Regenerative agriculture has many different definitions. Practices such as no-till, cover crops, grazing and other soil health improvement strategies are often placed under different umbrellas of conservation agriculture, sustainable agriculture and several other similar titles.

The challenge ahead for farmers is to produce more food on a declining land area, with soils and ecosystems that are continually being degraded — all while using less water, energy and natural resources under difficult economic circumstances.

While no-tillers typically enjoy a reduction in fuel, machinery costs and labor when compared to their conventional-tillage neighbors, fertilizing their soils and crops isn’t getting any cheaper.

For Dave Chance, building a successful no-till system has come from a combination of timely discoveries, deliberate decisions and a healthy fascination with soil health.