How to Improve Pasture Land: Cover Crops and Regenerative Farming

In this video we discuss How to Improve Pasture Land using Cover Crops and Regenerative Farming practices. Warm season cover crops can help improve pasture land very quickly before planting your permanent pasture. Sorghum sudangrass, buckwheat, cowpeas, and sunflowers are some of the cover crops that we use.
#soilhealth #regenerativefarming #covercrops
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[@jasontcolson]

Watching from North Florida. Not a farmer, but grew up on a dairy farm, and around chicken, tobacco, watermelon, and pig farms. I watch because I love farming, especially guys like you, Joel Salatin, Russ Wilson, and Paul Gautschi.

[@DowdleFamilyFarms]

Thank you for watching. I appreciate it.

[@lifeandliberty0172]

Good one. I'm only about a year behind you doing all the same things.

[@DowdleFamilyFarms]

That’s great. It can make a huge difference.

[@pcdreams1]

We're in Missouri and our fields are rundown fescue (actually lots of sedge now) They've been run for at least 30 years just pulling hay and maybe a cow or two, certainly not enough to return what's been taken. I'm wanting to get started in covers but It seems I'm wanting to do things a little differently than most (because i have more time than $$ (and some would say sense). I'd like to eventually get rid of the fescue and only be feeding covers. I know I won't be able to afford to do it all at once, but maybe 2-3 acres at a time over 3-4 years. I want to start with sheep until I get a good pasture going then ad a cow or two. I hear good things about sudex but I'm a bit hesitant because I don't have heavy equipment to manage it (As well as the prussic acid danger).

[@DowdleFamilyFarms]

You don't need equipment to manage sorghum sudan grass, primarily livestock!

[@pcdreams1]

@@DowdleFamilyFarmsI guess I was more worried If I get behind and it gets too tall/ unplatable, would it be too tough /stemmy to bushog

[@DowdleFamilyFarms]

No it should be good.

[@TimBinns68]

We have area that always pool water, have you seen improvements in drying areas that pool by adding those deep root annuals?

[@DowdleFamilyFarms]

We have not grown a lot of annuals where water tends to collect much. But I don’t think it will be much of an issue. January through March are when we get a lot of rain. The deep rooted annuals are usually our warm season mix which we plant in late April or early May. As long as it’s dry enough for them to start growing it’s should be fine. I expect the water to penetrate the ground faster in those wet areas though, because water does penetrate our other soils more effectively as they build organic matter.

[@jerrybates5766]

I'm in central Indiana and I am moving to that direction replacing the sudan with milo for the prussic acid isssues. We have about 30 head and rotate and unroll bales all winter for a huge improvements. I am interested in the plan'o'vator to put in the over seed but the cost is keeping me from it so far. I am thinking about selling baling equipment and then getting a good planter for year round grazing.

[@DowdleFamilyFarms]

That’s really interesting? What kind of hay are you baling? We purchase our hay. Bahalia grass Hay around here costs about $35 per 4x5 round bale. It is cheaper to purchase the little hay that we use. We have a great environment for year round grazing but still figuring out how to do it. How is the milo working out for you? I’ve never used it before and don’t know much about it’s production and growth.

[@jerrybates5766]

haven't tried milo yet but will this year. I like the multiseed mix due to ever changing weather conditions . I am also going to experiment with some self made micro organism brews for beter soil health. half of ouf fields are recovering from 30 years rented out tillage so grazing has to do the heavy lifting in restoring the right biology.

[@DowdleFamilyFarms]

One of our pastures was a cotton field for decades before we turned it back into pasture. It has taken a lot of time and energy, but it is performing much better now. Let me know how the milo works out for you! What livestock are you grazing? Cows?

[@channagirijagadish1201]

I am trying to recover the land destroyed by builders. They removed the top soil and it looks like a desert. Do you think growing Sorghum-Sudangrass will help? It is less than 1/4 of an acres. I have seeded with Clover but based on your video, maybe, I should try growing Sudangrass. I am in Nova Scotia, Canada. Appreciate your video.

[@DowdleFamilyFarms]

Unfortunately it happens with builders a lot. Sorghum Sudangrass will work well but it grows tall and unruly. I would think in your area you would have a really short window of growth but it might be an option. Do you have mulches or anything like that in your area that you could apply? Like composts?

[@joseluissarinen596]

Hola. Se puede aplicar para agricultura? Sin ganado

[@DowdleFamilyFarms]

Si.

[@mitchellgood3359]

Are you no tilling the cover into a perenial pasture. Or how are you establishing the cover?

[@DowdleFamilyFarms]

We will have some videos showing how We use pigs to tear up the existing sod. Most of it is broomsedge, Vassey’s grass, and dog fennel. It’s unproductive. We do not have a no till drill, though we have rented them in the last. We find it easier to do light discing (1-2” deep) to break up the sod and cover the seed with soil.