The grazing season for Polish Koniks is coming to an end. It is mid-November, and although there is no snow in Podlasie, there is less and less grass on the pastures. We have to think about transporting the last horses to the area around the PTOP station in Kalitnik – Michałowo commune, Białystok poviat.
Meanwhile, our fences need a major overhaul.
The old fences you see in the pictures were made of impregnated pine wood. Unfortunately they lasted 5-7 years, now we have to replace them with new ones.
We can experience how much effort farmers once put into farming in this area. In general, tillage and cattle work involved a huge number of chores – repairing and building fences, daily care of the animals, punching, cultivating crops, haymaking, harvesting. All year round, there was something to be done, and it had to be planned months ahead, and the plans had to be adjusted according to current weather conditions.
We will be replacing old wooden fences with new ones made of plastic. This material has several indisputable advantages: the manufacturer provides a 15-year warranty on the durability of plastic components, they are also difficult to set on fire and these materials are made from 100% recycled plastic.
A wooden fence with black-tailed godwits sitting on it probably looks nicer in pictures, but in this case practical considerations win over aesthetic ones.
Wooden fences are disappearing from our pastures around Kalitnik, soon we will be installing new ones made of plastic. We plan to carry out these works with our own resources and in cooperation with PTOP staff and volunteers.
We are contacted by more and more people willing to cooperate. Thank you, we will contact you soon! We are already planning a weekend full of teambuilding activities at our station.
Wesja Polska