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Laura Barrera

Laura Barrera is the former managing editor of No-Till Farmer and Conservation Tillage Guide magazines. Prior to joining No-Till Farmer, she served as an assistant editor for a greenhouse publication. Barrera holds a B.A. in magazine journalism from Ball State University.

Articles

ARTICLES

Should You Rotate Your Cover Crops? 4 Issues to Consider

Some covers planted back to back, year after year, can cause problems for no-tillers with root and soil diseases if selection and timing isn’t carefully managed, says Dave Robison.

By Laura Barrera posted on January 26, 2020 | Posted in Cover Crops, Crop Protection

Growers probably know crop rotation is a good thing as it helps prevent pests and disease, improves soil health and reduces fertilizer inputs — all of which can boost crop yields and the bottom line.

Diversifying Crops and Livestock Saves Soil While Boosting Profitability

Gail Fuller learned it takes more than no-till to see a change in soil health, and since losing his crop insurance, he’s no longer focused on chasing yields for commodities, but building healthy soil for healthy foods.

By Laura Barrera posted on December 29, 2019 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops, Nutrient Management, Soil Health

Gail Fuller has always been driven by erosion. He decided to give no-till a try not long after he began farming full-time in the 1980s, because he hated seeing soil leave his farm in Emporia, Kan., where slopes range from 1-5%.

Feeding the Soil Brings Dramatically Positive Results

At a soil health conference at Clemson University in October 2019, Doug Newton, a no-tiller from Clio, S.C., sat down with West Union, Iowa, no-tiller Loran Steinlage and discussed their experiences with no-tilling, cover cropping and creating fertility with plants.

By Laura Barrera posted on December 27, 2019 | Posted in Cover Crops, Soil Health

Doug Newton, a no-tiller from Clio, S.C., sat down with West Union, Iowa, no-tiller Loran Steinlage and discussed their experiences with no-tilling, cover cropping and creating fertility with plants.

11 Tips for Getting Started with Cover Crops

With two decades of cover cropping experience under his belt, Illinois farmer Adam Dahmer shares his advice and suggestions for those new to the practice.

By Laura Barrera posted on October 31, 2019 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops, Crop Protection

Adam Dahmer was born into a farming operation in Marion, Ill., that was already 100% no-till 3 years before he was born.

Understanding the Limits of Soil Health Tests

A study of three commercial soil health tests looked at whether they could distinguish different management systems and provide useful insights to no-tillers.

By Laura Barrera posted on October 9, 2019 | Posted in Soil Health

Several years ago, the Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative (CCSI), a program focused on improving soil health in Indiana, began receiving questions from farmers about soil health tests.

Cover Crop Veteran Shares Secrets of Interseeding Success

Cover crop and no-till veteran David Brandt explains why no-tillers need to consider their herbicide program, cover crop seeding method and choice of species to make interseeding work.

By Laura Barrera posted on July 11, 2019 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops, Soil Health

David Brandt knows cover crops. The Carroll, Ohio, no-tiller has been using them on his 600-acre farm since 1978 and today has a cover crop seed company to help others improve their soil health and land management practices.

Experiments with ‘Extreme Biomass’ Provide Soil and Water Protections

Pennsylvania no-tiller Jim Hershey shares his thoughts on maximizing cover crop benefits by interseeding and delaying termination.

By Laura Barrera posted on May 28, 2019 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops, Nutrient Management, Soil Health

Lancaster County, located about 90 minutes west of Philadelphia, is the largest livestock-producing county in Pennsylvania. It’s also the county with the most impaired streams, making it a major contributor of pollution to the Chesapeake Bay.

Curbing Nitrogen Runoff in the Chesapeake Bay with Data, Precise Placement

With over 10,000 acres of cover crops, Trey Hill explains how he’s updated his equipment for better fertilizer placement, while data from Encirca helps him decide on nitrogen amounts.

By Laura Barrera posted on March 29, 2019 | Posted in Cover Crops, Nutrient Management

In an effort to curb nutrient pollution in the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland farmers have been met with strict regulations on when, how and how much fertilizer they can apply to their fields.

Shake Up Your No-Till Operation with New Rotations, Non-GMOs

By Laura Barrera posted on February 27, 2019 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Soil Health

Here are some additional information and tips from Williamsport, Ind., grower Rick Clark for promoting a more diversified no-till system through utilizing different rotations and adding non-GMO crops.

Rolling Covers, Planting Non-GMOs ‘Green’ Leads to Efficient, Thriving No-Till System

By relying on good farm data to improve their operation, Rick Clark and family are capitalizing on the non-GMO crop market while cutting costs, building soil health and stabilizing yields.

By Laura Barrera posted on February 25, 2019 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops, Equipment

Yield doesn’t drive Rick Clark’s no-till system. Instead, the fifth generation no-tiller intensely focuses on building soil health as the driver of his family’s 7,000-acre operation near Williamsport, Ind.

View All Articles by Laura Barrera

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Regenerative Farming Effects on Water Quality

Addressing a gathering of the Dodge County Farmers for Healthy Soil & Healthy Water, Russell Hedrick of Hickory, N.C., shares a presentation on the impacts on water quality that can be realized by utilizing regenerative ag practices, such as growing cover crops, reducing soil disturbance, maintaining soil armor, and integrating livestock.

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