Grazing

So just out of curiosity, can anyone remember a time when cheatgrass did not dominate the Western landscape?

Planting cover crops as a rotational crop to improve soil health has gained a great deal of momentum across the country. Farmers in the upper Midwest have been the leaders in adopting this practice.

Persistence is the key to a successful long-term pasture weed control program. Land managers are constantly seeking a magic bullet weed control strategy that will allow them to check weed control off the to-do list and never think about it again.

Cover crops are an old concept made popular again by recent state and federal funding, concerns for soil and water quality, and a continued interest in preserving cropland for future generations.

In the Nebraska Sandhills, Dave and Loretta Hamilton run cattle on 18,000 acres, which is covered in sand bluestem, indiangrass, switchgrass, prairie sand reed, sand lovegrass and little bluestem – all native grasses.

As the U.S. farm economy slows, much attention has focused on farmland values. The questions of “if” and “how much” farmland values might soften are on everyone’s mind. Earlier this year, the USDA released its annual report on farmland values.