In a world with skyrocketing fertilizer prices, strip-till is an attractive option for farmers looking to decrease their input costs. But making strip-till work requires a lot more than buying fewer inputs and dragging a new piece of equipment through the field.

Organic crop production doesn’t often go hand-in-hand with reduced tillage because of the need to use field cultivation to get rid of weeds. But Wolcott, Ind., grower Jason Federer is integrating reduced tillage with organic methods to improve soil health and buffer the environmental impacts of his 4,000-acre operation.