The legacy of the no-till movement weighed heavily on my mind as I drove home from the recent National No-Tillage Conference in St. Louis this year.

The well-attended meeting was upbeat and the speakers provided much fodder to point the way to success without the plow. But I was pondering comments I heard about the inevitable retirement of the dedicated corps of no-tillers who perfected the practice over the past 30-40 years.

I was wresting with the question: “Will there be enough aggressive, younger leaders to keep the momentum going?”

The question had been gnawing on me, spawned at first by Lessiter Media President Mike Lessiter’s Dec. 14, 2025 blog urging no-till veterans to “strap on the headlamp” and preserve the “tribal knowledge” of the successes and pitfalls of making no-till work. By doing so, Mike saw successful no-tillers lighting the way for less-experienced growers just trying or considering trying no-till. 

Where to Turn

In an after-conference interview with long-time Indiana no-tiller Jim Moseley I realized the “lamp” already is being lighted through various mentorship programs — both formal and informal.

Moseley, a former USDA deputy secretary during the Bush Administration, and life-long observer of how people learn, says even in his 70s he works with mentors to help meet challenges he faces on his operation.

“When you ask farmers where they turn for information and who they consult for practical information, consistently they will tell you another farmer who’s experienced what they are experiencing,” he explains. “In the case of no-till, they say they looked to producers who’d done it and had been there through the ‘war’ of making it work.”

Moseley says after about 3 years he was very tempted to give up on cover crops because of hit-and-miss success with getting stands after corn harvest. During the third year that he used cereal rye and extra nitrogen ahead of corn, persistent heavy rains prevented him from applying a second-shot sidedress for the corn. 

“I had a really bad crop,” he explains. “But a mentor at that time talked me through it and made me realize what had happened was not because of a mistake I’d made or the fault of the cover crop.” 

Now, after 11 years, Moseley has successfully integrated covers into his operation. He’s in the process of fine-tuning his management to match covers with previous herbicide use and working with another mentor incorporating knowledge of various pesticides into the successful rotation of cover crops. 

Like no-till, he says the 3-year mark of adopting new practices seems to be a critical make-or-break anniversary for growers. 

“Many farmers try no-till and by year three it hasn’t worked miracles, so they say, ‘It doesn’t work!’, throw up their hands and start turning the soil again,” Moseley says. “I was about at that point with cover crops. But persistence pays when adopting long-term management changes and having a mentor can help reduce the frustration short-term set-backs inevitably bring. 

“In my experience, if a grower gets through the 3-year mark, by the fifth year, they’ll never go back to the status quo.” 

A Place for Growers

In Indiana, Moseley is involved with farmadvisors.com, a connecting place for growers seeking mentors and experienced farmers willing to share their experience and wisdom. 

“We have a form on our website where growers interested in working with mentors can submit their information and we can help match the right people with one another based on subject matter and learning styles,” he explains. “While other states have similar programs, ours is open to all.” 

Farm Advisors, an all-volunteer group, currently has a roster of 50 experienced growers willing to mentor up to three interested farmers. Moseley is optimistic similar efforts around the nation can keep interest in conservation efforts and regenerative agriculture growing. 

“While there will always be those, even in the younger generation, who adhere strictly to farm practices used by their fathers, uncles and grandparents, there will be many others open to information exchange,” he explains. “And, if they’re open. If they are information seekers, there’s a high likelihood they will accept the assistance of a mentor.”

Related Content: No-Till Veterans: Strap on the Headlamp