Tillage is out and grazing is in as the preferred management strategy for our family’s dryland cotton and winter wheat fields. The shift was gradual, but the soil health and bottom-line benefits have grown steadily

The security of our farm today has improved greatly as we’ve adopted no-till and other regenerative management strategies. So, too, have the chances my wife Emily and my children will have the opportunity to go on to be the 6th generation of both our families to farm and ranch in Texas.

Moisture is the primary limiting factor for our operation and what drove us initially to reduce tillage. On average, we get just 24 inches of precipitation. Even in good years, preserving as much moisture as possible is critical for establishing and growing crops. Drought, unfortunately, frequently tests our ability to safeguard moisture. 

Shifting gradually to full no-till has helped our crops bridge more dry spells when conventionally farmed crops have failed. Just this year we harvested a cotton crop when many in the region got only disaster relief checks. 

Integrating cover crops and more intensive grazing into our cropping rotation has brought even greater flexibility to manage through all conditions. We run 300 cow/calf pairs, buy stocker calves when conditions allow, and manage 1,500 sheep and 5,000 goats. Part of our grazing strategy…