RABA Case Study: from a typical corn-soy rotation to a three-year rotation of corn – soy – winter cereal rye
- Giorgia Bettio
- Jul 2
- 5 min read
by Giorgia Bettio
Context:
The Midwestern U.S. is characterized by extensive row crop agriculture (primarily corn and soybeans) and a strong presence of livestock (beef and dairy cattle, hogs) often managed separately from cropping. Conventional systems here face challenges of soil erosion, declining fertility, and market volatility from reliance on two main crops. Our case study farm, located in Iowa, showcases a diversified rotation that breaks out of the standard corn-soy monoculture by adding cover crops, a small grain, and cattle integration. Over the past five years, this 1,200-acre family farm transitioned from a typical corn-soy rotation to a three-year rotation of corn – soy – winter cereal rye (as a cover crop and forage) with a summer cover crop mix after rye, during which cattle are grazed on the field. They also introduced a fourth crop, oats, on a portion of acreage, and seeded clover under the oats for soil improvement and occasional grazing.
1,200-acre family farm transitioned from a typical corn-soy rotation to a three-year rotation of corn – soy – winter cereal rye
Practices and Innovations:
Key practices include no-till or strip-till planting (reducing erosion and fuel costs), cover cropping on nearly all acres (improving soil structure and moisture retention), integration of a small grain (cereal rye) which is harvested for grain or seed, and using that window after small grain harvest to grow a diverse cover crop cocktail that doubles as pasture for grazing beef cattle.
The cattle herd grazes cover crops in the fall and again in early spring, converting what would be bare off-season fields into productive pasture.
This innovation produces two products from the same land in one year: a grain crop and beef weight gain, maximizing revenue per acre.
Additionally, manure from the cattle is distributed on fields, cycling nutrients and reducing need for synthetic fertilizer. The farm participates in a cost-share program for cover crops, which helped defray initial costs of seed and a no-till drill.
They also worked with a local extension agent to conduct soil health tests annually, which show steady improvements in organic matter and infiltration rates.
Financial Performance:
The diversified system has proven financially resilient.
While the introduction of cereal rye initially raised questions about profitability (since small grains can yield less revenue than corn or soy in a given year), the overall rotation-level economics have improved.
In fact, a detailed analysis comparing the new three-year rotation to the old corn-soy system found that the extended rotation is slightly more lucrative on average than the traditional two-year rotation, and markedly more profitable than continuous corn.
This is backed by data from Practical Farmers of Iowa, where a case study showed return on investment over variable costs was highest in the rotation that included a small grain and cover crop, even though the small grain year alone had lower cash returns.
In our farm’s case, the income from rye grain (sold as cover crop seed to neighboring farms and to a regional cover crop supply cooperative) and from cattle (direct sales of grass-fed beef locally) compensated for slightly lower corn/soy frequency, and importantly, the corn and soy yields have increased or stabilized at above-county-average levels due to better soil conditions and pest break cycles.
The farm saw corn yields rise about 5% above their previous average after five years of soil-focused practices, and soybean yields similarly improved by ~3-5%. Meanwhile, fertilizer costs dropped significantly (over $25/acre savings on corn after legume cover crops, according to farm records) and herbicide needs have lessened with better weed suppression from cover crops.
Diversification also spread the farm’s market risk – a bad year for corn prices is buffered by potential income from beef or rye.
The farm accessed new markets as well: they negotiated a contract with a regional artisan mill for food-grade oats, and sell USDA-inspected beef boxes directly to consumers, capturing retail value.
Overall, the farm’s net income has grown by an estimated 15% compared to the baseline conventional system, and year-to-year income variability (a risk measure) has decreased thanks to multiple income streams.
Market Trends and Scalability:
The Midwest is seeing growing interest in small grains and cover crops, driven by both market demand and institutional support. For example, regional breweries and distilleries are seeking local rye and barley; food companies are exploring wheat/rye rotations to meet regenerative sourcing goals; and there’s rising consumer demand for grass-fed beef. This case farm tapped into those trends early. The market for cover crop seed itself has expanded, effectively turning a farm practice into a product (selling rye seed at $15/bushel added revenue). Moreover, larger grain buyers like General Mills are encouraging their supplier farms in the Midwest to adopt precisely these kinds of rotations (including offering incentive payments for planting cover crops or small grains). Such trends indicate that what worked on this case farm can be replicated widely.
Scalability is high:
The practices used are adaptable to most corn-belt farms, especially as equipment technology (like interseeders and roller-crimpers) improves and more farmers become familiar with managing cover crops and livestock together.
One risk often cited – the learning curve and potential initial yield dip – is being mitigated by projects like ours through robust technical assistance and financial safety nets for the first years.
As proof of concept spreads (via field days hosted on the case farm and published profit data), neighboring farmers have shown interest; indeed, five other farms in the county have started their own pilot of adding cereal rye after seeing the results.
The case farm’s approach is being used as a template in our project outreach materials, complete with budgets and schedules, to help more Midwest producers evaluate the business case for diversification.
With supportive policies (like state soil health cost-shares in Illinois, Iowa, etc.) and strong evidence of success, this Midwest regenerative model is poised for broad adoption, creating a more resilient agricultural landscape throughout the region.
Risk Mitigation:
The Midwest case also offers lessons in managing risks inherent to changing farm systems.
The farm experienced a couple of challenges: one year, a wet spring made it tricky to terminate the rye cover crop before planting corn, leading to some yield drag.
They responded by investing in a roller-crimper and adjusting planting dates – knowledge that is now shared with others.
They also learned to align cattle grazing so as not to compact wet fields. These experiences led to developing best practices (included in our extension bulletins) such as cover crop termination timing guidelines and grazing management plans to avoid soil damage.
Diversification itself is a risk mitigation strategy against climate impacts – in the drought of 2022, the deep-rooted cover crops preserved moisture and the farm’s corn yields were 10% higher than neighbors’, plus the cattle had forage even as pastures elsewhere dried up.
Crop insurance has also adapted: the farm was able to insure the rye crop and utilize a new “relay cropping” insurance product for soybeans planted into living cover, reducing financial risk of trying novel techniques.
By proactively addressing these risks with planning and available tools, the case study underlines that regenerative systems in the Midwest can be managed to be as reliable as (or more so than) conventional systems.
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