Every successful no-till farmer can tell you how they started, how they made mistakes and learned from them, and how they made it over the hump to consistent profitability

Many no-tillers also can tell you why. 

And “why” is the important first step. For neighbors who still till the ground 2 or 3 times before planting, help them understand why no-till is better. Showing them how can come later.

You may remember a country song from 2006 with the line, “Why, why, why do you wanna change me now?” It’s a love song. And, yes, it was written and sung by a man. 

You don’t have to be a man to be in love… with tillage. It’s not just men who say they love the aroma of a freshly plowed field. For some, it even ranks right up there with Chanel #5. (Note to self: don’t Google search for Chanel #5 to make sure it is still around unless you want your social media bombarded with perfume ads.)

So, why should a farmer who’s in love with tillage give it up for something better? Try these five reasons why:

Erosion

With no-till, and especially with cover crops, soil erosion is greatly reduced or eliminated. Erosion is costly, both to the farmer and society. When topsoil leaves a field, it takes fertilizer nutrients with it. 

Soil eroded by water turns into mud and fills ditches, blocks culverts and spills onto roads. The cleanup is expensive. A couple of gully washer rainstorms…