As landowners seeking to attract deer, many of us have become amateur farmers, creating food plots—often guided by regenerative farming principles—in hopes of drawing in whitetail bucks. This strategy has proven very effective, with most landowners reporting increased wildlife activity around established food plots.
From Pine Trees to a Food Plot
I own property in Northern Michigan and about fifteen years ago I started experimenting with a food plot. Throwing food on the ground (baiting) had been outlawed and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) suggested that landowners could draw deer in by planting crops to which whitetails will gravitate.
I cut down a small section of 30-year-old red pine trees in the middle of my wooded property. The trees provided no cover for ground dwelling animals as they had grown quite tall. Those trees needed to be replaced by something that wildlife would seek – whether it was food or cover. I figured that if the food plot experiment didn’t work, Mother Nature would take over and start growing early successional plants that would provide food, bedding and escape cover for whitetails.
Learning Through Trial and Error
To be honest, at that time I didn’t know a thing about growing anything. It was going to be a learning experience that would take me about six years to get right. I read all about soil samples, pH levels, lime, proper aeration, fertilization, and all sorts of things that would likely be second nature to a farmer. I was just beginning my farming venture.
The sandy soil that I had to work with wasn’t the best for growing crops. I discussed the endeavor with several local farmers and they told me that that I needed to get that soil in a little better shape and that this would be a long-term project. For a few years, I collected as many grass clippings as my small trailer would haul. I’d compost the decomposing grass and then rototill the mess into the ground. I still have sandy soil, but it’s now fairly fertile with all of this new organic material.
I started planting crops that I read about that were supposedly great for food plots. I grew clover and saw some pretty good results. The next fall, I tried rape, and the next year I tried buckwheat on part of the plot, and sorghum on the remaining part. I still wasn’t seeing the deer that I thought that I should have been seeing, so I decided to go back to clover.
When I went to buy the seed, however, the guy at the seed store gave me some advice that has worked out very well. “If you want deer, plant alfalfa in the spring. The does and fawns will feed on it when it gets just right, but what I want you to do is to disk that alfalfa under in about August and then plant some winter wheat.” He had my attention. “The alfalfa will fix nitrogen into the soil as it grows. Come fall, you disk that in and it will feed your winter wheat as it grows.” This seed salesman had just introduced me to a form of regenerative farming that would eventually turn out a really great food plot.
Jack Ammerman
Getting the Soil Right
When I first started working on my food plots, I quickly learned that paying attention to the soil’s pH level is crucial for success. Different crops prefer different pH ranges, and if your soil is too acidic, your plants won’t grow as well as they should. That’s where lime comes in.
Lime is a soil amendment that helps to raise the pH of acidic soils. In my area of Northern Michigan, the soil tends to be on the acidic side, so I’ve had to apply lime to get my pH levels where they need to be. I found out that most food plot crops, like legumes, prefer a neutral pH to very slightly acidic, somewhere between 6.0 and 7.0.
To figure out how much lime I needed, I collected soil samples from my food plot and sent them off for testing. The results showed me my current pH levels and gave recommendations on how much lime to apply. It was a bit of a process, but it made a big difference in the health and productivity of my crops.
One thing I learned is that powdered ag lime takes time to work its magic. Whether using powdered or pelletized lime, you can’t just apply it and expect immediate results. It’s best to apply lime several months before planting, so it has time to work in the soil and adjust the pH. For my winter wheat crop, I aim to apply lime in the summer, about six to eight weeks before I plant in the late summer. This gives the lime plenty of time to do its work in the soil and create a hospitable environment for my wheat seeds.
Basic Equipment Can Work
Before I go on, I will admit that I was not a farmer and don’t consider myself one even today. When I spoke of rototilling my soil, I was actually using a walk-behind tiller. For seeding, I would use a handheld broadcast spreader and walk up and down the small field. Most people won’t believe me on this, but I didn’t own a cultipacker and in order to cover the seed, I attached a rope to both ends of a log and I walked the field, dragging that behind me – where there is a will, there is a way. I have graduated to a tractor with a seed spreader and a cultipacker, but even those, along with ATVs, have options now that I didn’t have back then.
Todd Amenrud
Introduction to Regenerative Farming
What exactly is “regenerative farming?” At its core, regenerative farming is a system that aims to restore and enhance the health of the soil, improve biodiversity, and strengthen ecosystems. In my experience, it’s a way of working with nature to improve the health and productivity of your soil over time. One key practice is planting cover crops, like I do with alfalfa, between your main crop cycles. These cover crops help improve soil fertility, reduce erosion, and enhance the soil’s ability to hold water and nutrients.
When it comes time to plant your main crop, like my winter wheat, you can till the cover crop into the soil. This process is sometimes called producing “green manure.” As the cover crop decomposes, it releases nutrients back into the soil, feeding your new crop. While an aspect of regenerative farming is keeping the soil covered with something growing as often as possible and turning the soil only when necessary, without no-till planting equipment I have to work with what I have. Disking or tilling the soil can kill many of the beneficial microorganisms in the soil. I tilled in the cover crop, but even this process helped to improve soil structure and the decomposing organic matter helps to repopulate the beneficial microorganisms.
