No-Till, Cover Crops No Problem for Northern Climate

By Laura Barrera posted on August 21, 2015

After the Willfords were told they’d be back to conventional tillage after a couple of years, the Minnesota family is proving no-till and cover crops have a permanent place on their farm

No-till isn't a common practice in Minnesota, but one operation is proving it can work.

Travis Willford and his father, Arden, are no-tilling their 330-plus acres of corn, soybeans and hay in Harmony, Minn., located in the southeastern part of the state.

Despite their northern climate, the Willfords say they haven’t seen a yield hit in their 12 years of no-till, and erosion has almost come to a halt. Soil health is booming, and now…

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KEYWORDS improving soil health no-till farming in Minnesota softening soil testing aerial application Travis Willford
Laura barrera

Laura Barrera

Laura Barrera is the former managing editor of No-Till Farmer and Conservation Tillage Guide magazines. Prior to joining No-Till Farmer, she served as an assistant editor for a greenhouse publication. Barrera holds a B.A. in magazine journalism from Ball State University.

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