Final report for FNE23-042
Project Information
The purpose of the project was to establish a stand of diverse deep-rooted perennial native species including Eastern gamagrass and cup plant with an understory of clover, plantain and other cover crops. Because warm-season perennials are not typically grown in our region, the goal was to learn methods and develop a strategy for successful germination and establishment. A question was if the warm-season perennials could be comparable in yield and quality to an annual crop such as corn silage. Three different lots of Eastern gamagrass were planted. Both raw seed and fungicide-treated seed were planted with a corn planter in December 2024 so that the seed could go through the required vernalization process. A third lot of seed which was treated with Germtec was to be planted in the summer of 2026. Additionally, a diverse cover crop stand was established for weed control which included various clovers, trefoil, forage chicory, forage plantain, buckwheat, phacelia, brassicas, millet and sorghum sudan. Initially we had a plan to conduct the project on 4 farms that were all part of a long-term farmer cohort project, however due to changes in production we ended up focusing the project on one farm, Cleveland Farm. We had some weather challenges throughout the project. Our initial planting of the warm season perennials was not able to happen in the late fall of 2023 due to excessively wet weather, but the cover crop base was established and a crop was taken from that. Additional plantings were done in spring and summer 2024 and the gamagrass and cup plant were planted in December 2024 as well. We did not as of project completion, see any germination of the warm season perennial crops. However, the diverse cool-season forage/forb plantings was incredibly successful, providing pollinator habitat and also yielding multiple crops of both haylage and balage. Cleveland Farm hosted a field day in July 2025 with consultant and warm season perennial expert, Dale Strickler, of Regenerative Wisdom in Kansas. Farmers were able to learn about these crops from Dale and also do a field walk. Crops such as Eastern gamagrass are challenging to establish and it may take continuing work to determine if it is possible in our region. This project was leveraged into an additional project funded by the One Hive Foundation where Cleveland Farm and two other farms in Vermont will work with consultant Abe Collins and Land Care Cooperative to continue the work of establishing prairie-based plantings to add diversity to current forage systems, establish deeper-rooted plants that build soil, and increase yields beyond traditional grass-legume systems.
This project seeks to:
- Establish diverse perennial plantings of cup plant, Eastern gamagrass and plantain/birdsfoot trefoil and alsike clover as a perennial alternative to corn silage
- Develop appropriate site-specific timelines and protocols for establishing the perennial crop
- Monitor plant growth/maturity of the standing forage to determine optimum harvest timing and protocols
- Obtain yield information for the harvested perennial crop and compare with harvested corn silage crops
- Test the ensiled harvested crop to determine crude protein, digestibility, energy levels and mineral levels of the alternative crop in comparison to harvested corn silage crops
Problem:
Dairy farmers who rely on annual cropping systems as a significant part of their forage harvest are at much higher economic risk than those who do not. The trade-off is that annual crops such as corn silage are high yielding, resulting in more tonnage per acre. For example, on the well-drained soils of the Pawlet valley where my farm is located, average corn silage yields are 20-25 tons/acre. However, dairy economics, weather variation, and water quality regulations add challenges. Milk prices continue to fluctuate while input costs such as corn seed continue to increase. Additionally, the availability of non-neonicotinoid treated seed becomes almost non-available. Extremely wet spring weather can delay critical timing of field work and planting and wet fall weather can delay harvest affecting crop quality. More regulations on soil and nutrient management mean more planning for manure applications and cover cropping which can be difficult with variable weather conditions. If nutrients are put on at the wrong time or rate and a cover crop is not established in a timely way, soil erosion and runoff is a significant risk.
Solution:
While extensive work has been done on cover cropping trials and short season corn variety trials to address soil health in annual cropping systems, this project explores the feasibility of a perennial alternative. The working hypothesis is that farmers can transition a portion of their corn silage production to a perennial mix of cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum), Eastern gamagrass, birdsfoot trefoil, plantain, and alsike clover and obtain similar yields and quality without a negative impact on milk production. This perennial mix has the potential to decrease annual tillage, erosion, water and nutrient runoff, chemical use, and costs, while increasing biodiversity, pollinator and other wildlife habitat, soil health, and water infiltration, all while maintaining or improving forage quality and quantity. These are all wet-tolerant, deep rooted species, which would be more appropriate than corn to plant in field areas and soil types that are marginal or less conducive to annual crop planting.
