As part of the 40th anniversary of publishing No-Till Farmer, we’ve selected a group of 40 individuals who have made tremendous contributions to the growth and popularity of no-till.

Selecting these “40 legends” was not an exact science and will likely prove somewhat controversial in regards to some folks who were not included on the list.

As we pulled together the names of potential legends, it soon became apparent that a number of folks outside North America have also played a critical role in the acceptance of no-till around the world. As a result, we’ve also added a list of 11 worldwide legends that have made significant contributions to the no-till movement.

Following, you will find the “40 No-Till Legends” for North America listed in alphabetical order:

• John Aeschliman, Colfax, Wash. — He was one of the no-till pioneers in the Palouse area and founder of the Pacific Northwest Direct Seed Association in 2000. Aeschliman is a major proponent of the need for no-till to protect topsoil from erosion, having often distributed photos of Palouse-area roads covered with topsoil washed from conventionally tilled fields to prove his point. He has also discouraged the burning of residue in no-till systems.

• Keith Barrows, Midland, Mich. — He was the manager of ag chemical development at Dow Chemical Co. and among three Dow scientists who worked on the development of no-till techniques in 1951. Barrows authored more than 100 technical papers and books on ag developments. They relied on as much as 6…