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Road side mowing or lack of your opininions???

J

JOCCO

Well-known Member
As of late many towns counties even state have discontinued roadside mowing!!! Used to be a summer/fall ritual and was work for guys with tractors. In the past few years it has gotten real bad. It's a save money feature. Well you guessed it,goes on and gets beyond a sickle/disc mower and they have to cut and chip or use a brontosauras rig and the cost id horrific. Wondering how they handle it in your area??? I don't think much of it. Oh they have all but discontinued spraying vegetation too.
 
The county mows some around here but its not a very good job. Most farmers around here mow around there field but the state has not done anything. I have large patches of thistle on the other side of the fence on the interstate.
 
Most around here have bat wing mowers. With 4 wheel drive they can get most areas. It's safer because of better visibility. Sadly we got neighbors who spent a lot of time mowing road banks put when they have to do the rest of there farm roads they ignore them. I have been turned in for not mowing I only mow if it's starting to get over 4 inches if it's good thick grass I try and leave it but my neighborhood thinks it should be mowed twice a week unfortunately they don't do the same on all there road banks.
 

Back in the late 40s the state highway department would strip down an old dump truck and pull a IHC no. 9 mower behind it to mow the road side. A little later they mounted a cutter bar on the frame of the truck just in front of the read wheels and ran it off the transmission pto. They went from that to farm tractor sickle mowers, then to rotary mowers, not they contract out a lot of the mowing. That's the state for state roads. The county uses tractor mounted rotary mowers.
The county might mow once a year, the state twice. This is in SC.
 
I should add that interstates do get mowed, some private roads and some people take care of it on there property, like town roads.
 

BTW, there is no requirement here for land owners to mow their road frontage and the ditches are too rough for anyone to cut hay off the road side, plus the trashheads litter too much for anyone to want to cut hay. OTH people who have their house close to the road mow over to the pavement. I don't, too much road frontage and the sides of the road are too rough.

KEH
 
Our county mows all the road edges in the county, both gravel and hard surface. This is in NWIA. Tall grass makes snow drifts on the road from the first snow storm. After the first snow the grass has been peeled of by the snow plow anyway.
 
In our county in ND, it was a requirement that a land owner mow the road ditch banks adjacent to their property. If they failed to mow their adjacent ditch banks, the township would contract with some other party to do the mowing and the mowing bill went on the land taxes for that year. If no one mowed, that property still had a mowing charge added to the land taxes.

The county wanted the grass mowed so it did not stop drifting snow and close the road to travel. We always mowed our own property but we turned down doing contract work for the townships because we had too much of our own work to do. The mower that we used was a JD that bolted to the drawbar of the Farmall B, which was a very good mower tractor.

I doubt that requirement is enforced anymore. Too few people and too many big BTO's that resist doing such work.
 
Farmer sent the hired man out to spot mow c r p ground. When he checked there were circles of thistles asked why he was told there flowers apparently he thought he was supposed to leave flowering plants do you laugh or cry
 
Here in MN you are not supposed to mow the road ditches until late June because of "nesting birds". Then the state mows about a 10' strip back from the shoulder and knocks down nastier weeds further back. The mow 2-3 times a summer the last time to help control drifting in the winter. The county takes care of county roads and the townships do theirs. Some counties and townships contract it while others own the equipment. Years ago the state mowed further back and keep it mowed all summer but that's long gone. Same way with snow removal. Years ago when it started snowing the plows were moving. They either stopped when it was over or if it got to really bad blizzard conditions. Now there has to be plowable snow before the trucks move and they are not running enough to keep up with it if it gets heavy. It's all about the money!

Rick
 
It's still a requirement here in ND. Most everything gets mowed twice a year. The state does state and federal highways.
 
Still wondering why mowing is done rather than pasture or haying. If the owner is responsible, does it matter what he uses to keep the green in check?
 
In my area of Indiana the county mows the main county roads once a year and others if they have time to do them. The state goes through in spring and sprays the right away with something that slows the growth of grass. They also mow twice a year but don't cut all the way to fence line.
 
We still mow our city continuously, the problem is there's been so much rain and humidity we can't keep up. We have a 14' batwing, a 6' boom mower and a 72" zero turn running daily. We also spray about 500 gallons of herbicide a year for the curbs, sidewalks, guardrail and sign post. But the state of Illinois only mow maybe once of year so we also mow theirs inside the city so we don't get complaints.
 
(quoted from post at 05:22:33 07/30/16) Our county mows all the road edges in the county, both gravel and hard surface. This is in NWIA. Tall grass makes snow drifts on the road from the first snow storm. After the first snow the grass has been peeled of by the snow plow anyway.
Click to expand...

Same thing down here in southwest Iowa.
 
In my part of Minnesota us farmers mow the road ditches for hay to bale. Very few are ever left to grow. About every 15-20 years so,done comes along and tries to steal my hay. Always a big argument. Silly.

