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NAME: John Merchant (farms and operates Merchant Grain, LLC; with father, Al)

LOCATION: Cass City, Mich.

YEARS IN NO-TILLING: 19

ACRES NO-TILLED: 4,600

CROPS NO-TILLED: Soybeans, soft red winter wheat and soft white winter wheat.

When I left home to attend Michigan State University in 1989, Dad was following a conservation-tillage program.

The typical scenario was fall discing, fall ripping and spring field cultivating. We were growing sugarbeets, corn, soybeans and wheat on mostly heavy clay soils.

While I was earning my degree, Dad started the transition to no-till. It was a challenge, but he soon realized no-till was cutting his labor and fuel bills in half.

Yields started improving and our heavy soils responded to the minimal disturbance — which stood to reason, as we had learned long ago that if we tilled in wet conditions, we were lost.

In 1995, my father presented me a chance to farm in partnership. We struck a deal and I began farming full time.

I was impressed with what Dad had done. No-till seemed to be the most efficient way to raise a crop while improving our soil. A range of soils, mostly clays, were responding favorably.

All of our farms are now no-till. Compaction is under control, and we quit deep ripping. As my Dad says, if you don’t pack it down, you don’t have to rip it.

Picking A Paying Rotation

We stopped raising sugarbeets when Dad switched to no-till. It seemed like an appropriate time to…