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Martha Mintz

Martha Mintz

Since 2011, Martha has authored the highly popular “What I’ve Learned About No-Till” series that has appeared in every issue of No-Till Farmer since August of 2002.


Growing up on a cattle ranch in southeastern Montana, Martha is a talented ag writer and photographer who lives with her family in Billings, Montana.

Articles

ARTICLES

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What I've Learned from No-Tilling

One Bold Move Leads to Decades of No-Till Success

Jumping aggressively into no-till and later cover crops created an efficient, productive system and flexibility for off-farm adventures.
By Martha Mintz posted on November 3, 2020 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops, Equipment, Soil Health
I’M A BIT of an adventurer. In my 20s I ran triathlons, then I traveled the country as a wind surfer and for the last 15 years I’ve enjoyed getting way off the beaten path with my dirt bike. I’m certainly not afraid to try something different or think outside the box and that’s true in my farming operation, too.
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Building a Case for the Economic Benefits of Improving Soil Health

To help farmers make informed decisions, the Soil Health Partnership is gathering data on the financial impacts of conservation practices.
By Martha Mintz posted on October 20, 2020 | Posted in Cover Crops, Nutrient Management, Soil Health, Water Management
FOR THE PAST 7 years, the National Corn Growers Assn. and their partners have been working to increase the confident adoption of soil health management practices today and in the future through the Soil Health Partnership (SHP).
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What I've Learned from No-Tilling

Taking No-Till Diversity Beyond the Annual Cycle

Wildflowers, perennial grasses, intercropped cover crops and more have this Idaho farm leading the pack in crop diversity.
By Martha Mintz posted on October 17, 2020 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops, Nutrient Management, Soil Health
Keeping soil in place in the Palouse can be a real challenge, one we haven’t always been the best at meeting. The growing season is short, and slopes can be as steep as 40-plus degrees.
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What I've Learned from No-Tilling

Adding Diversity and Livestock for a Stronger Bottom Line — Now and in the Future

Playing the long game means this no-tiller’s profits may be more impressive when viewed by the decade rather than the year.
By Martha Mintz posted on September 11, 2020 | Posted in Cover Crops, Nutrient Management, Soil Health, Water Management
Farmers want to see a profit. They want to see it every year and with every crop. There’s nothing wrong with that exactly, but I want to consider long term potential benefits and compounding profits as much as short-term gain when weighing management strategies.
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What I've Learned from No-Tilling

Securing Stability Through Stacked Enterprises and Stockpiled Carbon

With an eye on a variable future, no-tiller Jesse Hall diversifies his rotations and income streams for lasting success.
By Martha Mintz posted on August 4, 2020 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops, Nutrient Management
Stability is the goal and what drives nearly every decision on our farm. It can come in many forms. I want stability in yields, stability in soil conditions and, ultimately, stability in our farm’s overall economic health.
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Variety Stated: Advancing Cover Crop Genetics and Performance

Advances in cover crop species and variety evaluation, development and breeding will hopefully soon make seed bag tags with “Variety Not Stated” (VNS) the odd rarity, not the norm.
By Martha Mintz posted on July 24, 2020 | Posted in Cover Crops
T he steady rise of cover crop use and interest in recent years has plant breeders, geneticists, agronomists, cropping systems researchers, government agencies, universities and seed companies turning their attention to making the practice a success.
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What I've Learned from No-Tilling

No-Till and Cover Crops Give Tired Soils New Life

It was an uphill battle, but these Missouri no-tillers returned productivity to a heavily depleted farm.
By Martha Mintz posted on July 22, 2020 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops, Residue Management, Soil Health, Water Management
A cross-state move and knowing the potential of no-till bought our family and the land we purchased a fresh start. A commitment to cover crops gave us a mid-race boost we’re still riding.
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What I've Learned from No-Tilling

On-Farm Testing and Evaluation Lead to 100% No-Till Adoption

Crunching the numbers on no-till and other practices helps the Williams family dial in peak economic farm performance.
By Martha Mintz posted on May 28, 2020 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops, Equipment, Nutrient Management, Soil Health
Ignorance may be bliss, but it’s no way to farm. Instead of blindly seeking the highest yields and following conventional management recommendations, my wife, Kelli, and I work to track, evaluate and problem solve on the farm we started together.
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What I've Learned from No-Tilling

A New Legacy of Improving Economy, Profitability and Best Practices

Trent Profit builds on years of conservation practices to take his family farm to the next level.
By Martha Mintz posted on April 30, 2020 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Residue Management, Nutrient Management, Precision Agriculture
I WAS BORN into no-till and there’s a running joke I wouldn’t know how to drive a tractor straight if I had to thanks to the family’s quick adoption of guidance technology.
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What I've Learned from No-Tilling

Cattle and Covers on Every Acre Help No-Tillers Drive Down Cost

Using cattle to manage corn-on-corn residue helped push this Iowa farm to 100% no-till. Now covers are taking them even further.
By Martha Mintz posted on April 8, 2020 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops, Residue Management, Nutrient Management, Soil Health
THE DAY WE realized we don’t need tillage to manage heavy corn-on-corn residue because we have cows to graze it was the day we were able to shift from dabbling in no-till to committing 100% 3 years ago.
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