Anyhow, the govenor wants to help his rich hunting buddies, and the Twin Cities representatives don't have a clue, so they are working to keep the road ditched uncut, because it's such prime nesting habitat. (Really? Just really? What morons....) so anyhow sometime soon I'm sure they will require the road sides grow up ugly and tangled and trees will take over. Then those City folk will require we raise our taxes to spray out the weeds and trees. When for now it's all done free by the folks making hay off the ditches. It's actually written into a lot of deeds, the road right of way easement given in exchange for making hay along the road.....

As OldTanker says, snow removal in rural Minnesota has become a joke, they wait until 4 inches of snow and then start in, with the drifting out here on the prairies they can't catch up with 100 miles of road anymore if they start that late, and so then just close the roads until the winds stop and take another 4 hours to clear the roads from the big drifts, spend more time and bigger equipment to get the job done. City folk set the rules, don't make any sense out in the country. My county still does a good job with snow plowing, the state highways are awful. Leaving the grass and brush grow in the road ditches makes the snow drifts worse on the roads.

Was in the Twin Cities paper once, they have lots of research on high tech, and man hours, to keep the Twin Cities roads cleared at all times, haven't had a snow closure there in over a decade, early plowing, in road salt spraying on bridges, yadda yadda, they have nearly as many plows in the metro area as they have in the whole rest of the state.

No one cares just dumb rural folk. They put up solar powered signs on all the rural roads, if it snows just put the flashing lights on and close the roads and might get around to plowing the deep drifts out by the next noon.

Paul
 
State of Texas maintains their ROW's pretty well, usually twice a year.

My county is another matter and my precinct is even another, may get their boom mower to my neighborhood every two to three years to beat the brush and weeds back on roadsides. Every time I've called in the past 10 yrs. I've gotten the excuse that it's in the shop... always seems to show up a couple of months before election time.

I live close to the border of my electric co-op and the for profit company. My co-op does a great job of keeping the brush/limbs cut back and ROW's mowed yearly. The for profit only does this work when they have too so it's with the Godzilla tractor or skid steer with a mulcher on it.
 
It's the law here that the landowner mows the ditch. The state mows along the state highway, or actually it is contracted out. The county mows along the county blacktop road and all County gravel roads. Owners are supposed to mow Township roads. I'm not sure how much this actually happens or how relevant it is in some cases. Some guys just farm to the edge of the gravel to save mowing I guess lol. Kind of interesting, the places that are not as far Mableton they want it mowed regularly since there is other habitat and if it is all farmland they want a little something left for the critters.
 
Its the law in Iowa landowner mows -- around here-primarly for safety, too dam many deer. If you mow 9'on each side of the road, at least you have a chance at missing the **/* things. Its 1.5 miles from house to highway I usually see to it that stretch is mowed 2 or 3 times a year. I always mow a 1.5 mile stretch of road the other way too.
 
Here in my county (central MI), the state highways get mowed twice a year, with the grass parts of the median fully mowed (some parts are woods). The outer part of the highway is usually mowed 2 passes wide, 24' the first time it is mowed, usually in late May or early June. The Second time it is mowed, usually mid to late August, it is mowed as close to the right of way fence as they can get, where there isn't woods. But, the state specifies when and how much to mow, based on their budget. It always gets at least 2 passes inside and outside, but some years nothing more than that. Paved county roads are mowed twice a year, 1 pass early in summmer, and 2 passes in late summer, at which time all of the gravel roads receive 1 pass as well. I have found that if you mow it tight to the ground on flat land, and do a nice job, usually whoever has a house right there will mow a little bit more every year, keeping things cleaner year round. It also makes it nicer in the winter when we cut trees, that you aren't wading around in waist deep grass in and out of the ditch.
 
County and the state have cut back on mowing around her last couple of years. I do mow the ditches around here to keep the visibility up at intersections but I can't get in as deep as the county does. The interstates usually are mowed by now around here but that has been hit or miss from what I see.
 
Here in Mableton, Ga. I can't get Cobb county to cut back the over growth on the county roads so you don't have to cross the center line to keep for knocking your truck mirrors about.
Years back it was the county prisoners who did this, now not even trash pick up along the ditch bank any more.
My rant over. Thanks, Jack.
 
Here in Southern Calif. The state mows all the freeway areas. My town uses jail inmates, to clean the road sides. No power anything just hand held hoes. No hard core criminals, or chain gangs, just men and women with minor offences. Stan
 
Here the city, county, and state share cutting duties depending on who claims the road. Most have up to date equipment. Shelby County and Alabama have large tractors in our area with flail mowers. One behind the tractor and one on each side with hydraulics to pick it up and angle it. they can cut some amazing places. City just uses a bush hog or zero turn mower.
 
Some guys posted that it is the law in Iowa. First I have ever heard of that. If it is the law isn't enforced, AT ALL.

I am in NW Iowa. On the gravel roads if you want the ditchs mowed in the summer you do it yourself, sometimes neighbors will do it as a friendly gesture or if there is land they would like to rent etc.

