Crop-fallow was the dominant production system for rainfed wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in Australia during the early part of the 20^th century. The development of ley farming, where wheat is rotated with legume pasture, was developed in response to the environmental and economic problems created by crop-fallow in that country.  Important traits of the legume species include the abilities to regenerate from the soil seed bank after plants produce seed, and to provide adequate forage to support grazing by livestock.  Field studies identified birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) and red clover (Melilotus pratense L.) as regenerating from the soil seed bank and producing at least 2 Mg ha^-1 of forage dry matter (DM) in the year after plots first were seeded in southwestern North Dakota.  Subsequent research indicated that both birdsfoot trefoil and red clover regenerated naturally following a wheat crop, but only birdfoot trefoil produced sufficient forage to support grazing.  A large-plot (1 ha), replicated and randomized experiment has begun to corroborate results of the small-plot experiments.  Ley farming seems to be adopted to western North Dakota and similar dryland cropping regions, but several problems must be solved before ley farming is adopted by commercial wheat growers in the region.