A Fence Project at My Farm

March 5, 2020

A big fence project continues at my Bedford, New York farm.

So many of you have commented on how much you love the 100-year-old white spruce fencing that surrounds my pastures. I purchased all the antique railings from Canada, and when the fences were built here in New York, we used new cedar uprights to support them - they've held up so well over the years. Last autumn, I decided to move the fencing along the outer sides of my long Boxwood Allee 10-feet to give the boxwood more room to grow. It is a tedious process - most of it has to be done by hand so as not to disturb the plantings or damage the antique wood. I enlisted the help of Carlos Trigueros and his crew from Trigueros Family Farm Inc. in nearby Brewster to do the job.

Here are some photos.

: My long Boxwood Allee extends from the east paddocks and the woodland carriage road to the stone stable. It has developed beautifully over the years, growing larger every season.

: The antique pasture railings were constructed into a split rail fence around all my large horse paddocks. When putting up a wood fence, keep in mind the natural life of the wood being used. Many fences are made of cedar, spruce, and pine.

: In this photo from last year, one can see how tight it had gotten between the boxwood and the fence. The shrubs definitely need more room.

: Carlos Trigueros and his crew dug most of the holes by hand using post hole diggers. Fortunately, the winter has been rather mild here in the Northeast.

: Some of the uprights were so worn, they broke during the removal process.

: Many of them had deteriorated over time – these posts were definitely in need of replacing.

: Here, one can see how deep the cedar posts were in the ground – digging them out took time.

: The removal process for one side was done last fall before we put up the burlap covers for the winter.

: Each horizontal piece of antique fencing was carefully lifted and piled nearby. These pieces are still in excellent condition. And then all the nails are manually pulled. Because these fences surround my horse paddocks, it is very important to ensure all the nails are collected from the posts and the surrounding area.

: Stakes and twine were put up to measure exactly where the new upright posts would be positioned.

: Here is the inside of one hole being dug by hand with the post hole digger.

: Each hole is three feet deep. The new posts will be very secure here – and no cement is needed.

: This week, Chhiring cut the uprights to size. Always be sure to wear protective eye gear whenever working with wood cutting tools – the dust flies everywhere.

: All the uprights are placed neatly in a pile on one end of the Boxwood Allee.

: Using our trusted Kubota model M7060HD12 tractor, Chhiring hauls all the cut pieces to the woodpile where they will be saved for another project or chipped for top dressing in the woods.

: Some of the holes are started using an auger connected to a tractor. An auger is a tool with a giant helical screw blade for boring holes for posts or trees.

: Using the auger saves a lot of time, but because the machinery is so heavy and bulky, consideration must be given to the condition of the soil and the available room.