The Estes family may have adopted no-till in 1983 to avoid picking rocks, but in the 32 years since they’ve seen many more advantages to giving up the plow.

Cover crops have been touted for feeding soil biological life, halting erosion and promoting an overall healthy, sustainable no-till system. But in some situations, with the right species, cover crops can help resolve additional challenges no-tillers are looking to fix.

Like most growers, Davie Stephens wants to get the most out of his farm. The Clinton, Ky., corn and soybean no-tiller moved to 20-inch rows in the mid 1990s to ramp up planting populations, and is working with different companies to test prescription services to determine what planting rate fits each farm best.

When heavy rains hit the Midwest this growing season, it did more than saturate soils.

Rob Stout’s philosophy to farming is, “If you’re not trying to learn or do better, you’re falling behind in this day and age.”