The Tillage of Time

Let’s talk about…No-Till.

This may set off a tornado of conversation, or maybe you’re thinking, “what the heck is No-Till”?

I feel that there’s no definitive characterization because there’s so many nuances.  It falls on the same compass as the terms Permaculture, Regenerative Farming, and Organic Farming.  They’re more of a philosophy or set of principles that guide a methodology.  It allows the user to work within a framework of sustainable choices to reach a goal.  

And to make it even more interesting, one of the greatest responses for a permaculture design question is…It Depends.  Every situation is different, I mean we are trying to work WITH Nature, right, this living, breathing being?!  Nature is constantly changing, so we need to adjust with her. Therefore having a definition limits us.

Since it’s a convoluted term, it could deter someone who’s just getting into gardening and Permaculture but is passionate and wants to make a difference in the world.  So I hope this continues to inspire, washes away angst, or sparks interest to those reading.

Now, let’s dig a little deeper (pun intended)!

What are your goals for wanting to practice No-Till?  Maybe you want to build the health of your soil, or reduce soil disturbance, or reduce soil erosion, or sequester carbon.  Or you want to grow nutrient dense food, or you heard about it and love trying new things.  Maybe you want to do it for practical reasons, like reduce weeds, be more efficient and get the greatest reward for the least amount of effort* (i.e., not spending time tilling), or you don’t want to spend money on equipment to till.

Great, all the above are correct reasons!

What are some principles that embody No-Till Farming?  The three that come to mind are: Keep the soil covered, keep the soil planted, and keep the soil undisturbed.

I will say that this article is only scratching the surface (again, pun intended).  Like Permaculture, No-Till has been around for centuries, but modern agriculture swept these systems under the rug around the 19th century.  It’s just recently that No-Till is making a comeback and on a large farm scale system due to the failing of crops that use pesticides and fertilizer, as well as our food becoming less nutritious.  How has a carrot today become less nutrient dense than a century ago?  Many believe it’s due to the poor soil.  Over-tilling has caused a depletion in minerals in the soil disrupting the habitat for microorganisms that are necessary for the health of plants.  Therefore, producing subpar food, not to mention releasing a monstrous amount of carbon into the air.  

It’s also making a comeback because people are more concerned about where and how their food is grown due to the evolutionary downward spiral of industrial ag and subsequent human health ailments that could be a result from the use of pesticides and synthetic fertilizer.  It’s just recently that farmers are taking these principles and systems and expanding on methods.  It is very cool to be living at this moment in history when it comes to farming, to say the least!  

And that’s why these set of tools or philosophies, like Permaculture and No-Till, have an ever-evolving translation.  

So, what does No-Till look like and how can we use it? Easiest answer is heavy mulching and/or cover cropping.  Heavy mulching could be farming perennials with wood chips, or layering compost on top of old crops and directly planting, or even one that blew my mind from a NOFA conference years back; the black and clear tarp method!  A market farmer in western Massachusetts would mow his old crop, cover with a black tarp to let material decompose, then pull black cover and cover with a clear tarp.  Any weeds in the soil would sprout, which then he would re-cover with the black tarp turn into organic matter for the soil.  He would pull tarps, plant and mulch with straw.  This has become a common method for market farmers now.  If you were interested, you may be able find a neighbor or farm nearby that may have recently re-covered their greenhouse and claim some clear material. (hint hint)

Cover cropping is another way to maintain coverage and keep roots in the ground. Now the topic of cover crop diversity is a whole other can of worms, but to give some examples you could do something that will die back over winter like buckwheat, or a mix of crops that you could harvest then mow or broad fork in and plant new. Or you can even go the food forest route (stay tuned to be discussed soon)!

Those are just a few of the many methods or tools.  Other tools could be the broad fork or a BCS walk behind tiller using one of their many attachments, like the power harrow.  Now, the broad fork and BCS are going down the “controversial” path of No-Till.  Is that tilling?  Aren’t you disturbing the soil?  Yes, and No…and my favorite, IT DEPENDS!  Maybe you have compacted soil where a broad fork is just breaking up allowing nutrients to move more readily, or the crop you are about to plant needs just a little extra help on the surface to root therefore needs the BCS.  I’ve used all of the cover crop cut and plant, the tarp, and the broad fork.  I have yet to get my hands on a BCS, but I can’t wait!  I’m for trying it all, seeing what works and building on it.  

In the end, it all depends.  It depends on the soil you have, or what you’re planting, or how YOU want to farm, truly.  No-Till is what you make of it.  It’s like raising kids, everyone does it differently, the goal is the same, we want healthy and happy children; and no one should judge you on your parenting style!

More confused, less confused?  Keep it simple, it’s all about the soil.  Start there, focus on that, and you will undoubtedly grow healthy, delicious, and nutrient dense food.  Roots left in the soil allows the microbes to keep working, attracting all the minerals and nutrients plants thrive on.  So the less disturbance the more vigorous, and productive the microbes.  There are millions of microbes in every spoonful of healthy soil…but that is for another article!

Will No-Till make your garden pest resistant?  Short answer is, probably not.  And frankly, that’s a good thing.  If you don’t have insects in your garden, then you’re doing it wrong!  Some plants are meant to attract beneficial insects, some to deter pests, that’s what creates balance.
Will it make your plants disease resistant?  It’s a strong possibility.  If plants can easily access nutrients in soil they will in turn be more resilient.  And if you are No-Tilling, you’re probably using permaculture methods like Planned Redundancy* to diversify your garden, which strengthens the system making it less vulnerable to disease and pests.

So you want to give it a try?  Start small on a section of your garden.  Work with your environment, using Onsite Resources* for mulch, and be able to adapt to what your soil needs.  Maybe tillage at first is necessary, remember it’s not “Can’t-Till”.  Maybe you’re just starting out on a fresh compacted piece of land where tilling is what’s best for the soil to regenerate its health.  Transition slowly, allowing your soil to adjust while you observe.  It’s unhealthy to make drastic changes in any environment.  That’s a path to system failure and shock.  Work With the Pace of Nature* as much as you can. Document your observations, so you can look back at successes/failures. 

Don’t be afraid to try something new or different, that’s how we’ve come so far in creating these systems in the first place.  And share your thoughts, questions, and findings with me or anyone out there willing to listen!

As the late great Bill Mollison said, “Your design is only limited by your imagination”.

*permaculture principle