ABOVE: AJ Krusemark displays a soybean plant in one of his fields north of Trimont during a Soil Health Field Day sponsored by Farm Bureau and the Martin County Soil and Water Conservation District on Tuesday.

TRIMONT– On Tuesday evening a group of area farmers gathered at the farm of AJ Krusemark and his family north of Trimont for a discussion of reduced tilling methods and cover crops.

The Krusemark family has been farming parts of their land for over one hundred years and had recently begun using reduced tilling methods and cover crops on their farm. After experiencing success with these methods they decided to host a field day where they discussed these alternative practices and how they’ve implemented them.

The event was also facilitated in part by the Martin County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) and the Martin County Farm Bureau.

These practices are designed to improve soil health, reduce erosion, and reduce the usage of pesticides and herbicides. They can have considerable benefits both for farmers and the environment that surrounds them, and events like the one held on Tuesday can play a key role in driving their adoption.

“(The field day is) really our family’s desire to share successes and challenges through a change in operational management. My parents have always been progressive in how they farmed, and this is our most recent step,” said Krusemark.

Krusemark cited the book Dirt to Soil as one of the primary influences on his farming operation. Written by Gabe Brown, the book details the author’s experiences implementing regenerative farming techniques at his North Dakota Farm.

“A lot of issues in any industry, specifically in farming, are the paradigms we have in our head. When I read his book and learned of the things they’re doing in North Dakota, it takes away a lot of the excuses we have here of ‘it’s too cold, our growing season is too short,’ and other issues that are real problems, but maybe we need to dig a little bit deeper,” said Krusemark.

The Krusemarks were initially drawn to no-till and strip-till systems after examining the economic impact of tillage passes. The family began experimenting with alternative tilling techniques in 2015 and had completely eliminated conventional tillage by the following year. Now over 60 percent of the farm is no-till with the remainder receiving reduced tillage.

“The biggest impacts are simplifying our spring routine. We’re focused on planting a crop not on doing tillage, then planting, rolling, and spraying all at the same time. Instead of taking three or four people to put the crop in the ground, we largely do it with two,” said Krusemark.

Reduced tilling methods cover a series of techniques designed to reduce soil disturbances via either less intense tillage techniques or replacing tillage altogether.

“When that field is left undisturbed the microorganisms that have networks within that

soil aren’t broken up and it leaves the soil more resilient, healthy, and productive,” said Jesse Walters, Outreach Coordinator for the Martin County SWCD.

The Krusemarks have also been covering all of their fields with cover crops for the past three years.

Cover crops are crops planted in between cash crops to improve soil health and prevent erosion. A crop like barley will anchor soil in place with its root system while suppressing the growth of weeds and other unwanted plants. Before a cash crop is planted the barley can be converted into feed or be left to compost in the field, putting its nutrients back into the soil.

“Some longer term impacts that cover crops are going to have is that they will improve the organic matter in the soil, making new soil more productive and more resilient against floods and droughts,” said Walters.

After the Krusemarks implemented cover crops they were able to completely eliminate pre-emergence herbicides. They also were able to have some of their livestock graze on their fields before planting.

“The big change in my mind is are you trying to solve a problem today or are you planning to solve a problem in the future,” said Krusemark.

Despite the advantages that these techniques provide there are significant obstacles that impede their adoption. Adopting these techniques can involve a substantial investment of time and money. Some farmers are also hesitant to alter agricultural models which have served them reliably thus far.

Jeff Eversman was one attendee who has farmed for 43 years.

“The Krusemark’s have experience in it already and I haven’t done it. I don’t know if I’m ready to go through that whole adjustment period in my life; these younger guys will definitely have to. I have a nephew who’s going to take over farming and I’m interested in it for that, because it is the future,” said Eversman.

Both Krusemark and Walters acknowledged the validity of these concerns, but hope these practices see wider use in the future. The Martin County SWCD has some cost sharing and low interest loan programs available to assist farmers interested in adopting these practices. Interested farmers may also consider discussing these practices with those who have implemented them successfully.