Cup plant is a native perennial of wet-mesic prairies of North America and is highly productive for biomass in soils too wet to maintain dependable production of alfalfa or corn crops. The crude protein concentration and digestibility suggest that cup plant produces sufficient forage quality to be considered as a feed source for ruminant livestock. Cup plant can serve as a buffer crop between fertile crop land and wetlands, capturing nutrients. It is also a crop attractive to pollinators. Overall, it is an an ecologically attractive crop to incorporate into forage systems in North America.
Establishment and management trials will include seeding a base of low-growing, diverse forbs comprising birdsfoot trefoil, plantain and alsike clover which is first planted as one would establish a pasture. We will then use a specialized subsoiler-seeder, called a ripsower, which is used to shatter compaction pan layers common in previously annually cropped ground. It will also be used to interseed cup plant and eastern gamagrass late in the growing season to enable winter seed stratification and spring emergence. Over time, increasing amounts of cup plant and gamma grass can be established within the field, using the ripsower.
Establishment of the perennial would keep soil covered year round, reduce the costs and risks inherent in annual cropping systems such as fuel use and annual seed costs and the risk of repeated or delayed plantings. Research from the University of Wisconsin demonstrated that there is opportunity to replace up to 30% of the corn silage in a conventional dairy cow ration with perennial cup plant and not observe any impact on milk production or animal performance.
Overall a perennial crop that has the potential to produce yields roughly equivalent to corn silage would reduce environmental risks, reduce annual planting costs, and improve soil and water quality.
Cleveland Farm was established in 1985 and is based in Pawlet, Vermont. The farm is owned and operated by Scott Cleveland and managed with the help of his son, Justin. Scott milks 65-70 Holstein cows and ships his milk to AgriMark/Cabot Coop. Scott grows corn for silage, haylage and baleage. He implemented a grazing system on the farm for his milking herd in 2019. Cows obtain about half of their daily dry matter requirement from pasture during the grazing season. In 2023, state funding procured a subsoiler and seeding implement which is used in part on this project. Scott also has dedicated significant time to the planning and implementation of this project.
Cooperators
- - Technical Advisor (Educator)
- - Technical Advisor (Educator)
- - Producer
- - Producer
- - Producer
Research
Methods as proposed:
In 2023, each of the 4 cohort farms, with hands-on guidance from Abe Collins and Cheryl Cesario, will establish a trial plot ranging in size from 2.5 - 5 acres. The trial plot will be planted with the cup plant/gamagrass perennial mix on a field pre-determined and designed on contour-compliant tillage and planting patterns. This design will be informed by lidar mapping and using a laser level for guideline layouts (see maps under relevant research information).
We will use best known practices regarding fertility applications, seed bed preparation, seed stratification, and Keyline subsoiling relative to contour guidelines to maximize our success when seeding this alternative crop.
There will be four stages to getting the cup plant/gamagrass mix established. In spring 2023, a fast growing cool season cover crop will be planted consisting of annual ryegrass, crimson clover and phacelia. This cover crop is planted to address any potential herbicide carryover from the previous season’s corn crop. It is quick growing which will provide a crop to harvest in June and/or July. In August 2023, oats will be planted at a high rate with peas which will grow as an additional cover crop for the fall. Once the oats are up and growing, the cup plant and gamagrass will be seeded with the VT ripsower in September or October. The ripsower will cut a channel which will provide an adequate seedbed and fall planting will ensure the seed is stratified over the winter to enable germination the following year. The oats will winterkill which will assist with weed suppression the following spring. In April or May 2024, a brillion seeder will seed the alsike/clover/trefoil forb mix into the decomposing oat residue.
Seed varieties will be planted will be done at the following rates per acre:
Annual ryegrass: 10 lbs/ac
Crimson clover: 8 lbs/ac
Phacelia: 4 lbs/ac
Oat cover crop: 110 lbs /ac
Pea: 30 lbs/ac
Cup plant: 0.20 lbs/ac
Eastern gamagrass: 4 lbs/ac
Plantain: 8 lbs/ac
Birdsfoot trefoil: 4 lbs/ac
Alsike clover: 2 lbs/ac
We will work with our technical advisers Cheryl Cesario and Abe Collins to monitor and measure growth and plant density on a monthly basis during the study period.
The second and third year (2024, 2025) as the cup plant and gamagrass establish in the forb base, growth and plant density will be monitored on a monthly basis. This monitoring will also include determining ideal harvest method and timing for the cup plant/gamagrass mix.. Yield data will be collected on this crop as well as on each farm’s corn silage harvest, which may occur at different times.
