The drills we use are durable, provide good depth control with minimum soil disturbance, and place seed and fertilizer accurately. The environmental benefits of their no-till system include a marked reduction in use of herbicides and fertilizers, reduced erosion, and improved water infiltration. Less soil disturbance encourages greater diversity of soil life, which actively aids in the conversion of crop residues and fertilizers into plant matter. This protects the soil from rain and wind, feeds the microorganisms, and controls weeds. The bonus is, we are sequestering carbon by keeping it out of the atmosphere and locking it up in the soil.
Conventional tillage opens the ground and releases carbon with each pass.
The Aeschlimans haven't received a single grant or any other subsidy for using their environmentally friendly approach. They do it because it improves the bottom line. Agricultural prices haven't changed much for 100 years, but the costs of production keep going up. The economics of no-till work very well. We make fewer trips over the ground, which means less fuel and less labor.