paul the original - 4/15/2013 07:32 That is good advice for perhaps 80% of the country. Alas, I am in the other 20%. Sigh. I can learn from your ways, but I need to find my own processes that work with what I have. Climate, temp, snowfall, growing season, and soil type doesn't allow for notill or cover crops on any significant area 'here'. We need to take the ideas you develop and work out other ways to make good things happen. On the other hand, our difficult climate and long winter does not break down the soil very much, so we don't have to be so obsessed with protecting the deep topsoils. There is very little time the soil is exposed to hot dry sun to cause breakdown. Ground here can be fully tilled for a century and hold its high organic content, and so forth. We have different issues we need to address. Same goals, but different climates and conditions mean different ways to get there. Paul