Author: Julia Andrus

In dryland farming, the effects of drought can strike rapidly, leaving producers searching for ways to salvage a distressed crop. 

AgSpire Technical Advisor Austin Knight recalls working with a producer facing this situation when a severe drought set in mid-season. A corn crop that stood knee-high and vibrant green quickly became withered and drooping with the lack of rainfall. It seemed as though the sky simply shut off, refusing to release another drop of water during this critical growth period.

“When drought strikes, our first step is often to try and recover the crop,” Austin explained. “In this case, we looked at applying humic acid to stimulate microbial activity in the soil and potentially unlock more plant-available water.” 

When drought stress begins, there are often ways to work with what’s left of the crop to salvage yield. Timely intervention can make a big difference. As Austin notes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” a principle that applies to every production system, not just corn. 

When Recovery Isn’t an Option

But sometimes, recovery isn’t possible. In this case, the crop was beyond saving.

Austin and the producer explored the next best use for this field and found a path forward: chop the corn and, with the next rain, plant a cover crop that could be used for grazing. 

Turning Setback into Benefit with Cover Crops

Planting a cover crop after the corn was chopped helped stabilize the field for the next year’s crop and covered the soil that was left bare.

“Establishing a cover crop helps the soil retain more moisture when rain does return and promotes deeper water infiltration,” Austin explained. 

How AgSpire’s Flexible Incentive Programs Can Help

AgSpire offers free incentive programs built to help producers meet their operation’s needs – including situations like this. Not only is the producer able to mitigate nitrogen buildup from the failed crop, but he also gains access to technical assistance and premium payments for cattle grazed on the newly established cover crop. 

Beyond the immediate recovery, the shift toward integrated crop-livestock management helps build long-term resiliency into the operation. The cover crop supports livestock forage needs – while also improving soil organic matter, enhancing microbial activity, and contributing to better water retention for future growing seasons. 

This approach emphasizes practical, boots-on-the-ground solutions paired with a vision for resiliency. “It’s about finding that balance between short-term recovery and long-term soil health,” he noted. “Producers face enough unpredictability. Our goal is to equip them with options that help their land bounce back stronger.” 

Support When It Matters Most

Drought may be unpredictable, but with the right support and strategy, it doesn’t have to be a dead end. AgSpire works alongside producers to evaluate the situation, make practical decisions, and identify solutions that support both their land, livestock, and livelihoods.

Interested in learning how AgSpire can support your operation during drought and beyond? Explore the programs we offer (click here) or talk with one of our technical advisors today (call / text 605.675.7255)

When Fields Are Too Wet to Plant, Flexibility Matters

Farming and ranching can vary dramatically depending on your location, even within the same state. In South Dakota, this contrast is especially pronounced. While the state as a whole is known for its strong agricultural output, producers face very different challenges depending on which side of the state they call home:

• Eastern South Dakota tends to be wetter than average, especially the east of the 98th meridian, often forcing farmers to delay planting or even miss critical windows altogether.
• Producers in the western part of the state frequently battle the opposite problem: persistent drought and lack of moisture.

Both extremes can significantly reduce yields and pose serious threats to a farmer’s bottom line. 

Jared Knock, a South Dakota farmer and rancher, and co-founder of AgSpire, recalls a specific instance that highlights the power of adapting to conditions. He was working with a producer in eastern South Dakota whose field remained too wet to plant for weeks. They cycled through potential solutions:

• Plan A: oats
• Plan B: corn
• Plan C: soybeans
• Plan D: millet for grazing

Nothing seemed to align with crop insurance requirements or the agronomic conditions at hand. 

Plan E: A Creative Cover Crop Solution

Ultimately, they pursued plan E: rather than trying to squeeze in a traditional crop that might not mature in time or qualify under insurance guidelines, Jared suggested planting a cover crop blend instead. The farmer used Ranch Hand, a cover crop mix rich in legumes and designed to thrive in tough conditions, securing forage for the next season’s cattle while promoting long-term soil health. 

Photo: A multi-species cover crop like this one pictured provides benefits for your land and grazing cattle – a win when too much rain prevents a cash crop.

By shifting from a cool-season to a warm-season planting strategy then back to cool-season, the farmer gained flexibility with planting and harvest timing without jeopardizing insurance coverage.