I know tilling can disrupt the soil temporarily, but I feel the long-term benefits of green manuring can outweigh that short-term disturbance, especially with the sandy soil I have to deal with. By cycling cover crops in with your main crops and minimizing the use of synthetic fertilizers, you’re helping to build healthier, more resilient soil that can support better plant growth and wildlife habitat over time. It’s not a quick fix, but regenerative practices like this can make a big difference in the long run.
Frank Pierce
Seasonal Planting Strategy
When it comes to planting my winter wheat, I’ve learned that timing is everything. I usually aim to till my alfalfa under in late July or early August, but I don’t rush to plant my wheat right away. Instead, I give the soil a little time to rest and recover. Ideally, I try to wait at least a week or two between tilling and planting. As that alfalfa starts to break down and starts integrating into the soil, it releases nutrients that will help feed future crops. But that decomposition process takes time, and the wheat will do better if you let the soil and the microbes do their work before you plant. When I finally plant my wheat, usually in mid to late August (northern MI), it’s going into a more hospitable environment and has a better chance of getting off to a strong start.
As for the lime, I’ve found that it’s best to apply it in the spring or early summer. This gives the lime several months to work its way into the soil and adjust the pH before I plant my wheat in the fall. Powdered ag lime, for the most part, does not travel through the soil and ideally needs to be put where you want it to do its job. Working the lime into the soil ensures it will be incorporated throughout the root zone. Of course, the specific timing of all this will depend on your location and your soil conditions. A little bit of patience and planning can go a long way in setting your food plot up for success.
If the weather or your schedule doesn’t allow for that perfect timing, don’t stress too much. Your crop will still grow, and your deer will still come to visit. But if you can work in that little bit of extra time and care, I think you’ll see the difference in the health and vitality of your food plot.
Going No-Till: An Even Better Option
Some farmers are seriously getting into no-till farming, which means minimizing soil disturbance. If you don’t have access to a rototiller, perhaps giving no-till is for you. For small plots, you can simply broadcast seeds by hand or use a handheld seed spreader to spread the seed. It’s best to use an herbicide regiment to kill the existing vegetation before planting the new crop. Or…
You can kill the vegetation (Some vegetation) with a technique called “crimping.” Crimping involves running a heavy roller(s) typically made of one or multiple drums with blades or “fins” distributed along the roller drum over the plants you want killed. Roller-crimping is a simple task, but thorough cover crop termination with this equipment requires using the right plant varieties and carrying out operations at the right time. Roller-crimpers work by pushing the cover crop down and crimping the plants along the way, which not only injures and kills the cover but keeps it on the ground, creating a thick mat of residue that will protect the soil and prevent weeds from germinating. It’s not cutting the plants, but damaging the vascular system and limiting the flow of water and sugars through the plant. This should kill many cover crops. The dying cover crop will conserve soil moisture, prevent many weeds from taking root, and will continue to decompose, releasing valuable nutrients to the soil. I have not tried this method yet, but will be crimping a large portion of my food plot this fall.
Mossy Oak
Strategic Crop Selection
I’ve focused on two crops that have worked out incredibly well for me. I’ve found that a combination of alfalfa followed by fall winter wheat provides excellent nutrition for deer throughout the year. Obviously, with alfalfa being a perennial, the above suggested crimping will not work on it, but it works well on annuals like cereal grains. In addition, working the alfalfa under each season kind of defeats the purpose of planting a perennial, but in this situation it’s being used as a soil amendment.
Some hunters that I’ve spoken with insist on a spring planted annual white clover and then a fall root vegetable, such as a turnips or Deer Radish. This approach provides a good balance of high-protein forage in the spring and summer, followed by a high-carbohydrate food source for winter energy reserves. I urge you to experiment and discover which crops grow best for you, along with which crop brings in the greatest number of hungry deer. Remember that deer come out of winter with depleted energy reserves. The high protein alfalfa or clover will be what they seek and foods like this are crucial for them to rebuild body condition and prepare for next fall’s breeding season.
As fall approaches, the deer will be focusing on high-energy foods (carb-heavy) that will sustain them throughout the winter, such as cereal grains, brassicas and corn. These high-carbohydrate crops provide the energy reserves deer need to survive the harsh winter months and maintain body condition.
Paul Brown
The Rewards of Regenerative Food Plot Management
By using regenerative farming techniques, you will improve your soil every year while reducing your reliance on bagged fertilizers and chemicals. The deer will have something to eat all year long and become accustomed to your little buffet. By providing a consistent and diverse food source throughout the year, you will encourage deer to utilize your property more frequently, imprinting on the site and increasing your chances of seeing them during the hunting season. Most importantly though, by using regenerative food plot techniques you will be a better gamekeeper.
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