Iowa Valley RC&D No-Till Cost Share Program 2025
Iowa Valley RC&D is partnering with 10 Eastern Iowa farmers in 2025 to implement innovative no-till techniques in their vegetable operations. No-till farming offers numerous soil health benefits, but like any new practice, it comes with a learning curve. Farmers may experience reduced productivity initially as they refine their approach and determine what works best for their specific operation. Through this cost-share program, participants will receive support in adopting no-till methods while contributing valuable insights to the broader farming community. At the end of the season, we will share a report detailing their experiences and outcomes, providing a resource for other farmers interested in integrating no-till practices into their vegetable production systems.
No Till Trial at Grow: Johnson County:
In an effort to adopt more climate resilient practices, we’ve been trialing different crop and cover crop combinations at our Grow: Johnson County farm, 2025 will be our third year with the trial.
During this trial, various cover crop and cash crop combinations have been assessed by measuring yield, labor, pest control, and soil health outcomes. The data has been compared to organic tillage production methods that include roto-tillage, cultivation, fertilizer inputs, and cover crops.
Grow: Johnson County | Year 1 No Till Trial
(click to download)
Grow: Johnson County | Year 2 No Till Trial
(click to download)
The project is made possible through funding from a USDA NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant #NR226114XXXXG002
Keep up-to-date with the progress of our no-till trial, click the link to our Substack below.
“With the stipend we purchased heavy duty double-sided ground cover for our cabbage production, drip tape for irrigation, and a truckload of organic compost to help restore and replenish the soil in our cabbage field.
Adrian White, Jupiter Ridge Farm