Jason Mauck

No-Tiller, Gaston, Ind.

CLASSROOM #13: Protecting Productive Fields with Manure, Winter Wheat and Cover Crops

Some no-tillers find it’s a major challenge managing manure in a way that lets them meet their productivity, soil health and environmental goals. But Jason Mauck is turning manure into the centerpiece of his farm’s fertilizer plan.

The Gaston, Ind., no-tiller and min-tiller of corn, soybeans and winter wheat shares how he’s processing manure from his farm’s 12,000 hogs, as well as from outside sources, to make a “biochar” of sorts that encapsulates nitrogen and boosts carbon content in the soil. He also describes his plans to integrate covers, wheat and the biochar into a one-pass system that keeps soils covered over winter and increases soil productivity.