Row-Crop Farmers
- Evaluate your land base and develop a potential rotation.
- Test the economics using the NFREC business model with and without owning livestock and fencing.
- Put marginal dryland areas into sod first.
- Explore market opportunities for hay or seed production.
- Begin fencing some fields and explore contract grazing with neighbors.
- Start slowly and gain experience with livestock management.
- If you will graze livestock, evaluate the potential for soil compaction and use strip tillage for row crops to offset the impact.
Row-Crop and Livestock Farmers Working Together
- Evaluate the land base and develop a potential rotation.
- Test the economics using the NFREC business model with and without installing additional fencing.
- Put marginal, dryland row-crop areas into perennial sod first.
- Explore market opportunities for increasing herd size with the added grazing.
- Don’t be afraid to terminate perennial grass and put in row crops.
- Manage compaction using strip tillage.
Download the tables from Chapter 8.
