Final report for FNC23-1375
Project Information
Andrew Getting has been row crop farming since 2009 and is actively transitioning 1900 acres from traditional row crop production to organic. Andrew's organic crop rotation includes corn, oats, cover crops, soybeans. He practices a six year crop rotation to comply with organic standards and improve soil health. Andrew will drill oats and interseed cover crop mix as part of his crop rotation and organic transition plan. Andrew is currently transitioning the 113 acres to organic row crop production. He will harvest 56.5 acres of cover crop for hay while the remaining 56.5 acres will be grazed.
Aaron Alons has been raising cattle for 7 years and sells 100% grass fed beef direct to the consumer. Aaron rotationally grazes his cow/calf and finish cattle herd of about 60 head on 75 acres of diverse pasture in O'Brien and Osceola County, Iowa. Over the last couple of years, Aaron transitioned 66 acres of row crop ground into diverse pasture for his cattle and he has an excellent understanding of the required infrastructure and the management needed to successfully graze cattle in a rotationally grazed system. Aaron will oversee the building of the required infrastructure to graze cattle on the 56.5 acres. He will also daily manage and move the cattle as they rotationally graze the cover crop. Aaron will coordinate with Practical Farmers of Iowa to conduct a PFI Field Day at the property in September of 2023.
Soil health is a concern for farmers, however in Northwest Iowa cover crops are not widely used and livestock integration into a cover crop system is very rare. Organic fertilizer costs are currently over 50% of total expenses. We explored whether livestock integration to graze cover crops improves soil health and/or reduces fertilizer input costs.
Equally dividing 113 acres into 2 areas, one with cover crop only and one with cover crop and rotational grazing, allowed us to see any differences between management with or without livestock.
Our research tested soil heath before and after the cover crop and grazing rotation using the Haney and PLFA soil health tests. The Osceola County NRCS performed water infiltration tests before and after the cover crop and livestock rotation.
Our research will also take into account any increase/decrease in corn yield in 2024 from livestock integration to non livestock integration.
Research conclusions
Corn yield was higher in area that was grazed by cattle. Ten to fifteen bushel higher (see attached map)
New management practices implemented produced better soil health made minerals more biologically available. The soil came alive!
Per Haney report:
Despite high stress environment: drought 2023 and excessive moisture 2024 and later drought we saw improvements across the board in our samples.
Where cattle grazed:
- Organic matter increased 1.3% where cattle grazed. Soil respiration increased 26 ppm C where cattle grazed cover crops. We conclude that drought kept this from improving more.
- Organic nitrogen almost tripled from 7.6 ppm N to 21.6
- Conclude the depression of heavy metals especially aluminum due to higher micro activity.
- Organic Carbon rose from 139 ppm C to 227 ppm C
- Results conclude that soil is fixing more nitrogen to feed crops than before.
Per PFLA:
No results at this time.
Farmer adoption:
Andy's operation: implementation of more cover crops across all crop rotations; along with adding cattle to the crop plan. Continue to collaborate with Aaron on this farm to graze cattle as much as possible.
Aaron's operation: continue to partner with area farmer to graze cover crops
March 2023, a Haney, PFLA soil health test will be completed in multiple areas of the 113 acre field to be planted. A NRCS water infiltration test will also be completed by a NRCS field agent.
April 2023, the 113 acre parcel will be planted to oats interseeded with a cover crop blend of alfalfa, red and berseem clovers, and ryegrass.
Late July, after oat harvest, the 113 acres will be divided in half to two 56.5 acre parcels. One 56.5 acre parcel will be fenced with 4 wire high tensile fencing. A water system will be installed to allow cattle to have access to water with each move they make through the parcel. On or about August 1, about 60 head of cattle will be introduced to the parcel and rotationally grazed in smaller 3 acre paddocks. Temporary paddocks will be made with plastic posts and electrified polywire. The cattle will graze the paddock of cover crop mix from it's starting height of over 12" to a height no less than 4". Then the cattle will move to the next paddock. The cattle will rotationally graze the 56.5 acres until at least November.
May 2024, corn will be planted to the 113 acres. We are hopeful that the grazed cover crop area will require less manure.
October 2024, a second Haney, PFLA soil health test will be completed in multiple areas of the 113 acre field. Only one sample was completed.
April 2025, an NRCS water infiltration test will also be completed by an NRCS field agent. We will compare the data from the 2 56.5 acre pieces. A second Haney, PFLA soil health test will be completed in multiple areas of the 113 acre field.
Objectives:
- Measure the effect of rotational cattle grazing on the soil health of an organic transitional farm.
- Successfully integrate livestock into a cover crop system which will provide the cattle with an excellent forage feed source.
