Cold, wet weather hit Wisconsin early in the fall of 2018, laying waste to the cover cropping plans of many farmers, even those with many years of experience.

My family farms on what is known as the Comanche Flats just northwest of Billings, Mont. As the name implies, the terrain is relatively level — in fact, the plow horses my great grandfather used to work the land were likely grateful for — so erosion isn’t a major concern for us.

Being the “scourge” of the neighborhood was one of the biggest challenges Norm Deets faced when he started no-tilling. But after 30 years of committing to the practice, he knows the benefits outweigh the nice look of perfectly tilled soils.

No-tilling was a strategy I picked up from my father, but it took me nearly 25 years before I finally went 100% no-till.