Hay Pasture Renovation

I've been renovating an old twenty acre hay pasture the last couple of years that was planted with orchard & timothy grass and was left unworked for the last twenty years.

I've killed off most of the invasive noxtious weeds and now the grass is coming back real well. A neighbor has offered to share crop (cut,bale & buy) it for an 80/20% split (him 80%). He's the only one around w/haying equipment. My share amounts to about $100.

Should I go for this deal or, just brush-hog it down a couple times a year and let it decompose in the field in order to continue to build up the top soil/fertility? If I do go with the deal it seems that I would need to fertilize the pasture to replace what nutriants were removed and, it would cost me a more in the long-run than I would receive from the sale of my portion of the hay.

Maybe I don't have a concern here but...

Any thoughts or comments would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

I think I'll soil test the field and have it cut/baled this year, burn the field next spring to remove any grass & debrit and then rotary mow it a few times a year for the next few years to build up the soil. And when the pasture is completely restored (without the overgrazed bare spots on the ground) I'll consider baling.

Thanks again all.