I agree 100% with Jeremy. Food plots are natural forage that can and will improve the health of "your" herd. Perenial food plots such as clover will benefit the deer year round. Deer will root through the snow to get to the clover when other food sources have virtually "dried up". Annual plots only offer a food source durring the summer growing season but again it is natural browse.

The problem with baiting(not that I'm against it) is that in areas that have CWD is that it concentrates deer to a very small specific location. Mineral pits or food piles have been attributed to the spread of CWD. If you compare a pile of food or a mineral pit to an acre of clover the deer are more concentrated in the mineral pits or food pile as opposed to spread out over an acre. Deer are less likely to spread disease if they are browsing off clover then if they're rooting in a mineral pit.

I'm not a scientist but have read a lot on the subject. The whitetail institute send out monthly publications on food plots and habitat improvments. Here's a link if you're interested to a web version of what they send out. http://www.whitetailinstitute.com/info/news/
Just click on the box to the left of the page that is titled contents.