The quest for no-till history research of the last couple years turned up the still-accessible web musings of the late Ed Winkle of Ohio’s Hymark Consulting. One of his “essays” suggested that no-till’s vital “tool” — the earthworm — may not have been indigenous to the U.S. The No-Till History series is made possible by Calmer Corn Heads.

Forty years ago this month, I made my first visit to USDA’s North Appalachian Experimental Watershed in Coshocton, Ohio. Established in 1935, this 1,047-acre facility had been built with depression-era labor from several government assistance programs.