- Share preliminary findings through a Practical Farmers of Iowa Field day and Pasture Walk in September
- Minimize the use of additional inputs within an Organic transition plan
- Share final findings in proposed field day in September 2025.
Cooperators
- - Producer
- - Producer
Research
Our process and timeline unfolded as follows:
April 11, 2023 we planted oats along with alfalfa and clover.
May 3, 2023 a water infiltration test was performed finding equilibrium at 4.5 minutes.
July 19, 2023 oats were harvested and straw baled. The oats and alfalfa struggled to take off because of an unusually dry summer.
August 15, 2023 we began running fence and preparing for water lines.
August 18, 2023 we took multiple soil samples for a Haney Test and for a Biological Soil Analysis (PLFA). Sample 1 is 55 acres hayed. Sample 2 is 55 acres grazed.
August 18, 2023 we began rotationally grazing cattle through the start of the 55 acres allotted to the cattle to graze.
May 15, 2024 Andy planted organic corn
October 2024 PFLA and Haney sample taken
October 11-12 2024 Andy Harvested Organic Corn
May 5, 2025 Andy Planted Organic Soybeans
Sep 22, 2025 Andy Harvested Organic Soybeans
Nov 2025 PFLA and Haney sample taken
For 2023, our soil samples are as follows:
Soil samples for a Haney Test and for a Biological Soil Analysis (PLFA):
- Sample 1 is 55 acres of cover crop that we grazed
- Sample 2 is 55 acres of cover crop that we hayed
PLFA soil report SARE Haney soil report SARE
October 2024 samples or a Haney Test and for a Biological Soil Analysis (PLFA):
- Sample 1 is 55 acres grazed
- Sample 2 was not completed
- Haney Extract report 24,
- Haney report 24
- Corn Yield was higher where cattle grazed
- scan0117
- Compared to previous conventional farming practices this farm has seen improved soil health across the board.
2025 Update re: PFLA and Haney tests pulled November 2025
FNC23-1375 Biological Analysis showed the functional group biomass increasing from 2023/2024 in which we had an average rating to high ratings in 2025. Functional group diversity also saw an increase; not as much as we hoped, but it was an improvement. The reports did reveal that the functional biomass and diversity was higher where cattle grazed. This proves that the cattle grazing is essentially inoculating the cover crop and improved these results. Fungi: Bacteria ratings are also better where cattle were present. Overall stress ratios improved, giving the soil more tolerance to prolonged harsh conditions.
The Haney results are mixed or down in value but is what we expected. Fall of 2023 we fertilized for Organic corn with hog manure and chicken litter providing results that increased values substantually for the 2024 test. After consulting with our agronomist we feel the soil health calculation is a result of the time of year (late fall) that the samples were pulled. Overall our agronomist thought our 2025 results showed improvements in soil health but results where a direct result of crop rotation, tillage, and extreme weather ( 15 inches of rain in June). We have attached a field map to reflect the yield results for 2025. The organic soybean yield average was 59 bu/ac which is above avg for our operation.
Soybean harvest was higher on ground cattle had grazed:
Educational & Outreach Activities
Participation summary:
On September 19, 2023 we held a field day at the pasture to discuss our SARE grant and what we were seeing on the front end. Practical Farmers of Iowa helped promote this field day. This field day was also promoted over social media.
Our consultations were with our agronomist Neil Kottschade.
September 4th, 2025, Dordt University Ag Department made an afternoon trip out the farm to learn about our project and how we are continuing to cooperate moving forward with more cattle on more acres. Approximately 30 students attended and it was well received by the Professor.
September 10th, 2025, we partnered with Practical Farmers of Iowa to host a field day to showcase our SARE results and walk the fields of cover crops that the cattle where grazing. Approximately 50 people attended.
Learning Outcomes
Grazing cattle on crop land improves soil health. We are implementing cattle in our rotation as much as possible. The outcome has created more interest in implementing cover crops and cattle into a rotation locally. The advantages have been gaining soil health while transitioning the farm to organic crop production; while raising more bushels. The disadvantage we faced was the weather extremes from drought to excessive moisture back to drought, causing disruptions in our plans. We would recommend the farmer and rancher find each other!
Project Outcomes
Aaron has new opportunities to rotationally graze cattle. Looking forward, we plan to continue to work together to graze more cover crop acres. This past year, 2025, we grazed 165 acres; next year for 2026 the plan is to increase that to 350 acres.
Andy's operation is looking to begin ROC certification; mostly because of the results of this project. Aaron is looking to double or even triple his herd size to accom0date this move. Both of us are quickly moving towards regenerative thinking as it looks to be the best decision for the soil and our operations' sustainability.
We would like an opportunity to try project again under better weather circumstances.