As a kid, Jason Webster’s father and grandfather taught him how to farm using conventional tillage, but it didn’t always sit right.

Gary Wolf likes to look for cues in the environment to help guide his farming practices. He knew it was time to start thinking seriously about water conservation practices when armadillos started showing up for the first time ever on his 500-acre farm near Verona, Mo.

Farming 1,800 acres in south central Michigan, Ryan Groholske is accustomed to navigating rocky — though fertile — ground. Through long-term no-till practices, he’s been able to elevate organic matter content on some sandier soils to as much as 5%, while also creating a thriving habitat for earthworms.