While some growers see no-till as an important soil conservation measure, others see it as a way to reduce costs and boost their bottom lines. In fact, a number of farmers are switching to no-till in 2006 due to record-high fuel prices.

Armed with a lot of words like “possibly,” “guesswork” and “unsure,” four no-tillers bravely took the stage at the recent National No-Tillage Conference to explain what could be coming in this year’s Farm Bill.

Since most no-tillers probably already qualify for payments, the new 2002 farm bill offers plenty of opportunities and should lead to further expansion of no-tilled acres. But if you're just no-tilling corn and soybeans, don' expect that rotation to automatically meet the necessary government criteria in all states.

I'd make a really poor conventional farmer. I'd get bored out of my gourd. I never liked cultivators and I've always said they should rename them "corn killers."

Each year during pheasant and grouse hunting seasons, Ron Swindler’s farm at Mott, N.D., was becoming more and more like a shooting gallery. So the no-tiller decided to do something about it.

After heavy rains drenched their Schuyler, Neb., farm last summer, 12-year-old Rob Clausen and his dad, Chris, discovered a major benefit of no-till farming with their own water quality test.