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.

I don’t think I’ve ever heard a farmer say they wanted more on-farm government intrusion. Practice mandates generally aren’t welcome amongst the individualistic, entrepreneurial types who gravitate to farming, though some mandates have seen positive outcomes over time. Improvements in the Chesapeake Bay come to mind, though the improvements have taken awhile and are incremental.