Feeding costs, especially winter feeding costs, are the largest single obstacle to profitability in the livestock industry. Raising and grazing your own forages and selling hay (or not buying it) can improve net farm/ranch profit.

Annual forages can be used for many purposes in cropping and livestock systems: to extend the grazing season for livestock, as the primary harvested feed, as a rotation crop between alfalfa, as a double crop with cereal grains, as a green manure for nutrients or as a cover crop for erosion or weed control.