When remembering the life and lessons of the late Dave Brandt, no-tillers recall the Carroll, Ohio, No-Till Legend’s passion for educating other farmers, his humble demeanor and his great kindness to all.

Brandt died unexpectedly May 20 as a result of injuries from a severe vehicle crash. The “godfather” of cover crops, soil health and regenerative agriculture made a lasting impact on agriculture since the earliest days of his farming career.

Early Innovator

Brandt began farming in 1971 and imported the first known no-till drill into the U.S. in 1975 — a Moore seeder from Ireland. In 1978, he started running a 1,150-acre corn, soybean and wheat operation, and planted his first cover crop.

"When I planted my first cover crop — cereal rye — in 1978 to control erosion on poorly drained, hilly clay soils, I had no idea what the full ramifications of that decision would be," Brandt said in an article reflecting on what was then 30 years of using covers. "Since then, cover crops have become the anchor of a diverse crop rotation in our continuous no-till system."

Brandt received numerous awards for his conservation practices, including the Ohio Conservation Educator Award from the Ohio No-Till Council, Ohio State University South Center's Supporter of the Year, Ohio Agriculture's Man of the Year, the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award and Ohio NRCS Soil Conservationist Partnership and State Volunteer Awards. In 2008, No-Till Farmer recognized Brandt in its first class of Responsible Nutrient Management…