Just about every no-tiller I’ve ever met would agree that at some point you start to wonder if you were really smart to move away from the “safety” of conventional systems.

When it comes to the future of the planet, Rattan Lal doesn’t beat around the bush. “Increase no-till farming practices across the planet or face serious climate, soil quality and food production problems in the next 20 to 50 years,” says the soil scientist at Ohio State University.

When you look at our operation today, it’s difficult to believe that my dad, Eugene Berry, was a big fan of moldboard plowing. In fact, I even bought a new tractor and plow myself as recently as 1985. We were still plowing corn stalks, chiseling and field cultivating soybean ground until 1990.

Compared to conventional tillage, U.S. Department of Agricultural economists say, corn growers who follow a crop residue management (CRM) program not only minimize soil and chemical runoff but can sharply reduce costs.

Myron Wehr asks questions. Most recently, he’s asking about the right fertilization program for his 1,900-acre farm in New Waterford, Ohio, and the several hundred acres he no-tills and harvests for neighbors. So he’s hosting an Ohio State University research project comparing his regular nitrogen program with fall and spring applications, both broadcast and incorporated, of manure and nitrogen. The results favor incorporated manure.

We've been no-tilling for nearly 20 years, but the history of conservation on our vegetable farm goes back to the mid ’60s. That’s when we first walked away from the moldboard plow.

BASF, the chemical company most widely known for its ongoing “We make it better” TV commercials, owes U.S. farmers $52 million for making it dishonestly.