Maximizing Benefits with AgSpire’s Cover Crop Programs

Better yet, by utilizing the Grass is Greener Program through AgSpire, the producer received:

• an incentive payment for planting the cover crops
• a premium on his cattle for grazing on the improved pasture
• technical assistance and tailored solutions based on his field conditions and operational realities

“At the end of the day, it’s all about meeting producers where they are and helping them move forward,” said Jared. “Through our programs and practices, we focus on solutions that make sense on the ground and improve your operation’s resilience over time.” 

Photo: Jared Knock on a cattle ranch in South Dakota. Our team visits with producers to understand their operations and help find the best solutions for their operational needs or goals.

>>> Interested in seeing how AgSpire programs can help in other adverse weather conditions? Read here about helping a producer respond after a hail storm.

At AgSpire, we’re here to help you navigate the challenges, whether you’re dealing with drought, excess moisture, or unexpected hail. Our team brings real-world experience and proven sustainability tools to support your goals and boost long-term profitability. Get in touch today to explore how our programs can support your farm or ranch. 

The hum of planters can be heard on farms across the country this time of year, as farmers are busy getting their crops planted.

The USDA estimates that over 178 million acres will be planted into corn or soybeans this season. But, some farmers are looking to break that rotation – and looking at their operation with a new lens.

“What we’re trying to get away from a little bit is just doing that same rotation… raising corn and beans,” said a South Dakota farmer who is enrolled in our Grass is Greener program. “So this year, we were able to get some spring wheat planted. That really enables us to get a cover crop in and try to heal the soil a little bit.”

In addition to the soil benefits from the cover crop, the producer plans to graze cattle, helping improve his on-farm forage by the natural process of disturbance that plants require to flourish.

When meeting with farmers to learn about their operation and goals, our advisors often hear these same sentiments. Through our free incentive programs like the Grass is Greener Program, we help producers accomplish this by implementing practices like cover crop establishment, forage plantings, or adding small grains or oilseeds for a more diverse rotation.

How Crop Diversity Can Benefit Your Operation

A well-planned, diverse crop rotation offers many benefits: breaking pest and disease cycles, greater soil health, better nutrient cycling, and improved water efficiency. A diverse rotation includes three or more crops, ideally from different plant families and with different root structures, growth habits, and nutrient demands. Here’s how that plant diversity benefits your land:

• Soil Biology: Different crops feed different communities of microbes in the soil through their root exudates. Diverse rotations encourage broader microbial activity, which leads to better soil structure and function.

• Nutrient Use: Alternating deep-rooted crops with shallow-rooted ones helps access nutrients at different depths.

• Weed and Pest Suppression: Each crop changes the timing, canopy structure, and chemistry of the field. That shift can help break weed and pest cycles.

• Water Efficiency and Drought Resilience: Rotations that include crops with varying water demands and rooting depths help manage moisture better, especially in dry climates. Deep-rooted crops access subsoil moisture, help break up compaction or tightly bound soil aggregates, and improve infiltration; while crops with high water-use efficiency can help supplemental irrigation go further.

Get Started

AgSpire offers free incentive programs to help farmers and ranchers meet their land and business goals through regenerative and conservation practices – including adding diversity to your crop rotation. Sign up below to talk with one of our advisors about how these programs could benefit your operation.

Invest in Soil Health for a More Profitable, Resilient Operation

At AgSpire, we believe healthy soil is more than a conservation goal. It’s a powerful tool for building a more productive, profitable, and resilient farm or ranch. When the soil beneath your feet is functioning at its best, everything above it can function better too: crops grow stronger, forage lasts longer, water works harder, and your business is better equipped to handle whatever comes your way.

That’s why we help producers across the country take a functional approach to improving their soil’s productivity, addressing their operation’s unique challenges or needs.

What Healthy Soil Can Do for Your Operation

Think of soil as the engine that drives your productivity. When it’s well-tuned, it:

• Holds more water during dry spells and drains better after heavy rains.
• It also feeds itself, reducing your need for inputs like fertilizer and irrigation.
• Creates more optimal conditions to help buffer against crop stress

In short: healthier soil means greater stability and better returns.

You might see it in a thicker stand of grass, less runoff after a storm, calves gaining faster weight, or fewer hours spent replanting or chasing weeds. These are the day-to-day advantages of investing in soil health.

