When something works, it’s hard to make changes. Conversely, without change, it’s hard to make improvements. That’s what’s leading more no-tillers to on-farm testing to validate the value of change.

Dean Markwardt, like 659 other no-tillers around the country, came to the seventh annual National No-Tillage Conference in St. Louis to reap the benefits of acclaimed speakers, network with accomplished no-tillers and participate in numerous no-till roundtables. Little did he know he would be the most envied no-tiller in the bunch.

With 2,400 hogs, 1,000 acres of crops, 100 yearling steers and a Vermeer hay equipment business, Kurt and Gordon Ohnoutka could be described as the gurus of farm enterprise management.