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Laura Barrera

Laura Barrera

Laura Barrera is the former managing editor of No-Till Farmer and Conservation Tillage Guide magazines. Prior to joining No-Till Farmer, she served as an assistant editor for a greenhouse publication. Barrera holds a B.A. in magazine journalism from Ball State University.

Articles

ARTICLES

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Soil Health Focus Leads to Evolving No-Till System

Despite his location, Doug Rogers has tackled no-till, twin rows, cover crops, controlled traffic and efficient fertility practices in an effort to leave his Ontario farm in better shape.
By Laura Barrera posted on March 11, 2017 | Posted in Seeding Practices
Doug Rogers believes the toughest challenge growers have to overcome to make no-till a success lies not out in the field, but between the ears.
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9 Growers Spill Their Secrets for Planting into Cover Crops

From tall, living covers to a heavy surface residue, no-tillers share how they adjust their planters and spring programs to work with cover crops.
By Laura Barrera posted on March 11, 2017 | Posted in Seeding Practices
Crop prices may be down, but that isn’t stopping no-tillers from using cover crops. In fact, more no-tillers are seeding them than ever before — No-Till Farmer’s 2016 No-Till Operational Benchmark Study found a record 77% of survey respondents seeded covers last year (see page 42), making 2016 the fifth consecutive year where the number increased.
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Cover Crops Offer Bright Future for Weed Control, Further Conservation

Illinois grower Randy Chapman hopes cover crops will help him move from strip-till to 100% no-till while cleaning up herbicide-resistant weeds.
By Laura Barrera posted on January 14, 2017 | Posted in Seeding Practices, Termination
When Randy Chapman started farming with his father, he knew they weren’t going to have the help they needed for labor. He also didn’t like the erosion he witnessed from tillage and realized they had to do something different.
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Committing to Cover Crops Brings Added Benefits to No-Till

After seeing the changes cover crops made to one farm, the Eberhard family is going all in to take out weeds and secure and produce nutrients.
By Laura Barrera posted on July 30, 2016
Fifteen years ago, Lynn Eberhard began farming a field that was in bad shape. The ground was hard and the yields were poor. So he decided to seed cover crops, which he had been using on and off since the early 1990s, on that farm every year.
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Interseeding Tools Get Cover Crops Off to Faster Start

No-tillers can avoid the mad rush to get cover crops seeded after harvest by planting them into standing cash crops.
By Laura Barrera posted on July 30, 2016 | Posted in Seeding Practices
One of the most common challenges no-tillers encounter with cover crops is at the very start — getting them seeded. Interseeding — the practice of seeding covers with a drill, spinner spreader, toolbar or sprayer into an established and growing cash crop — may provide a solution.
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Making No-Till, Cover Crops a Success in Cool, Wet Climates

Through a series of experiments and trials, a Wisconsin agronomist is proving no-till and cover crops not only work, but offer proven benefits in northern climates.
By Laura Barrera posted on May 14, 2016
Growing up in the Coon Creek Watershed of La Crosse County, Wis., where soil conservation originated, Jason Cavadini watched his family successfully adopt and commit to no-till on their farm for over 10 years.
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Alfalfa, Cereal Rye Bring Added Benefits to Long-Term No-Till

Milledgeville, Ill., no-tiller Norm Deets finds alfalfa helps speed up the transition to no-till and cover crops hold and build soil in areas prone to erosion.
By Laura Barrera posted on March 14, 2016 | Posted in Soil Health
Being the “scourge” of the neighborhood was one of the biggest challenges Norm Deets faced when he started no-tilling. But after 30 years of committing to the practice, he knows the benefits outweigh the nice look of perfectly tilled soils.
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The National No-Tillage Conference returns January 7-10, 2025! Build and refine your no-till system with dozens of new ideas and connections at the 33rd Annual National No-Tillage Conference in Louisville, Ky. Jan. 7-10, 2025. Experience an energizing 4-day agenda featuring inspiring general session speakers, expert-led No-Till Classrooms and collaborative No-Till Roundtables. Plus, Certified Crop Adviser credits will be offered.

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Videos

Ray McCormick’s Conservation Buffer

Ray McCormick’s Conservation Buffer

Earlier this week we paid another visit to this year’s Conservation Ag Operator Fellow, Ray McCormick in Vincennes, Ind., and one thing about Ray is that even when it’s the “off season,” he’s still thinking ahead for next season.
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