it go back to timber that won't result in erosion.