There's a buzz — some of it positive, some not — coming out of southeastern Minnesota about a new strip-tilling machine. The chatter focuses on Mark Bauer’s Soil Warrior, which he says provides an unprecedented balance between conventional tillage and no-till.

Multi-purpose equipment aids efficiency, and current practices could qualify for soil and water conservation payments.

My first “no-tilling” experiences were in 1989 when I planted soybeans directly into old corn rows. I saw immediate labor and fuel savings and harvested yields that were consistent with conventional tilling.

“Mound height is the key to successful strip tilling, but I see a lot of people who don’t pay a lot of attention to the mound height,” says Jim Kinsella, who’s been making strip-till work for more than 20 years on his farm in Lexington, Ill.

When it comes to strip-tilling effectively, Tony and Doug Anderson benefit from both farming and equipment dealer experience. Besides farming 2,500 acres, the brothers own Anderson Equipment, a shortline dealership selling planting and tillage equipment at Washington Court House, Ohio.

Jeff Martin stays flexible, ready to ride the currents in technology and world markets that threaten some family farms.