While leafing through a Plow & Hearth catalog a few days ago, I spotted a unique product that made me think of the many benefits of no-tilling.

While it's not likely to be a paying proposition in your no-till fields, gardeners are being encouraged to purchase earthworm castings to improve the productivity of their soils. Marketing materials for these casting products definitely show the correlation as to why increased earthworm numbers in your no-tilled fields help boost yields and protect the environment.

Conservation farming is revolutionizing agriculture through the adoption of new ideas, technology and practices. Direct seeding (no-tilling) is just one of these new practices that is reforming the way that we farm.