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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.

Articles

ARTICLES

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Veteran No-Tillers Spill Secrets on Planting Green Successfully

With advances in herbicides, roller-crimpers & other tools, the practice is a vital part of a dynamic farm operation that reduces weed & pest pressure & prioritizes healthy soils
By Laura Barrera posted on November 6, 2025 | Posted in Seeding Practices, Soil Health

With advances in herbicides, roller-crimpers & other tools, the practice is a vital part of a dynamic farm operation that reduces weed & pest pressure & prioritizes healthy soils


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Grazing

Covering the Soil, Feeding the Livestock

While a minority of livestock owners feed their animals their cover crops, those that do see no ill effects & most see a financial value in grazing them
By Laura Barrera posted on September 29, 2025 | Posted in Grazing
Roughly 34% of livestock owners grazed their cover crops, 30.6% harvested covers for livestock and 16.2% used covers for silage.
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Seeding & Termination

Cover Crop Seeding & Termination Trends

More growers waited to seed cover crops after harvest, those seeding with a drone doubled, & a record number planted green
By Laura Barrera posted on September 29, 2025 | Posted in Seeding Practices
In studying the seeding and termination trends of the sixth annual Cover Crops Operational Benchmark Study, it appears that practices remained consistent, and largely, continued to grow in numbers.
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Planting Green

Cover Cropped Acres Grew, Record Percentage of Growers Planted Green

Other key findings from the annual Cover Crops Operational Benchmark Study include more drone seeding, reduced spending on seed & glyphosate remaining the No. 1 termination choice
By Laura Barrera posted on September 27, 2025 | Posted in Investing in Regenerative Ag, Soil Health
Based on those who shared the number of acres they seeded to cover crops, the total across all survey participants was 267,003 acres, making the average number seeded per farm 694 — a new record from the 504 average we saw in 2023.
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Killer Tips for Rolling Your Covers

Thorough cover crop termination with this equipment requires using the right plant varieties and carrying out operations at the right time.
By Laura Barrera posted on August 3, 2022 | Posted in Termination
“When conditions are right, rolling cover crops and not using herbicides can work about one out of five times,” says Holtwood, Pa., no-tiller Steve Groff, who’s been rolling and crimping covers since 1995. “One out of five times it’ll be a disaster, and three out of five it’ll be in the middle. That’s the realistic expectation.”
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No-Till Drills

Fine-Tune No-Till Drills for Better Cover Crop Seeding

Whether it’s getting cover-crop mixes seeded properly, or determining the right planting depth, equipment experts and no-tillers themselves offer tips on improving cover-crop seeding with no-till drills.
By Laura Barrera posted on June 15, 2022 | Posted in Seeding Practices
From airplanes and helicopters to highboy seeders, spreaders and planters, there are plenty of options for seeding cover crops. But many no-tillers prefer to use the tried-and-true no-till drills to seed covers.
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Rolling Covers, Planting Non-GMOs ‘Green’ Leads to Efficient, Thriving No-Till System

By relying on good farm data to improve their operation, Rick Clark and family are capitalizing on the non-GMO crop market while cutting costs, building soil health and stabilizing yields.
By Laura Barrera posted on May 5, 2020 | Posted in Seeding Practices, Soil Health
Yield doesn’t drive Rick Clark’s no-till system. Instead, the fifth generation no-tiller intensely focuses on building soil health as the driver of his family’s 7,000-acre operation near Williamsport, Ind.
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The National No-Tillage Conference returns January 6-9, 2026! Build and refine your no-till system with dozens of new ideas and connections at the 34th Annual National No-Tillage Conference in St. Louis, Jan. 6-9, 2026. Experience an energizing 4-day agenda featuring inspiring general session speakers, expert-led No-Till Classrooms and collaborative No-Till Roundtables. Plus, Certified Crop Adviser credits will be offered.

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Videos

Cover Crops & Autonomy — Don’t Lose the Plot

Cover Crops & Autonomy — Don’t Lose the Plot

Autonomy is always one of the biggest topics talked about here at FIRA USA. Earlier there was a panel where the topic of cover crops came up in terms of autonomy and let’s take a listen on why it might be important to just pay a little more attention to cover crops when you’re dealing with AI or autonomous farm equipment.

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Top Directory Listings
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Remlinger Manufacturing Co Inc

Family Owned since 1964 – Remlinger Manufacturing was founded by Wilbur Remlinger in 1964 and the family tradition continues today with Wilbur’s grandson being the current CEO/President. Although the business has expanded and diversified, family remains a core value to the company and is evident in the company culture.

Made in USA – Remlinger Manufacturing is proudly located in Kalida, Ohio. We have dealers located across the US and Canada to conveniently serve our customers.

Quality Driven – With over 60 years of producing farm equipment, we continue our tradition of manufacturing high quality attachments and products to serve farmers around the globe.

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Byron Seeds

Byron Seeds LLC is a team of individuals who have a passion for high energy forages, cover crops, and proper farming techniques. Byron personnel seek to understand our clients’ goals so that we may provide the best environment for our clients’ success through research, education, support, and...
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I&J Mfg. LLC

Our years of experience and network of dealers make us the ideal choice for your mowing, no-till and horse drawn equipment needs. Use our Dealer Locator to contact your nearest I&J dealer today.

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