Ben is a fifth generation farmer in Healy, KS. In 2006 after attending the No-till on the Plains  annual conference, and being driven by the need to update equipment, the farm made the switch to  one hundred percent no-till. At first no-till was used in a wheat, milo, fallow rotation primarily  to conserve moisture in their 18 inch precipitation environment. However, after a few years cover  crops were introduced to fill the gap created by full season fallow.

After some tweaks the cover crops proved to be a fantastic addition to the rotation from an  agronomic point of view, but Ben knew something was missing.  Since the farm had always had a cow  herd it was a natural fit to introduce them to the cover crops.  The cattle proved to be the 
missing link from an economic standpoint, and with an open mind and the willingness to try  different classes of cattle they continue to prove a very valuable addition.  Convinced the cover  crops and animals were to be a large part of the farm's future Ben has now fenced, cross-fenced,  and piped water across all the family owned agricultural land so high density grazing can be  practiced.  Always with an eye on the long-term improvement of the soil, ecology and economics will  continue to drive the future of the farm.