The following method will be used to calculate corn silage yield (from Cornell Cooperative Extension):
Estimating Corn Silage Yield: This can be done by weighing the number of corn stalks in 1/1,000th of an acre. The number of plants to weigh depends on the spacing of the rows. The weight of the plants divided by 2 will provide the estimated silage yield and is dependent on row spacing. [Example: The plants from 17 feet 5 inches with a 30” row spacing weigh 40 lbs. This gives an estimated yield of 20 tons per acre (40/2). If the plant dry matter was 35%, then the calculated dry matter yield per acre would be 7 (20*0.35).]
For the cup plan mix, we will obtain ‘as harvested’ yield with scales on the trial crop.
For forage analysis we will take samples of both the ensiled crops - the cup plant/gamagrass mix and corn silage which will be analyzed via wet chemistry through the Dairy One lab in NY.
Trial field, spring 2023
While cover crops were established in the 2023 growing season, the excessively wet conditions in the fall of 2023 prevented the planting of the gamagrass and cup plant, leading us to re-plan and re-plant for 2024. In June, I re-seeded a spring cover crop mix into the 5 acre project field. I was able to harvest that crop and bale it in late August. Thankfully we had a very dry fall. We were able to order additional gamagrass seed from The Gamagrass Company in Falls City, Nebraska in early November. We used this seed to supplement the seed we had purchased the prior year via Land Care Coop/Green Cover Seed. The Gamagrass Co staff recommended I use a corn planter versus a drill to seed the gamagrass and to plant it in early December. So I was able to plant the initial seed we had purchased in 2023, plus do an additional area with the newly purchased seed which was fungicide treated. This was planted on 1 acre at a rate of 8lbs/ac. Additionally the Gamagrass Co will be sending us a chemically treated seed in April which does not need winter vernalization. It will be interesting to see if we get germination in 2025 from either of the December 2024 plantings (fungicide treated vs untreated) and how those compare, in addition to spring planted gamagrass in 2025 with a different treatment not needing to go thru a deep freeze process. The 2023 conditions provided a set back to our project as far as getting the gamagrass established, but the seed was in the ground by December 2024 and we anticipated having 3 different plantings to evaluate. Cup plant was also planted with the gamagrass this fall, so we will also be looking to evaluate any germination there in the spring as well. An additional 5 acres of cup plant was planted at Dorset Peak Sheep & Cattle Co in Danby, VT by farmer Caleb Smith. Caleb is also part of the farmer cohort group, having recently transitioned from a cow dairy to a sheep enterprise. Cup plant is said to be palatable and desirable as a pasture forage for sheep. This is a change from our original proposal to include only dairy producers (3 other farms in the study). Since the proposal was written, one farm sold their cows and transitioned to a cash grain business, no longer producing corn silage. The second has had a change in ownership structure which changed the ability to participate in the project. The third farm was flooded in August of 2023 and again that fall which prevented participation in the project. That farm has since sold their herd. So with weather challenges and management changes, we have modified the project to include 1 dairy farm and 1 sheep operation. We will evaluate the gamagrass/cup plant as a silage crop on one farm and the cup plant as a pasture forage (and perhaps baleage) on the second farm.
In late 2023, we had to re-adjust our project due to weather. Late fall wet conditions prevented the planting of the gamagrass and cup plant. However, a spring mix of annual ryegrass, sorghum-sudan, phaecelia, cow pea, buckwheat, and clover was planted as shown above.
In spring 2024 we were able to start over and were successful in getting all the planned crops in the ground. We planted a diverse forb mix of narrow-leaf plantain, trefoil and alsike clover along with another mix was that drilled into the field which was a warm-season mix containing pearl millet, forage sorghum, forage collards, buckwheat, turnip, sunflower, cowpeas, soybeans and phacelia. This mix established well and was made into round bale silage which was tested in September 2024. It was a bit mature when cut, so quality results were not as good as it could have been if cut earlier, with an NDF of 53.9, ADF at 38.1, TDN at 61 and NEL at .59.
In early December 2024, I was able to use my corn planter to get the gamagrass planted. Some of the raw seed purchased from Greed Cover was too big to fit through the tubes of the ripsower. Half of the field was planted to raw gamagrass seed sourced from Green Cover at 8 lbs/acre. Half of the field was planted to a fungicide treated seed from the Gamagrass Company at 8 lbs/acre.