County mows the paved roads once in the summer and then mow everything (gravel also) in the fall to help with snow.

jt
 
I am in Iowa.

The county mows back about 8', the rest is unmoved, never heard about mowing the rest, and most ditches are infested with wild radish.
 
Where is there less government, taxes? In MO? Certainly not, only less services. We have more government and taxes than ever or at least I do.
 
That's a perfect job for the little 950 Deere. A 6' bush hog, once a month or couple of months, all the way around the fields leaving a 6' offset back off the roads. Leaves a couple few feet of grass or weeds to grow up nice and tall along the fence lines to help prevent soil erosion. I guess I probably do it maybe four or so times a year I think. Keeps things neat and helps keep the dirt out in the fields where it belongs. County guys don't need to come out by me unless they just want to take the ride which is just fine with me too.

Mark
 
Paints interesting mental pictures. Thanks much for sharing that historical stuff. I do sincerely appreciate it.

I've got no narrow fronts, but there are a few fellas out by me that do, H's, M's and the sort and they hog around their fields like I do mine, and I tell you some of them fellas got some deep gullies and stuff, and them NF's fronts go right at them pretty stable. In my own mind if the side tilt angle looks like its getting close to 45 degrees, I'm done at that point. I've stayed away from owning my own NF's but I've gotten a new respect for them over the years.

Mark
 
Dick, my step mom owns land in Wells county ND. I saw the mowing requirement printed on her land tax bill but I too don't know if it is enforced. Ditches aren't nearly as deep in North Dakota as they are in Iowa so drifting across the road probably starts with the first moderate snow of the season and continues all winter.
 
Around here guys who want hay get permission of land owner to mow and harvest the road ditch. Some are farmed so close to the road it is impossible to mow them decent. Quite a few pheasants do make their nests in the ditch's so people are encouraged to wait longer to mow. When a farmer has no livestock he usually doesn't even have a mower for that type of mowing.
 
In Ohio the state buys new John deere 100 horse tractors and new batwing mowers and mow three times or more every year.They buy new it seems like every three years.I though that they were leased,but they tell me they have to spend the budget money or they loose it.
 
(quoted from post at 04:36:54 07/30/16) As of late many towns counties even state have discontinued roadside mowing!!! Used to be a summer/fall ritual and was work for guys with tractors. In the past few years it has gotten real bad. It's a save money feature. Well you guessed it,goes on and gets beyond a sickle/disc mower and they have to cut and chip or use a brontosauras rig and the cost id horrific. Wondering how they handle it in your area??? I don't think much of it. Oh they have all but discontinued spraying vegetation too.
Click to expand...

NE, landowner is responsible for mowing any bordering roads twice a year. If roads are not mowed, they add a few hundred $$ per 1/4 mile on taxes. County line gravel goes between a couple miles of mine, I mow with an old 9' sickle, no shoulder flat enough to drive on, too steep. Common practice and courtesy is if you mow yours, and you turn around, you mow back where you left off, mowing whatever is there even if it's not yours. I go about a 1/4 mile further than I have to a couple places so that a couple neighbors don't have to come around (a few miles). One year I was slow, broke down road mowing tractor, ALL of mine was mowed. Township doesn't mow anything that I know of, don't know where the county does either. State mows along the highway. There aren't very many "side-highways", they are low maintenance and not painted with lines, I have not seen who mows them. You are not allowed to use/harvest most of that. Except along highways, they have permits you can buy if you have land bordering, you can hay the highway ditches. There are some "trails", not maintained roads, that people can drive on, those don't have to be mowed, but they can be hayed, usually 1/2 per bordering neighbor. With all the rain this year, lots are overgrown and could use mowing more often (rained last night, couple days last week, probably tonight, etc.)
 

The state still mows the state highways a couple of times a year in NEAR and they keep the weeds and johnsongrass sprayed. The federal highways is now contracted out. I mow along the road in front of my house but I hate doing it. Sitting on a mower and seeing an 80,000# truck pass you doing 60mph and only 4' away is too unnerving for my old heart. I only mow once a month or so.
 
State of Infiana does the highway mowing with the assistance of ptivate contractors. They mow at leat three times per year. The county mowes the rural roads and again, they mow two or three times per year. Not sure about the interstates but I believe private contractors do the mowing.
 
They mow whatever a 9 ft sickle bar can reach every 2-3 years. The ditches trees get mulched with an escavator head every 10-15 years.
 
out here in the dry west the mowing is done by whoever owns the road, state, county or city , short pvt road owners are "encouraged" to mow for a firebreak, the encouragement is, you mow it or the nearest road owner will mow it for you and you will pay for it, at their rate. this doesnt apply to ranchers with many miles of gravel roads and no public access, the ones we know mow as required anyway but its assumed that if you have all that dry land your smart enough and your hands are smart enough not to throw cigarettes and trash out of the vehicle ,, the public is not that smart kids and 'others' throw out everything where they get done with it, as one gets closer to our southern boarder it looks like a rolling landfill for the last 100 miles
 
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