No-Till November: A Look to Love

For many, fall is a perfect time to break out those flannel shirts and sheets— and flannels are made for the strong, rugged, natural look. My sons call it the Hallmark Christmas movie look. But there’s no need to limit that look to your tv screen this fall, that same look is a winner for your farm fields, too.

For generations, many farmers have chosen to till their field in the fall. But just like there’s something to love about the rugged appeal of No-Shave November, No-Till November is just as attractive—only for a different set of reasons.

First, choosing to forego the fall tillage saves money. Just ask my husband—there are few things I love more than a good bargain. Leaving crop stubble on the field saves dollars and cents (like, a lot of dollars), from fuel savings to less wear and tear on your equipment.

Secondly, choosing not to till your fields saves time—and who couldn’t use more time during harvest? Instead of spending those hours tilling your fields, enjoy a day at the corn maze or finding the perfect Christmas tree with your family. And if you’re like my husband and like the option of using field work as a way to escape the craziness that comes from those stockpiles of Halloween candy your kids have, just tell them you’ve got some farm work to do and put that time to use finding the perfect spot to bag that big buck you’ve been dreaming of all year.

Keeping your tillage equipment in the machine shed this fall will also improve your soil health. You’ll see less erosion, more organic matter, and better soil structure in place to handle that spring melt we all know if coming but don’t like to think about. Repeated tillage destroys soil structure and reduces stability in addition to breaking down organic matter and draining carbon from the soil.

And finally, leaving that stubble on your field will improve wildlife habitat. As farmers, you know how interconnected our environment is. And if you have kids in your life, they can tell you all about the importance of food webs. Not only does field stubble provide some grazing options for those whitetail we love, but it also provides habitat for smaller critters and creatures that are just as important to our ecosystem.

So with all of these benefits, why till? Tilling the soil has been done for generations, and it’s become a habit. And we all know, some habits are hard to kick.

To join the fun of No-Till November, Ashland SWCD will be doing give-a-ways on our Facebook page for farmers and non-farmers alike! Farmers and residents alike can post pictures of farm fields sporting their no-till November stubble—or ramp up your no-till spirit by downloading a no-till November selfie beard (https://www.farmers.gov/sites/default/files/KeepTheStubblePrintOut.png) and share a picture on our Facebook page facebook.com/AshlandSWCD for even more chances to win!