Rob discusses moving from dairy farming into custom hay work, using strip till and diverse cover crops to improve soil, and adopting robotic sprinklers to apply water more precisely. He also shares lessons from experimenting with new equipment, why he sees winter cover crops as a profit center, and how his definition of legacy changed after the family sold its dairy.
About Robert Boyle: Robert is an innovative Arizona farmer and the 2026 Strip-Till Innovator, recognized for his commitment to water conservation, efficiency and sustainable agriculture. Raised on a dairy farm in Chandler, Arizona, Boyle later moved south to Coolidge, where he expanded into dairy production, forage crops and custom farming. After transitioning fully to crop production in 2019, he built an intensive forage operation that now includes baling roughly 4,000 acres every 28 days, producing up to 10 cuttings annually plus green-chop harvests. His practical approach to conserving water while maintaining productivity has made him a leader in advancing more resilient farming systems in the arid Southwest.
Rob jokes that Coolidge is “a quarter mile from hell,” describing the area’s unusually hot well water. He explains how cover crop roots helped improve soil conditions where repeated tillage had fallen short. After selling the family dairy, Rob came to see his daughter—not the cows—as his legacy.
Robert shares how a third-generation Arizona farm evolved from dairying into a highly efficient custom hay and row-crop operation. The conversation centers on strip till, high-diversity cover crops, and precision irrigation, with a strong focus on making farming work in a hot, salty, high-pressure water environment. Monte and Robert talk about adapted machinery, water management, and crop rotations to stay profitable under urban pressure and shrinking water access.
Timestamps:
03:20 Building an efficient operation with technology
04:31 How steamers changed desert hay baling
06:28 Making premium horse hay
08:09 Getting started with strip till
15:40 What changed Rob’s mind about cover crops
16:36 Cover crops as a profit center
18:45 Winter forage economics and seed costs
19:41 Water availability and making cover crops work
21:38 Lessons from turnips and radishes
24:47 Why Rob pursued 360 Rain irrigation
26:43 Adapting robotic irrigation to Arizona conditions
29:57 Comparing targeted irrigation with flood irrigation
32:44 Using lagoon water with irrigation equipment
35:02 Portable irrigation on rented ground
38:02 Managing salinity and pH with humic acid
40:09 Development pressure around Coolidge
44:51 Family, farming, and the future of the operation
49:07 Redefining legacy after selling the dairy
52:06 Rob’s vision for smaller autonomous machines
59:42 What could come next for irrigation robots and biologicals
