Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[Ken Hargesheimer <minifarms2@yahoo.com>]

There is umlimited proof of absolute no-till farming as being the best in every soil, worldwide. Roland Bunch has seen it in 158 countres and I have seen it in a few.  In every instance of a failure, the failure was due to the farmer; not no-till method.  The key to healthy soil is increasing the organic matter in the soil regardless of the type soil at the beginning.  Tilling reduces the OM.  Bare soil looses OM. Soil OM needs to be at least 5%.   Here on the Plains of TX it is 1% and sometimes less.  I doubt if any traditional farmer has 2% and it is his fault.  Just like the farmer's wife told me, "He would never stop plowing."

Ken H