Natalie Sturm By the Growing Resilience Team For decades, no-till has been hailed as a cornerstone of regenerative agriculture—an essential practice to protect soil while still producing food, feed, fuel, and fiber. However, a groundbreaking thesis by soil scientist Natalie Sturm, conducted at the Dakota Lakes Research Farm in central South Dakota, shows that no-till is only part of the equation. It’s not just about reducing disturbance. It’s about what you grow—and how you g

Please note: If any of the references below are unavailable, please let us know, and we can access them through our university library. In recent weeks, we've delved deep into the peer-reviewed literature to understand better the complex relationship between no-till agriculture and chemical inputs like herbicides, pesticides, and synthetic fertilizers. This topic has repeatedly come up in online discussions, and we were genuinely surprised to see how, for many, no-till

By Buz Kloot In late April, Joe Dickie and I traveled up to South Dakota, chasing a spring that felt just out of reach. Our first stop was with Dawn Butzer, and if there’s a better way to start a trip, I don’t know it. Dawn grew up with livestock in her blood—cattle were simply part of life. But after attending a South Dakota Grasslands Grazing School, something shifted. What had always been passion became purpose. She and her husband made the bold decision to buy cropland th