Alfalfa is a major forage crop for Vermont dairy farmers. High in protein, mildly antibiotic, and adding to the fertility of the soil (it is a legume, that is, its roots form symbiotic relationships with nitrogen-fixing bacteria), it grows year after year from a taproot that can go down 20 feet. It grows better in warmer climates than Vermont's, but even when stands are less than perfect, it is too good for animal feed not to try growing it. 7