We did not have Eastern gamagrass emergence in the spring of 2025. However, the predominately non-native forb mix had established, persisted, and grew - plantain, birdsfoot trefoil, chicory, clovers, etc. This was mowed and put in the bunk silo. Overall, despite not seeing the gamagrass or cup plant establishment, I was very pleased with the results of the cover crop and warm season diverse plantings which I was able to harvest several times over the length of the project. These were mixes I never would have otherwise planted and I found benefits from them including the diversity of forbs. I am interested in now establishing forb species in my pastures and I am looking to fence in more areas of my farm for grazing including this field where the study took place. I would have loved to have grazed these plantings and would have if I had fencing in place.
Additionally, we were able to modify the project a bit and get an additional planting completed at Dorset Peak Sheep & Cattle Co. At Dorset Peak Sheep & Cattle Co. However, we did not see emergence of the cup plant which was interseeded into existing pasture with a ripsower (subsoiler and seeder). This may be due to the competition from the existing pasture grasses and legumes out competing its emergence or establishment.
The other farmers listed in the project, were still 'participants' although they did not end up doing trial plots. All of us were part of a DBIC-funded co-learning group and we met on-site at least 3 times to discuss the project and meet with the project cooperators.
Education & outreach activities and participation summary
Fall meeting of the DBIC farmer cohort (9/11/24) to give update about SARE project progress
Participation summary:
- 2023 - A consultation with the neighboring dairy up the road (Larson Farm, Wells, VT) who is also using the ripsower implement to seed diverse forb species into their pastures. We have visited each other's farms and shared equipment for our plantings. While our projects are different, we have some elements in common and we have been able to share information and compare what we are doing (consult with 2 farmers)
- The NE Dairy Business Innovation Center farmer cohort that I am a part of, met here on the farm in July 2023. Cheryl and Abe (consultants) were here as well and we were all able to see and have a conversation about stage 1 of the project which involved planting a spring multi-species cover crop in a 5-acre corn field. This mix of annual ryegrass, sorghum-sudan, phaecelia, cow pea, buckwheat, and clover was planted June 11. Considering the rain that started in late June, the crop yielded well, however we lost some nutrients with all the precipitation. The crop was harvested in late July and a forage sample was taken from the wrapped baleage in late October. Photos of this farmer meeting are attached here. (5 farm businesses in cohort)
- Our farmer cohort met on January 12, 2024 and discussed the 2023 results of the project, where we landed, and plans for the upcoming 2024 season. Since the gamagrass and cup plant could not be planted in the fall due to excessive precipitation, we are discussing ideas for getting these species established in 2024. I had 2 moderately successful crops of diverse covers, which in addition to providing feed crops, conditioned my soil. (increased to 6 farm businesses in cohort)
- Hosted a SARE-funded agronomy training for VT and regional service providers June 18, 2024 (Agronomic Principles for Hayland and Pasture Mgt), where approximately 15 service providers came to the farm and heard about the SARE farmer grant and the progress and challenges to date.
- Farmer cohort met on September 11, 2024 and gave an update on the SARE project (now 7 farm businesses in the project)
- Cleveland Farm hosted agronomy consultant Dale Strickler (Regenerative Wisdom, Kansas) for an on-farm workshop on July 17, 2025. Twenty farmers attended, including the farmers in the DBIC farmer cohort. Dale discussed diverse prairie plantings - warm-season species and forbs, establishment and management, and we did a field walk looking at the diverse forb and cover crop plantings on Cleveland Farm
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Discussion of conditioning spring cover crop quality (2023) 
Looking at root development and glomulin on annual ryegrass (2023) 
Diverse cover crop seed mix (2023) 
Going over the parts and use of the ripsower implement (2023) 
Agronomy training attendees looking at soil characteristics at Cleveland Farm (2024) 
Scott and Cheryl (right) leading discussion about the SARE project
Field Day with consultant Dale Strickler, July 2025
Learning Outcomes
I am working on this project in conjunction with the work I am doing with the NE DBIC cohort I am a member of. Most of our change in knowledge is in regards to planting diverse seed mixes that includes species we have not planted before - for example, Phacelia. When our group met, we had a lengthy discussion whether I should bale, chop or graze this crop. In the end, due mostly to weather and soil conditions, I chose to harvest this crop as round bale silage. Due to maturity, and likely nutrient loss from precipitation, the forage test results weren't as high as I'd prefer, but the cows ate it well and milked fine (see research notes on test results). However, I was able to then plant a second cover of oat, pea and other species in August and harvest that as well. This was all leading up to planting the gamagrass and cup plant in late fall with the ripsower (to be planted late for vernilization). However, due to the excessive rains that lasted from July thru the end of the year, soil conditions did not allow for this planting. As a result we (as a farmer group and with Cheryl and Abe) re-setting our plan for 2024. This may involve using a gamagrass seed that does not need to be overwintered. There are not clear or developed protocols for what we are doing, so my and the other farmers knowledge and awareness is ongoing with this project. And the attitude is that we need to re-figure and adapt as the weather presents challenges to our original plan.
