Converting Conventional Crop Ground Into Cool-Season Perennial Pasture

How do farmers prepare former crop fields to sustainably graze and support livestock? On April 10th, 2026, Sky High Farm, in partnership with Scenic Hudson, hosted a field walk and in-depth discussion about converting conventionally managed crop grounds into cool-season perennial pasture for livestock.

Phil Haynes, Sky High Farm’s Director of Farm Operations and Julie Miller, Sky High’s Livestock Manager with Jay Goldmark, Farm General Manager at Stone House Farm in Hudson, NY, led an outdoor classroom experience detailing the establishment of newly planted pastures at Sky High’s farm in Ancram, NY.

The field walk addressed how farmers can plant cool-season perennial pasture into denuded and formerly conventionally managed soil; basic metrics that indicate soil health (infiltration rates, ecological outcomes); and review soil prep, soil ph, seed mixes, cover cropping, nurse cropping, planting depths, seeding rates, equipment, timing, managing establishment and haying.