reduced tillage

Producer Survey Shows Using No-Till 5+ Years Yields Higher Profits

June 14, 2021 | Posted in Economics

A survey of producers in central and eastern South Dakota showed a majority of those who have used no-tillage and reduced tillage practices for five years or more have seen increases in profitability through decreased production costs and increases in cash crop yields. Read more in this article from the Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan.

[Podcast] Sweet Corn Benefits from No-Till, Cover Crops

This week’s podcast features three Indiana farmers as they discuss planting cover crops with sweet corn, how no-tilling works in different soil types, retaining moisture with cover crops, and more.

August 24, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

This week’s podcast features three Indiana farmers as they discuss planting cover crops with sweet corn, how no-tilling works in different soil types, retaining moisture with cover crops, and more.

Soil Health Practices Show Economic, Ecological Benefits

May 13, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

A group of California organic farmers is sharing information about their efforts to combine reduced tillage with the use of cover crops, which they have been planting on their vegetable farms for decades to protect soil while adding carbon and diversity to their production systems. "Every one of the pioneering farmers has seen tremendous benefits from the practices," said Jeff Mitchell, UC Cooperative Extension vegetable crops specialist.

Organic Soybean Producers Can Be Competitive with Reduced Tillage, Cover Crops

April 22, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: Penn State University Extension

Organic soybean producers using no-till and reduced-tillage production methods that incorporate cover crops — strategies that protect soil health and water quality — can achieve similar yields at competitive costs compared to tillage-based production. That’s the conclusion of a new study by researchers in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences. Read more in this article from Penn State University Extension.

Cover Crops Part of Horizon Organic’s Carbon Positive Goal

By Sarah Hill posted on March 31, 2020

If you have looked in the dairy case at all in your local grocery store, you can’t miss Horizon Organic, with its bright red cartons and cartoon cow. The world’s largest certified organic dairy brand is now looking to use cover crops, crop rotation and reduced tillage to offset more carbon than is produced by its organic dairy farmer members.

Do Cover Crops Really Pay Off?

January 16, 2020 | Posted in Economics

Source: Kenosha News

After a year of difficult weather and low commodity prices, farmers everywhere are cutting back on costs. At the Conservation Tillage Conference (CTC) in December, many growers looked at the economics of reduced tillage/no-till and cover crops, and whether or not those management practices really pay off.

Greatest Soil Health Benefits Come From No-Till, Cover Crop Combo

October 28, 2019 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: Ohio's Country Journal

For the last several years, many farmers have been adopting practices to improve the “soil health” of their fields. Often this includes no-till or reduced tillage, and the introduction of cover crops. While the basic soil health concept is relatively uniform, the way the practices are implemented is often very different from operation to operation. Read more in this article from Ohio's Country Journal.

Census of Agriculture 2017

Cover Crop Acres in U.S. Top 15 Million

April 11, 2019 | Posted in Economics

Data from the Census of Agriculture 2017 just released shows the number of farmers using cover crops as a management tool continues to increase, with 15 million acres seeded in 2017 — up 49% over 2012 acreage.

No-Till, Cover Crops Improve Feed Quality, Limit Erosion and Build Soil Health

Reducing sediment and phosphorus runoff, improving soil health and reducing operational risk are goals for no-till dairy farmer Dan Brick.

By Mark McNeely posted on January 13, 2018 | Posted in Soil Health

Managing a dairy farm that traces its roots back 170 years isn’t out of the ordinary for Greenleaf, Wis., no-tiller Dan Brick. The fact that Brickstead Dairy is Wisconsin’s 2017 Leopold Conservation Award recipient, however, is a fairly recent development.