For this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by Yetter, Jack Zemlicka, editorial director here at Lessiter Media, spoke with 6th-generation farmer Ben Riensche, owner and manager of Blue Diamond Farming Company in Jesup, Iowa.

Soil test protocols developed for Western Canada in the 1960s are still used and still relevant, but farmers can collect a lot more data now to further refine recommendations. These are not your father’s soil tests, says an article in Canola Digest.

A new bill to be considered in the Senate would encourage farming practices that improve soil health and crop resilience and lower the amount of carbon in the atmosphere.

According to the latest Crop Progress report from USDA, 96% of soybeans have been harvested as of the week ended Nov. 15, 2020.

For this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by Yetter, we welcome Holtwood, Pennsylvania no-tiller Steve Groff to discuss his book, “The Future-Proof Farm,” which explores the market changes facing today’s farmers and how cover crops can help them stay resilient and relevant.

Signup for general CRP will be open from Jan. 4, 2021, to Feb. 12, 2021, and signup for CRP Grasslands runs from March 15, 2021 to April 23, 2021.

A new study shows diversifying agricultural systems beyond a narrow selection of crops leads to a range of ecosystem improvements while also maintaining or improving yields. But the study said some marketing and agricultural policy considerations will have to change for farmers to adopt diversification practices more widely, says Iowa State University.