Taking the ‘long view’ of farming comes more naturally to some growers than it does for others. But for Brian Gunderson it may come more naturally because his farm in Waterford, Wis., has been in the family for 170 years.

His father was introduced to no-tilling in 1981 and, aside from a few years where they resumed tilling on half their acreage to see if it would boost yields (it didn’t), his family’s farm has been 100% no-till since about 1987.

After 30 years of no-till, Gunderson says the farm’s routines are well-established and its results largely predictable. That wasn’t enough for Gunderson.

“I’ve been in kind of a rut,” he explains. “It's been kind of stale up until the last three years when — I don't know what single thing hit me — but cover crops became an interest of mine. So, two years ago I started with the first covers.”

Between taking classes, sitting in on talks by agronomists such as Ray Archuleta and connecting with other no-tillers who are focused on conservation techniques and watershed issues, Gunderson has become a definite convert.

“I think cover crops…