Articles by Martha Mintz

What I've Learned from No-Tilling

No-Till and Cover Crops Give Tired Soils New Life

It was an uphill battle, but these Missouri no-tillers returned productivity to a heavily depleted farm.

By Martha Mintz posted on July 22, 2020 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops, Residue Management, Soil Health, Water Management

A cross-state move and knowing the potential of no-till bought our family and the land we purchased a fresh start. A commitment to cover crops gave us a mid-race boost we’re still riding.

What I've Learned from No-Tilling

On-Farm Testing and Evaluation Lead to 100% No-Till Adoption

Crunching the numbers on no-till and other practices helps the Williams family dial in peak economic farm performance.

By Martha Mintz posted on May 28, 2020 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops, Equipment, Nutrient Management, Soil Health

Ignorance may be bliss, but it’s no way to farm. Instead of blindly seeking the highest yields and following conventional management recommendations, my wife, Kelli, and I work to track, evaluate and problem solve on the farm we started together.

What I've Learned from No-Tilling

A New Legacy of Improving Economy, Profitability and Best Practices

Trent Profit builds on years of conservation practices to take his family farm to the next level.

By Martha Mintz posted on April 30, 2020 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Residue Management, Nutrient Management, Precision Agriculture

I WAS BORN into no-till and there’s a running joke I wouldn’t know how to drive a tractor straight if I had to thanks to the family’s quick adoption of guidance technology.

What I've Learned from No-Tilling

Cattle and Covers on Every Acre Help No-Tillers Drive Down Cost

Using cattle to manage corn-on-corn residue helped push this Iowa farm to 100% no-till. Now covers are taking them even further.

By Martha Mintz posted on April 8, 2020 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops, Residue Management, Nutrient Management, Soil Health

THE DAY WE realized we don’t need tillage to manage heavy corn-on-corn residue because we have cows to graze it was the day we were able to shift from dabbling in no-till to committing 100% 3 years ago.

What I've Learned from No-Tilling

Achieving Profits and Sustainability with a Properly Cycling System

In this no-tiller’s book, conservation practices must work for your soils and your bank account.

By Jack Herricks and Martha Mintz posted on February 21, 2020 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops, Soil Health, Water Management

The good thing about Cashton soils is they don’t dry out. The bad thing about Cashton soils is they don’t dry out. That’s the saying around here. It’s partly why I use cover crops like cereal rye.

What I've Learned from No-Tilling

Leveling Up and Paring Down for Better No-Till Results

Integrating no-till, then cover crops, cattle, compost, autoinducers and more are ramping up performance for this Colorado dryland producer.

By Curtis Sayles and Martha Mintz posted on January 24, 2020 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops, Nutrient Management, Soil Health

We keep hitting new levels with our no-till system. There’s no stopping and it keeps farming interesting — certainly more interesting than the traditional wheat-fallow rotation we used to follow.

What I've Learned from No-Tilling

Data-Guided Changes Help No-Till Farm Support Three Families

Equipment, technologies, inputs and more are all subject to evaluation — only the proven are maintained.

By Bryan Tomm and Martha Mintz posted on December 28, 2019 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Equipment, Crop Protection, Nutrient Management, Precision Agriculture, Soil Health

I'm very goal oriented. I spent 9 years working as a process engineer for ADM before our family made the move to my wife’s family farm in 2014. My corporate experience meant a lot of performance evaluations and structured goal setting, which I now apply on the farm.

What I've Learned from No-Tilling

Water In, Slugs Out, Inputs Down, Profits Up

Things are certainly moving in the right directions for Ben Peckman thanks to mindful no-till and cover crop management.

By Ben Peckman and Martha Mintz posted on November 27, 2019 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops, Equipment, Soil Health

The Poor Crew from Pennsylvania State University, NRCS and ARS looking to study nutrient losses in runoff left my farm very disappointed this past fall.

What I've Learned from No-Tilling

Sidestepping Disaster Pushes No-Till Farm Down Bold New Path

Once a mere day from filing bankruptcy, these young farmers got a second chance and are bravely, and boldly pressing on.

By Doug McConnell and Martha Mintz posted on October 31, 2019 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops, Nutrient Management, Soil Health

In 2017 the wheels came off, both literally and figuratively. First, and worst, our bank suddenly decided to not renew our operating loan.

What I've Learned from No-Tilling

Planter Building Proves A Useful Skillset for Pennsylvania No-Tiller

Horse or tractor-farmed fields alike benefit from no-till and a strategically built and well-maintained planter.

By Gideon Stoltzfus and Martha Mintz posted on October 10, 2019 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops, Equipment

I think readers will find our experiences with no-till to be equally foreign and familiar. Foreign in the fact that on our family farm, the horsepower that runs our field operations comes from actual draft horses. Familiar in that we've gained many benefits from making the move to no-till.

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No-Till vs. Mud, Fire & Water Facebook Videos

Twin-Row Cereal Rye Adds 35-Bushel Advantage in No-Tiller’s Irrigated Corn

Add Covers, Subtract Inputs & Multiply Profits with Systems Approach to No-Till

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Last-Minute Planter Prep for No-Tillers & Strip-Tillers

On this episode of Conservation Ag Update, brought to you by Martin-Till, precision specialist Chad Baker, co-owner of Baker Precision Planter Works in Orangeville, Ill., helps a first-generation no-tiller with planter setup, and later encounters a couple problems with a strip-tiller’s new 24-row planter. Plus, veteran agronomist Brad Forkner checks in with a couple tips for farmers to keep in mind before they take the field.

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Articles by Martha Mintz

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