A couple general-level thoughts:
First, while a lot of us on this site might qualify as tree-huggers, granolas, or whatever,
permaculture on this site, as a rule, does not insist on the use of native plants as a good in itself in the agricultural or horticultural context. (Obviously this doesn't refer to natural areas.) I agree with this and thus wouldn't necessarily plant native grasses. I'd think about 1) improving the soil and 2) what the strategy is.
The second thing is that you don't give any location information at all in your post or in your profile at present. That limits the information you'll get. When we started working on improving the soil on our 18 acre parcel (a chunk of former conventional farmland), we tried lots of different things. Field peas did well for us; buckwheat did not. Now our house is in the southeast and I use buckwheat all the time as a green manure in the garden etc. and it generally does well. And so on. Forage turnips didn't do well up north either but they're back every year here. And so on.
A big part of our strategy is what I call "deliberate neglect." Left to itself, the land will invite suitable plant colonizers. Some might call them by the derogatory term "weeds." However, if the goal is rejuvenation and not harvest, they will do that: they catch sunlight and produce organic matter just as other plants do. As a bonus, they self-select for suitability.
If you're interested in improving your land, you might think about a daikon or tillage radish. They scavenge nutrients from the soil and when left in place will add much organic matter. Forage turnips (hardier than the eating type) do similar things.
I like hairy vetch for poor conditions because it doesn't need much and will come back year after year. Chickpeas are good on poor soil. Field peas have done well for us.
In terms of reading: check your neighboring states' extension services. There is tons of free information out there. They tend to skew toward industrial approaches for obvious reasons but there is still much to learn. I like Eliot Coleman's books, esp. _The New Organic Grower_.
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