When it comes to nutrient management, Deweese, Neb., farmer Brian Herbek lives by the 4R philosophy.

If it weren't for no-tilling, the Fifer family would have gotten out of the pumpkin business long ago, says Bobby Fifer.

As Stillman Valley, Ill., farmer Cade Bushnell rolls out newer technology on his 1,300-acre farm, he’s had a lot of success with mechanical alterations.

Some farmers dive headlong into changing their tillage practices. John Macauley, who farms 1,200 acres with his father, Jim, in Groveland, N.Y., is proof that transitioning to no-till can be done in steps.

An ancestor of the Leroy Bupp’s family likely started farming the land in Seven Valleys, Pa. Bupp currently farms on acres that were originally farmed around the time the 13 colonies declared independence from Britain. Of course, much has changed over the years.

For many farmers, rebuilding the level of organic matter in their soils is a process that can take many years, oftentimes only seeing small gains. But Kennett Square, Pa., no-tiller Jamie Hicks has seen the organic matter in some of his soils rocket from 1% to up to 5% in a relatively short period of time by spreading mushroom compost.

Tim Weiser accesses highly erodible, sloping acres with no-till that would have otherwise been unfarmable with tillage — realizing cost savings in the process.