David Brandt knows cover crops. The Carroll, Ohio, no-tiller has been using them on his 600-acre farm since 1978 and today has a cover crop seed company to help others improve their soil health and land management practices.

Should crop insurance be linked to soil health? Two scientists at Cornell University believe that if we want to see soil health improve, the answer is “yes.”

Once again, growers who seed cover crops have higher yields — and profits — than those who don’t, say the results of Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE) and Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC)’s fourth annual Cover Crop Survey.

With crop prices and farm incomes at record levels, many no-tillers have been pouring substantial sums of money into improving drainage.