For over thirty years I managed farms in northwest and northcentral Iowa for absentee farm owners whom I worked closely with to make soil and water conservation an important part of our farm plans. I convinced my farm operators to stop moldboard plowing, move to chisel plows and eventually leave soybean stubble untilled in the fall.

Growing — even in climates with a cold winter — is less about seasons and more about keeping the water, nutrient and carbon cycles turning to your advantage.