Laura Barrera

Alfalfa, Cereal Rye Bring Added Benefits to Long-Term No-Till

Milledgeville, Ill., no-tiller Norm Deets finds alfalfa helps speed up the transition to no-till and cover crops hold and build soil in areas prone to erosion.

By Laura Barrera posted on March 14, 2016 | Posted in Soil Health

Being the “scourge” of the neighborhood was one of the biggest challenges Norm Deets faced when he started no-tilling. But after 30 years of committing to the practice, he knows the benefits outweigh the nice look of perfectly tilled soils.

The Next Step in No-Till: Planting into Living Covers

Pennsylvania no-tillers Lucas Criswell and Jim Hershey extend and advance the benefits of cover crops by planting directly into them.

By Laura Barrera posted on January 11, 2016 | Posted in Seeding Practices

If no-till isn’t enough to stop erosion, what is?

From the Desk of Laura Barrera

Cover Crops Key to Reducing, Managing Extreme Weather

By Laura Barrera posted on December 1, 2015 | Posted in Soil Health

Drought, heat, hot wind, heavy rainfall, flooding and other extreme weather cost the top 10 U.S. agriculture states more than $25 billion the last 5 years, says the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).

Winter Cover, Better Spraying Build Stronger Soil, Cleaner Fields

Kentucky no-tiller Jack Estes is seeing promising results from keeping his fields covered as much as possible, switching up herbicides and improving sprayer performance.

By Laura Barrera posted on November 14, 2015

The Estes family may have adopted no-till in 1983 to avoid picking rocks, but in the 32 years since they’ve seen many more advantages to giving up the plow.

No-Till, Cover Crops No Problem for Northern Climate

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

By Laura Barrera posted on August 21, 2015

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

How Cover Crops Pay Off in a Continuous No-Till System

Cover crops involve some expense, but Rulon Enterprises in Arcadia, Ind., finds they do more than pay their way in their no-till system of 20-plus years.

By Laura Barrera posted on June 11, 2015

There's no cash in cover crops, Ken Rulon says, just tremendous value. And if no-tillers stick to the system, they can see both yield and cost benefits in the long run.

Cover Cropping 2,500 Acres

By Laura Barrera posted on March 17, 2015

Tom Gasper of North Vernon, Ind., talks about the benefits his family's no-till operation is seeing from using cover crops on more than 2,000 acres, the species they’re using and why they decided to have their covers aerially seeded.

Protect Soil, Produce More ‘N’ with Frost Seeded Red Clover

No-tillers raising winter wheat can use this time-honored practice to boost yields for the following crop, improve soil tilth and relieve compaction, all without hauling out a no-till planter or drill.

By Laura Barrera posted on January 9, 2015 | Posted in Soil Health

When Aaron McQueen started farming 3 years ago, he wanted to seed a cover crop after winter wheat harvest to reduce erosion and increase soil tilth and soil biological activity.

Easing into No-Till, Cover Crops Holds Hilly Soils, Reduces Weeds

A growing dairy operation prompted a Wisconsin farm to adopt more conservation practices, giving them healthier, mellower soil and better use of time and labor while maintaining yields.

By Laura Barrera posted on December 8, 2014

For about 10-15 years, no-tilling corn into 300 acres of soybean stubble was the extent of the Kieler family's use of the conservation practice.

Sugarbeets Could Be New Cover for Forage, Tough Environments

Northern no-tillers looking for a cover crop that will winterkill, produce high-quality forage and work in tougher soils may want to consider this traditional cash crop.

By Laura Barrera posted on December 8, 2014 | Posted in Seeding Practices, Soil Health

A cash crop that's known for being tricky to no-till may still have potential in a no-till system as a cover crop.