Back to News Articles

GOD'S WORLD NEWS · UPPER EDITION
April 17, 1998

Un-Till

Jesus said anyone putting his hand to the plow should not look back. He was teaching about commitment, not farming.

Perhaps a more modem symbol of commitment would fit today's culture. Many modem farmers are no longer putting their hand to the plow. No-till farming is sweeping across the American countryside. "Tillage is a disaster for the soil," says Pennsylvania vegetable farmer Steve Groff.

Not everyone would say it quite that strongly. But more and more farmers agree that plowing isn't the best way to go.

No-till farming means leaving crop stubs in the field instead of plowing them under after harvest. That prevents soil erosion over the winter. It holds moisture in the ground too. And it makes the soil richer in nutrients.

No-till also means planting in the spring without plowing first. That requires new types of seeding equipment.

Buying new equipment is expensive. But no-till farming saves time and money in other ways. Less plowing means less fuel used and less wear on machinery.

Farmers who till their fields "are kind of living in the past," says Illinois corn and soybean farmer Jim Kinsella. "The soil plays out. You can only do that for so long."