A no-tiller from Iowa once told me his biggest frustration wasn’t necessarily dealing with residue, controlling weeds or getting a good stand. It was the fact that he couldn’t convert his neighboring farmer to no-till.

There were lots of things I expected to see during last Sunday’s Super Bowl, including hyped-to-the-max pop culture. But I also heard something meaningful that pertained to farming.

Nearly 80% of Americans believe temperatures are definitely on the rise. Yet, very few members of the general public understand the key role that no-tillage will play in battling global warming over the next 90 years.

You never know when ‘doing your job’ might affect someone deeply. But that’s what happened when former Purdue University ag economist and land owner Howard Doster opened the Jan. 9 edition of No-Till Farmer E-Tip and saw Kentucky no-tiller John Young and his son, Alexander, were going to speak during the first session at the 21st annual National No-Tillage Conference.

The Budget rental truck has been unloaded, hundreds of bags have been stuffed and stacked, and today No-Till Farmer kicks off what will likely be another record-breaking National No-Tillage Conference at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Indianapolis.

In the 40 years I’ve been tracking no-till, soil biology has never received as much attention as it does today. As no-tillers refine their systems, more are recognizing the importance of doing a better job of managing the millions of critters living under the soil surface.