Heavy rains exposed how vulnerable these flat, watershed‑fed fields had become after decades of conventional grain farming. Transitioning to organic row crops revealed how little organic matter remained to absorb extreme weather.

Despite poor winter weather, 53 hardy individuals gathered in Kelliher, Saskatchewan, on Jan. 15, 2026, for a virtual fence field day. Roughly half of the attendees traveled an hour or more to attend, highlighting the strong interest in the emerging technology across the Prairies.

Native warm‑season grasses once dominated landscapes across the U.S., evolving under centuries of heat, drought and weather extremes. Their efficiency, resilience and low-input needs offer cattle producers a powerful forage option.

“Schwauuuuhhh!” You hear the distinct cattle call my father has consistently sent ringing through Draper’s Valley in Virginia for at least the 35 years I’ve been alive. It’s the same call my older sister and I have comically attempted to replicate throughout the years to no avail.

While cool-season grasses grow well in the Upper Midwest, producing forage in the spring and again when temperatures cool off in the fall, they suffer from “summer slump” when conditions get too hot or dry, and their growth slows.

More than 55% of U.S. land is forage ground – and producers continue to make those acres work for the future. AFGC’s Asheville conference reflected that optimism and shared purpose.