Core Principles of Soil Health

There’s no one-size-fits-all formula for success, but soil benefits from these principles:

• Protect the soil surface — Using residue, cover crops, or perennial plantings to shield the soil from erosion, wind, and heat keeps moisture in place and builds organic matter over time.
• Limit disturbance — Reducing tillage or grazing with intention improves the soil’s structure and helps it retain nutrients and water more effectively.
• Diversify what’s growing — Whether through smart crop rotation, interseeding, or pasture mixes, adding plant variety boosts soil biology, balances nutrient cycling, and disrupts pest and disease patterns.
• Keep roots active — Maintaining living roots in the ground for more of the year feeds soil microbes and builds fertility naturally.
• Integrate livestock — Where it fits, livestock grazing can help cycle nutrients, improve plant growth, and add long-term fertility to your soil.

These aren’t new ideas. They are the 5 Principles of Soil Health – a time-tested and research-backed way to think about soil improvements as a natural system.

The Unofficial 6^th Principle: Patience

Although these practices work in unison to rebuild soil health, the results from these practices do not express themselves overnight. When agricultural soils have been considerably degraded, it can take many seasons to fully see the benefits from these principles and practices. “As farmers and ranchers, we need to remember, ‘Rome was not built in a day.’ The relationships between the microorganisms that call the soil home take time to redevelop,” said Senior Conservation Agronomist and CCA Derek Ver Helst.

He continued, “To understand this concept, let’s use an earthquake as a metaphor. The day after a devastating earthquake, the region will not be at full capacity. They are in survival mode, cleaning up after the disaster. It will take years for the region to rebuild and regain its functionality.

“The same can be said about the soil. Full tillage, for example, destroys the soil structure, acting as a kind of ‘earthquake’ for beneficial microbes in the soil. It renders the microbes shelter-less. Plus, without a growing root in the soil as all times feeding the microorganisms, they don’t have the energy needed to rebuild. Through practices that impair these microbes, we have effectively stopped the soil from functioning the way it was intended to.”

Start Where You Are

Every acre is different, and every producer faces a unique set of decisions. One thing holds true across the board: when you invest in the health of your soil, you’re investing in your operation from the ground up.

At AgSpire, we’re here to help you take the next step. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to scale what’s already working, our team can work with you to build a plan that fits your land, your goals, and your bottom line.

Ready to get started?

Reach out today and let’s talk about how we can support your soil — and your success.

There is a lot of buzz about cover crops. But, they aren’t a fad. They also aren’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Instead, cover crops can be a powerful way to address real operational challenges when used strategically. 

Technical Advisor and farmer Austin Knight explains, “Cover crops aren’t a trend – they are a tool. The key is making them work within your farming system, not against it.” That means fitting them into your operation in a way that adds value and supports your cash crops. 

VIDEO: AgSpire Technical Advisor Austin Knight shares how cover crops and simple data tools can enable long-term success >>>

Cover crops can offer a variety of benefits for your land or for your livestock. For example: 

• Reducing erosion – When rain or wind hit bare ground, it often runs off, taking topsoil with it. Cover crops help keep topsoil in place during a wind event and slow rainwater down, letting it soak in instead of washing away. 

• Improving water holding capacity – When cover crops break down, they add organic matter to the soil. This improves soil structure and turns it into more of a sponge. Soils with higher organic matter can hold more water. 

• Breaking up compaction – Cover crops, especially those with deep tap or fibrous roots, help break up compacted layers and leave behind channels and root pathways as they decompose. 

• Increasing or improving forage – Extend your grazing season or use a diverse mix to improve nutrition for grazing livestock. Plus, while cattle or other livestock graze, they incorporate biomass and manure into the soil to help cycle nutrients. 

Tracking Progress

Since so much of this improvement is happening below the surface, it can sometimes be hard to track the impact. As Austin has worked with producers to incorporate cover crops into their operation, he has found that consistent field notes, yield maps, or even something as simple as taking photos from the same field edge each season can help capture progress over time. 

Here’s an example, where photos taken a year apart show a big difference.  

Jared Knock – VP of Agriculture Innovation and SD rancher – points to these photos to show the impact of cover crops and perennial plantings, livestock integration, and thinking about a field from a new perspective. What had once lost productivity due to soil salinity, now has become a profitable part of a diverse operation. Jared shares more about the transformation, here: 

Bottom line: Cover crops aren’t just buzz. When used right, they can improve your ground, leading to better soil, better crops, and a more profitable operation. 

Get Started 

Ready to get started with cover crops? AgSpire offers free and voluntary programs to help producers establish cover crops, among other practices. Learn more about the programs we offer here >>>  

Or fill out the form below and one of our advisors will reach out to discuss how our programs could benefit your operation.