The Reed family members are some of no-till’s biggest advocates. But the Washington, Iowa, farmers don’t say no-tilling is the perfect, cookie-cutter method. Instead, they say, while no-till is the best way to be a good steward of the land and a profitable farmer, it does take some know-how.

Eight years after jumping into no-till, Paul Reed and his three brothers had just about had it. “We almost quit no-tilling in 1990,” says Reed, explaining that as they expanded their no-till acreage, they also saw their planting window shrinking.

The web site www.no-tillfarmer.com has been busy the past few weeks. If you haven't taken a look at the site, now is the perfect time. Some of your fellow no-tillers have been chiming in on subjects ranging from the best planters to what rotations work best to the No-Till Farmer's featured topic of problems with dirt building up on gauge wheels.

With record breaking droughts, winds and downpours shattering farmlands in many areas around the country, this year was particularly tough for no-tillers to plant and harvest on time and still get a decent crop.