Martha Mintz

What I've Learned from No-Tilling: No-Till and Cover Crops — Just Rolling With It

A three-pronged management approach helps longtime no-tiller John C. Johnson use residue to keep nutrients cycling and yields high.

By John Johnson and Martha Mintz posted on March 1, 2014

Cover cropping may be a modern buzz term, but it’s a concept I first witnessed back in the late 1940s. I’m the fifth generation of my family to farm both sides of the Mason-Dixon line between Pennsylvania and Maryland, and was fortunate enough to watch both my father and grandfather work the land.

What I've Learned From No-Tilling: Beating Rain And Taking No-Till To Pasture

John Kemmeren found that purchasing his own no-till drill allowed him to tackle long-overdue pasture seeding and create a better farm system.

By Martha Mintz posted on November 1, 2013 | Posted in Soil Health

Corn isn't king on our farm, even if it is selling for $8 per bushel. I run a 100-cow dairy along with my wife, Dianne, and our two children.

What I've Learned from No-Tilling

Conquering Tight Soils With Tiling, Cover Crops and Long-Term No-Till

Indiana no-tiller Larry Huffmeyer says focusing on soil health is paying large dividends in his quest for hitting the 300-bushel brass ring in corn.

By Martha Mintz and Larry Huffmeyer posted on June 1, 2013 | Posted in Soil Health

The plains state lost their soil to the wind in the Dust Bowl, and we lose our priceless topsoil to water.

What I've Learned from No-Tilling: Cover Crops, Residue Whip No-Till Fields Into Shape

Since retiring from a local shop, Michigan no-tiller Larry Bonnell is using his extra time to focus on putting soil, microbes, insects and crops to work in his no-till system.

By Martha Mintz and Larry Bonnell posted on March 1, 2013 | Posted in Soil Health

On a chilly November day 2 years ago, I was deer hunting in one of the fence rows I’ve left to help manage erosion in my hilly fields.

Livestock, Covers Add Diversity for Enterprising No-Tiller

Byron Richard’s once wheat-dominated farm in North Dakota is now home to many different crops — including livestock — after his commitment to no-till practices.

By Martha Mintz posted on February 1, 2013

Third-generation farmer Byron Richard seems to always find himself in the center of big changes in his tiny community.

What I've Learned from No-Tilling: A Fork in the Road: No-Till Wins Out

When minimum tillage failed, wheat producer Dale Schuler realized there was no middle ground. So he committed to no-till and has never turned back.

By Dan Schuler and Martha Mintz posted on February 1, 2013

It took me just 2 years of no-tilling only 40 acres of our then 3,000-acre wheat farm to fully sell my father on the idea of no-till.

Clover Covers Offer More Than Just Nitrogen

Several no-tillers discuss how they’re working out the kinks of using clover cover crops and raking in the benefits in their no-till fields.

By Martha Mintz posted on November 1, 2012

Nitrogen production is usually first on the list of reasons to use a clover cover crop, but no-tillers are finding there are many more benefits to be had.

A Cover Crop Bonus: Weed Suppression

With the pipeline of new herbicides hitting the market shrinking in the next decade, wisely chosen cover crops that establish quickly and are controlled properly can keep weeds at bay.

By Martha Mintz posted on August 1, 2012

No-tillers are finding that weed suppression can be an added benefit of using cover crops by tweaking a few management strategies in their fields.

Mixes Boost the Power of Cover Crops

Here are tips and steps for no-tillers looking to plant and reap the benefits of multi-species cover crop mixes.

By Martha Mintz posted on May 1, 2012 | Posted in Seeding Practices

While no-tillers may have started dabbling in cover crops by planting two species at a time, these early adopters are now taking the natural next step by planting cover crop mixes.