Tire Clean Up on the Farm
When we bought the farm a few years ago, not only did we get some cool old barns with rusty treasures, but we also ended up with lots of dump piles filled with broken bottles, plastic jugs, and tires.
Lots of tires.
So this weekend, with clear skies and mild temperatures, we decided it was time to go pull some tires out of the old dump piles.
Twenty-one tires later, we were well on the way to a full tire clean-up on the farm.
We’re not done yet, but we sure made a good start on the mess.
One of the problems with cleaning up old tires is figuring out what to do with them.
Most counties have a tire collection day once a year, so for now, we just pulled some of the big ones out with the Polaris and threw some of the others in the back and made a pile. Now we have a massive pile of rubber tires just waiting for collection day.
I know some people use old rubber tires as planters or garden décor. There are some cool ideas out there, but I’m just not really keen on using rubber and chemicals to grow food.
If we each do something small to clean up our woods, then we’re making a small difference with a big impact.
Quick Tips for Cleaning Up Old Tires
- Wear work gloves as you pull the tires. They’re dirty, heavy, and often hide sharp edges.
- Watch for snakes and critters. Even though it’s still cool weather and they’re mostly inactive, it’s always better to be cautious.
- Some tire collection days will not accept tires that are filled with mud or water. Check the requirements for your county before you haul them off to the collection site.
- Check for collection limits. Some counties will only receive a certain number of tires per household.
Have you ever participated in an official clean-up day? If not, consider volunteering for one this year, or do like we did, and just go out in the woods and see what trash and dump you can clean out on your own. It sure feels good to get the woods cleaned up!
