Are You a Part-time No-tiller?

By Randall Reeder, Ohio No-Till Council

This question can be answered in two ways. Many no-till farmers also have jobs off the farm. They are part-time farmers.

The other answer refers to farmers who practice no-till only part of the time. They may no-till soybeans but make two or three tillage passes ahead of corn. Or they may no-till all crops for three to five years before returning to tillage.

If you fall into this second group, there is an opportunity to improve both your bottom line and your soil health by attending one or more of the events listed below. If machinery costs and fertilizer expenses are putting pressure on your operation, these programs are designed with you in mind.

College graduates interviewing for a job are often asked, “Where do you see yourself in five years?”

Regardless of your age or years on the farm, consider this question: Where do you see yourself in 2031? If you’re barely breaking even today, with rising tillage and fertilizer costs, are you hoping lower input prices or federal payments will help you make it through the next five years?

Or would you be interested in a different approach? One where you’re in control instead of waiting and hoping for someone else to provide relief?

Here’s the five-year question. If you believed continuous no-till could put your operation on firmer financial footing by 2031, would you be willing to begin making those changes in 2026 or 2027? Of course, there are no guarantees. Change isn’t always easy or comfortable. But there’s no guarantee things will improve without making changes either.

Your biggest concern may be, “What if my crop yields go down for a year or two?” At our events, you’ll hear from experienced farmers and guest speakers who will share practical strategies for protecting net income during the transition. Farmers involved with the Ohio No-Till Council are always willing to answer questions and help solve problems. In addition, a new mentoring initiative called O-FARM is connecting farmers with experienced no-till producers who can provide guidance along the way.

We encourage you to attend one or more of our upcoming events. On Aug. 18 in Wooster, learn from 63 years of Ohio State no-till research and 55 years of research from the University of Kentucky. Nutrient Management Day on Aug. 20 in Fulton County features Minnesota Leopold Conservation Award winner Tom Cotter. On Aug. 27, cover crops take center stage at the Bird Agronomics site in Wood County. Then, Sept. 1, 2, and 3, join us for three consecutive Soil Health Days at the Bellefontaine High School Land Lab, MVP Dairy near Celina, and the Fred Yoder farm near Plain City.

Registration and updated program information for all events are available at OhioNoTillCouncil.com/events.

Upcoming No-Till events

Aug. 15, From Dirt to Healthy Soil, Matt Burkholder Farm. Lima

Aug. 18, Decades of No-Till History & the Future of Soil Health. OSU. Wooster

Aug. 27, Cover Crops & Soil Health, Rudolph, Wood County

Sept. 1, Cover Crops & Soil Health, Bellefontaine

Sept. 2, Soil Health. MVP Dairy, Celina

Sept. 3, Soil Health. Fred Yoder Farm. Plain City.

Nov. 10, Grazing and Soil Health. Columbiana and Carroll Counties

Nov. 11, Soil Health. Fairfield County

Dec. 2, Ohio No-till Conf., Plain City

Jan. 12-15, 2027, National No-till Conf., Indianapolis

March 9-10, 2027, Conservation Tillage & Technology Conf., Ada