Carl Eliason is a fourth-generation farmer on a mission to improve soil health and organic matter on his 240 acres of corn, soybeans, and small grains in Renner, South Dakota.
After sharing his experiences trying no-till and cover crops on social media, a local Soil Health Partnership field manager reached out to Carl. He joined SHP because he is interested in gaining real-world experience with soil health practices and wants the scientific evidence to prove the practices work.
His current trials include no-till versus conventional tillage. He also plans to start trials with aerial broadcasting of rye cover into corn, along with no-tilling soybeans into the rye the following year.
Since implementing no-till and adding cover crops, Carl’s farm no longer has soil moving down the hills, along with minimal erosion. He has also experienced better yields since implementing the 3-way rotation. He prefers no-till to conventional tillage because he feels that the ground is mellow and has less crusting, allowing for better emergence. He also reports using significantly less fuel.