Market Journal

Turning Row Crops Into Forage | April 24, 2026

The video addresses how soaring cattle prices and constrained inventories are squeezing margins for producers who manage both crops and livestock. It proposes converting traditional row‑crop acres to summer annual forages as a risk‑management tool, especially as input costs—particularly nitrogen—remain high. Key data points include that annual forages consume roughly one‑third the nitrogen of corn, require less labor, and can be planted mid‑June with a 30‑45‑day establishment period before grazing. Producers are urged to run a per‑acre profit analysis, factoring both input costs and the value of their own time, to determine whether a forage rotation outperforms row‑crop production. The speaker highlights practical details: sorghum‑sudan varieties need 18‑inch height before grazing to avoid prussic acid toxicity, while pearl millet can be grazed at 12‑18 inches. He also notes that lower feedlot imports from Mexico and drought‑impacted western plains are driving beef prices higher, reinforcing the profitability of on‑farm forage. Implications are clear: adopting low‑input forages can improve cash flow, reduce reliance on purchased feeds, and enhance overall farm profitability in a volatile market. Producers who quantify labor costs and choose the right forage species stand to gain a competitive edge.