Iowa Farm Bureau Federation
03/30/2026 | News release | Distributed by Public on 03/30/2026 13:34
Conservation and high yields can go hand-in-hand
For more than a decade, Tim Recker believed intensive tillage was the only way to find success in the black soils of Fayette County.
Today, the Arlington farmer is proving that conservation efforts, like no-till and cover crops, aren't just the right thing to do, they are a way to slash input costs without sacrificing a single bushel at the elevator.
Recker, who began farming in 1985 during the height of the farm crisis, grew up in a traditional system where success was measured by how much residue a tillage tool could bury. His father and grandfather were in the tiling and land improvement business, focused on moving water off the land as quickly as possible to ensure production.
"It was in our blood," Recker said of the tillage-heavy mindset. "The first 30 years of my life ... we were always buying new tillage tools because we wore them out."
The shift began in 2011 when Recker became involved with the Buffett Foundation, a program focused on achieving "high-yield, high-conservation" results. By 2013, coinciding with the launch of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy, Recker began a serious "quest" for no-till and cover crops.
"Our way at the time was to go out with a deep shank ripper and rip it out," Recker said. "Basically, we ripped up soil that almost like cement slabs ... it wasn't sustainable long term."
Instead of steel, Recker turned to biology. He began planting oats and radishes into seed corn ground in September to break up compaction naturally. He eventually transitioned to cereal rye, which overwintered and provided even greater benefits.
He soon discovered that the "no-till, no yield" warnings he had heard from neighbors were unfounded.
In fact, he has seen a consistent five- to seven-bushel increase in soybeans planted into cover crops. Beyond yield, the system also drastically reduced his reliance on expensive inputs.
"How do we reduce inputs... and still get the benefits on the other end, not spending so much for fertilizer?" Recker asked. By building soil health, he found he could sustain the land longer while actually lowering his overhead.
The wetland, which services about 750 acres of tile-drained cropland, acts as a natural "bathtub" that slows water down and allows for denitrification.
While state and federal dollars helped cover the roughly $200,000 construction cost, Recker calculates the long-term protection costs less than $3 an acre over the 100-year life of the wetland.
The results have been staggering. During a test conducted by students from Upper Iowa University, water entering the wetland from tile lines measured 22 parts per million of nitrates. By the time the water left the structure's overflow, the nitrate level was zero.
"I can take my tile water ... run it through a 20-acre structure, and have zero nitrates," Recker said. "That is incredible."
"If we can get 30, 40, 50 cents more per bushel of corn at an ethanol plant because it has a low carbon intensity score ... that will be a gamechanger," Recker said.
He notes that Brazil is already selling low-carbon ethanol to California, and American farmers must adapt to stay competitive.
For Recker, the transition to no-till and cover crops is no longer just a "small experiment" -it is the key to the future of the American family farm.
"We changed our mindset," Recker said. "Now, there's a little circle of farmers around us who do cover crops and it's growing."
Today, the Arlington farmer is proving that conservation efforts, like no-till and cover crops, aren't just the right thing to do, they are a way to slash input costs without sacrificing a single bushel at the elevator.
Recker, who began farming in 1985 during the height of the farm crisis, grew up in a traditional system where success was measured by how much residue a tillage tool could bury. His father and grandfather were in the tiling and land improvement business, focused on moving water off the land as quickly as possible to ensure production.
"It was in our blood," Recker said of the tillage-heavy mindset. "The first 30 years of my life ... we were always buying new tillage tools because we wore them out."
The shift began in 2011 when Recker became involved with the Buffett Foundation, a program focused on achieving "high-yield, high-conservation" results. By 2013, coinciding with the launch of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy, Recker began a serious "quest" for no-till and cover crops.
Beaking Compaction Myth
The transition wasn't just about environmental stewardship; it was about solving mechanical problems on the farm. Recker raises seed corn, which requires heavy machine travel in the fields throughout the year, often leading to severe soil compaction."Our way at the time was to go out with a deep shank ripper and rip it out," Recker said. "Basically, we ripped up soil that almost like cement slabs ... it wasn't sustainable long term."
Instead of steel, Recker turned to biology. He began planting oats and radishes into seed corn ground in September to break up compaction naturally. He eventually transitioned to cereal rye, which overwintered and provided even greater benefits.
He soon discovered that the "no-till, no yield" warnings he had heard from neighbors were unfounded.
In fact, he has seen a consistent five- to seven-bushel increase in soybeans planted into cover crops. Beyond yield, the system also drastically reduced his reliance on expensive inputs.
"How do we reduce inputs... and still get the benefits on the other end, not spending so much for fertilizer?" Recker asked. By building soil health, he found he could sustain the land longer while actually lowering his overhead.
Zero Nitrate Success Story
Recker's conservation efforts extend beneath the soil surface. His farm features a saturated buffer - the first one in Fayette County - and a 21-acre water quality wetland completed a few years ago.The wetland, which services about 750 acres of tile-drained cropland, acts as a natural "bathtub" that slows water down and allows for denitrification.
While state and federal dollars helped cover the roughly $200,000 construction cost, Recker calculates the long-term protection costs less than $3 an acre over the 100-year life of the wetland.
The results have been staggering. During a test conducted by students from Upper Iowa University, water entering the wetland from tile lines measured 22 parts per million of nitrates. By the time the water left the structure's overflow, the nitrate level was zero.
"I can take my tile water ... run it through a 20-acre structure, and have zero nitrates," Recker said. "That is incredible."
Carbon Intensity
As Recker looks toward the next decade, he sees a new economic driver on the horizon: Carbon Intensity (CI) scores. He believes that if farmers can verify their conservation practices, they could see additional revenue from the ethanol industry and potentially others."If we can get 30, 40, 50 cents more per bushel of corn at an ethanol plant because it has a low carbon intensity score ... that will be a gamechanger," Recker said.
He notes that Brazil is already selling low-carbon ethanol to California, and American farmers must adapt to stay competitive.
For Recker, the transition to no-till and cover crops is no longer just a "small experiment" -it is the key to the future of the American family farm.
"We changed our mindset," Recker said. "Now, there's a little circle of farmers around us who do cover crops and it's growing."
Iowa Farm Bureau Federation published this content on March 30, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on March 30, 2026 at 19:34 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]