Report Details Impact of Conservation Tillage and Cover Crops on Farm Bottom Line

Feb 17, 2021

Agricultural conservation practices are pivotal to addressing a host of environmental and natural resource concerns including soil health, water quality and climate resilience. At the same time, it is critical that farmers run profitable businesses and that environmental stewardship priorities support farm profitability.

To expand on growing information around the profitability of conservation agriculture, Soil Health Partnership (SHP), Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and K·Coe Isom collaborated to evaluate the financial impact of conservation tillage and cover crop usage among Midwest corn and soybean farmers. Key findings from the analysis are presented in a new report, Conservation’s Impact on the Farm Bottom Line [PDF].

“Our analysis adds to a growing body of research on the profitability of agricultural conservation practices and helps farmers better understand what they can expect when they adopt these practices,” said Maria Bowman, Ph.D., lead scientist at SHP. “For example, conservation tillage saves farmers money on equipment and fuel and drives higher net returns, whereas increased profitability with cover crops is more common for farmers with more than five years’ experience with the practice, indicating a learning curve as growers identify their best recipe for success over time.”

The analysis also found that farmers achieved profitable conservation systems by aiming to address specific management challenges with in-field conservation practices, such as improving soil structure as a way to improve water management and reduce erosion, and minimizing passes across the field to save time, machinery and overhead costs.

“There is risk involved in adopting new practices and farmers need financial information that indicates what they might expect financially from adopting conservation practices,” said Vincent Gauthier, research analyst at EDF. “Working with farmers to understand how the adoption of conservation tillage and cover crops impacts their bottom line can help pave the way for other farmers and inform new kinds of financial support that align with the financial dynamics of these practices.”

The report included a detailed budget analysis of seven Midwest farmers growing corn and soy with at least three years’ experience with cover crops or conservation tillage.

Brian Ryberg is one of the farmers highlighted in the report. Brian and his wife Sandy farm 5,300 acres in south-central Minnesota, where they grow corn, soybeans and sugar beets. Brian has adopted strip-till, no-till and cover crops in his operation. His conservation goals included saving costs and improving soil health through reduced disturbance and increased cover.

“By using conservation tillage practices and cover crops, we’ve been able to save substantially on fuel, equipment and repair costs,” Brian said. “These practices have had many other benefits including improved water holding capacity, more water infiltration, improved soil structure, better drained seed beds and weed suppression.”

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Video: From Conventional to Regenerative: Will Groeneveld’s Journey Back to the Land

"You realize you've got a pretty finite number of years to do this. If you ever want to try something new, you better do it."

That mindset helped Will Groeneveld take a bold turn on his Alberta grain farm. A lifelong farmer, Will had never heard of regenerative agriculture until 2018, when he attended a seminar by Kevin Elmy that shifted his worldview. What began as curiosity quickly turned into a deep exploration of how biology—not just chemistry—shapes the health of our soils, crops and ecosystems.

In this video, Will candidly reflects on his family’s farming history, how the operation evolved from a traditional mixed farm to grain-only, and how the desire to improve the land pushed him to invite livestock back into the rotation—without owning a single cow.

Today, through creative partnerships and a commitment to the five principles of regenerative agriculture, Will is reintroducing diversity, building soil health and extending living roots in the ground for as much of the year as possible. Whether it’s through intercropping, zero tillage (which he’s practiced since the 1980s) or managing forage for visiting cattle, Will’s approach is a testament to continuous learning and a willingness to challenge old norms.

Will is a participant in the Regenerative Agriculture Lab (RAL), a social innovation process bringing together producers, researchers, retailers and others to co-create a resilient regenerative agriculture system in Alberta. His story highlights both the potential and humility required to farm with nature, not against it.