Now we come full circle to reemphasize the first step in the whole process of establishing hay and pasture crops: that is, before you can establish a forage crop, the importance of grasses and legumes must become established in your mind.
In some cases, it may be necessary to develop the attitude of the Sioux Indian who was watching a farmer plow in 1883. As the plow turned under the prairie grass, the Indian's response was short and simple: "Wrong side up."
Obviously, it would be an exaggeration to imply by this anecdote that all pastures should be kept sunny-side up, rather than turned under to make room for other crops.
But isn't it equally unwise to maintain the notion that hay and pastureland is an entirely unrealistic option? And isn't this a particularly dangerous notion for those Illinois landowners who oversee a portion of the 900,000 acres in which permanent cover more effectively controls erosion and is more profitable than row crops?
If we are serious about controlling soil erosion, in certain cases it may truly be a mistake to plow up pasture. In certain cases, the Sioux Indian may be right. Turning the grass upside down may be paramount to turning the land wrong side up.