Organic Grain Crops for Human Consumption

INTRODUCTION
For many years mixed farms dominated the rural landscape.  Livestock and crop farming provide a balance for each other, as diverse crop rotations make for healthier land, and forage crops especially can help to build soil structure and provide strong competition for weeds.  It has been said that separating livestock production from crop production “takes a solution and creates two problems”…  cropping without livestock limits crop rotation options and requires outside inputs for soil fertility, while livestock farming without crops can create excess manure and can require outside feed purchases.  We are taking advantage of the symbiotic nature of mixed farming.

We believe, however that God created cattle with 4 stomachs for a reason:  to convert low-quality forages into a high quality, high protein food product.  Cattle are also an excellent tool to manage and utilize low-quality land that is otherwise unsuitable for crop production.  As such, cattle should not require grain for survival, as most cowherds nowadays do.  Our philosophy is that “grain is for people, grass is for cattle”.  That is why our organic crops are produced for human consumption (with the exception of our alfalfa/grass hay and silage) and why our cattle must thrive on forages alone, without reliance on grain for maintenance energy.  Our philosophy of breeding cattle and land stewardship is a holistic approach to agriculture as a larger picture, considering sustainability both for the environmental and human resources we have.

ORGANIC CROP ROTATION
We crop 800 acres of Certified Organic land, producing Alfalfa/Grass hay, Wheat, Oats, Flax and Soybeans.  Our Organic crop rotation compliments our Angus Cattle operation by providing a market for the Alfalfa/Grass Hay & Silage which dominates our crop rotation. 

ORGANIC CROP ROTATION:
	Year One	Grass/Alfalfa - cut for hay/silage
	Year Two	Grass/Alfalfa - cut for hay/silage
	Year Three	Grass/Alfalfa - cut for hay/silage, 3rd cut grazed
	Year Four	Grass/Alfalfa - 1 cut hay, multiple grazings
	Year Five	Grass/Alfalfa - 1 cut hay, one grazing, plowdown/termination
	Year Six	Flax/Soybeans/Wheat seeded & harvested for human consumption
	Year Seven	Wheat/Oats seeded & harvested for human consumption

Having Alfalfa in the crop rotation adds Nitrogen fertility, suppresses weeds, and builds soil structure. With high rainfall levels, alfalfa grows here very well, ranging from 3-5 MT/acre DM. Having cattle to utilize the alfalfa/grass crops we can grow so well is a very complimentary operation.