Our soils used to be dead. Now we have mushrooms growing down the rows with our crops. It’s a whimsical nod to the soil health we’ve worked so adamantly to build since we took over farming from Korey’s dad, Randy, in 2012. 

One of the first things you’ll notice when pulling up to Les Seiler’s house is the personalized license plate on his car, with the letters “NO TIL.” Before you even shake the jovial farmer’s hand, it’s clear how enthusiastic he is about conservation ag, specifically soil health.

Rick Clark wants growers to spend less on synthetic inputs.
He also wants to eliminate herbicides, open up the window for planting, and more. That all starts with eliminating tillage, Clark says.

For independent research agronomist Jim Stute, the appearance of glyphosate-resistant giant ragweed, waterhemp and marestail on his East Troy, Wis., farm was alarming. But it was also an opportunity — an opportunity to test the ability of cover crops to suppress marestail and other troublesome weeds and reduce reliance on glyphosate.