For Canadian strip-tiller Mike Verdonck, weed pressure, erosion and a reliance on heavy herbicide and fertilizer applications are all symptoms of “sick” soil.

Dresden, Ontario strip-tiller, Mark Richards, considers himself a “bleeding-edge” farmer in terms of adopting new strategies and precision equipment. His adoption and adaptation of technology has made his 3,000-acre corn, soybean, sugarbeet, wheat and tomato operation significantly more efficient, productive and profitable.

Montezuma, Kan., farmer Josh Koehn says attention to detail is really what’s made the difference on his 10,000 acre farm. Feeling the need to manage residue better and build healthier soils, he switched from full tillage to strip-till back in 2008 on most of his 30% irrigated and 70% dryland operation.

As a strong proponent of “regenerative agriculture” — which Rod Sommerfield explains is proper residue management that recycles the carbon and other nutrients in the residue back to the following crops — his hopes for the future of the farm that’s been in his family since 1892 are bold.

Often, it’s the allure of operation-wide cost reduction that convinces farmers to transition into strip-tilling. But, on Wallendal Farms, strip-tilling since 1985, they’ve found a way to push revenues in addition to enjoying the efficiencies.

"You can’t strip-till sugarbeets," is something Snover, Mich., farmer Ryan Shaw had grown accustomed to hearing. But, since introducing strip-till on his 1,400-acre corn, soybean and sugarbeet operation in 2014, a glance at his fields provides evidence to the contrary.

For the past 6 years, Seth Wenzel and his father, Brian, have been transitioning to strip-tilled corn on their 4,000-acre farm near Kent, in northwest Illinois. Wenzel maintains a consistent corn and soybean rotation with approximately two-thirds of his acreage planted with corn annually.

Like all farmers, Jeff Herrold wants high yields. But, he wants to work with nature to achieve them.

Nora Springs, Iowa, farmer Dean Sponheim calls himself an “accidental conservationist,” because he stumbled into strip-tillage by necessity and economics, rather than for reasons of environmental friendliness.

USDA plant physiologist Jerry Hatfield explains how results of recent tillage comparisons reveal strip-till may be the best practice to address future environmental conditions.