Two lots of gamagrass seed were planted in early December 2024. One lot was a raw seed and the second lot was a fungicide treated, processed seed. Eight pounds of each lot of seed was purchased, to cover 1 acre each. A standard corn planter was used to plant the gamagrass seed due to the large seed size. The processed seed was easier to handle through the corn planter.
In the fall of 2024 we also purchased a 3rd lot of seed - a chemically treated seed (Germtec) which does not have to go thru the overwintering process. The plan was to plant the chemically treated seed in May or June 2025, but rainy weather and wet field conditions prevented us from getting this lot of seed planted in the spring. This seed is being held over and will be planted in spring 2026.
In addition to the 5 other farmers in our cohort, we were able to share details about the project with 11 other farmers as part of the field day with Dale Strickler.
Project Outcomes
In 2023, a $24,000 grant was received via the VT Agency of Agriculture to purchase a combination subsoiler and seeder implement - 'ripsower'. This implement is owned by Scott but is shared with the other 5 farmers in the cohort learning group.
In February 2026, consultant Abe Collins received $350,000 in funding from the One Hive Foundation for a grant to continue prairie plantings with forbs and warm season perennials on Cleveland Farm and with Brad Thomas/Jillian Holsteins another cooperating cohort farm on this project. Meetings with these farmers as well as a third farm, began in late February 2026 to plan field operations and seed mixes for the upcoming planting season.
Based on learning from the SARE grant and other parallel grazier-led projects across Vermont, we maintain the focus on establishing and managing native, perennial “dairy quality” native prairie plantings as a way to achieve high-yield, low input forage systems for Vermont dairies and other grazing operations.
Through collaboration with PA grazier Russ Wilson, in a comparable environment and soils to much of VT ag, we have learned that it is possible to achieve high levels of dry matter production per acre in planted native prairie.
The new project integrates lessons like:
- 4 annual cover crops over 2 years to “reset” the system and eliminate competition with the new native perennial prairie seedling.
- We will be testing soils and forages for residual herbicides and pesticides commonly used on annual grains - corn silage and beans.
- We will be experimentally using locally brewed lactic acid bacteria made from milk, applied to fields, to test the potential to degrade herbicides and pesticides. This is based on research, including by partnering scientists.
- A central focus in on supporting pollinating insects
Collaborations have been built with both Dale Strickler (KS) and Russ Wilson (PA) who will be project collaborators on the above grant. Both Dale and Russ will be visiting Vermont again in July 2026 and visiting the participating farms including Cleveland Farm and Jillian Holsteins.
With changing weather patterns, farmers are looking for ways to create more resilient systems. There is interest in warm-season perennials as a potential way of doing that. As noted, we had challenges working around weather and appropriate planting schedules to get crops established. Additionally, we still have to plant the Germtec gamagrass and see how that might germinate better than the overwintered seed. We learned a lot about the best timing and strategy for planting this species, since there is not local knowledge on how to do this. We also had a morning getting falsely excited about finding gamagrass which actually turned out to be a foxtail species. Since gamagrass is not grown in our region we were relying on botantical keys to try to ID it. We have not yet answered what we set out to study. However, the continued funding from One Hive will allow us to continue this work for another two years. Regardless of that, the diverse cover crop, forb and annual mixes were a side benefit of the project and by all accounts very successful. By having those base plantings, I was ensured I always had a crop whether the gamagrass or cup plant established. I intend to plant forbs into my other pastures, and think they will be beneficial due to their tap roots and mineral nutrition. I was able to harvest feed from this trial field each year of the project and was overall happy with the quality. The amount of biomass was more than I had expected. The flowering clovers and chicory attracted many pollinators. When Dale Strickler visited my farm for the field day I hosted in July 2025, he declared "This is what happiness is," when he saw this field. If this field had fencing around it, I would have grazed it. I am exploring funding to fence this field in the near future as well as some other areas of my farm that could give me an extra 40 acres of pasture in addition to the 55 acres I currently graze. As far as benefits to other commodity groups, it would seem any species or class of livestock (dairy, beef, sheep, etc) would benefit from the broad array of species in these mixes and the resulting improvement in pasture quality and yield that they provide.