Thanks to the magic of computers, no-tillers and would-be no-tillers from the far corners of the Earth can conveniently get together. That’s what happened recently, when growers from Scotland, England, New Zealand and the U.S. met at Farmers Forum, No-Till Farmer’s online message board. Here’s how they found common ground.

Joe Garland examines the golden corn stalks that an earthworm has carefully dragged into its hole. The Ohio farmer finds earthworms are just one benefit of strip-tillage.

Whether it's managing residue or growing a cover crop ahead of alfalfa, details about what has worked on other farms offers a head start toward success. Growers asking for valuable input often find answers at Farmers’ Forum, the online bulletin board at www.no-tillfarmer.com. As always, we’ll share some of that information here.

Jan Layman never expected to be a die-hard no-tiller. “I never thought I’d be preaching the evangelism of no-till. I enjoyed working the ground,” admits Layman of Kenton, Ohio.

The web site www.no-tillfarmer.com has been busy the past few weeks. If you haven't taken a look at the site, now is the perfect time. Some of your fellow no-tillers have been chiming in on subjects ranging from the best planters to what rotations work best to the No-Till Farmer's featured topic of problems with dirt building up on gauge wheels.

When it comes to recognizing the biggest breakthroughs in no-till, Keith Kemp says it has been an increase in soil organic matter, new hybrids and varieties, improved herbicides, decreased production costs and the use of several valuable seeding accessories.

While soybean growers have been moving toward no-till in a big way, the growth of no-till corn acres has remained somewhat flat in recent years.