Soil Conservation &
No-Til Farming

Beginning in 1936 and continuing into 1970, Cotner Farms, Inc. continued to implement soil conservation techniques.  These techniques  included dedicated crop rotation schedules, planting fall grains such as wheat and barley as cover crops, and the construction of structural conservation measures such as cropland terraces, diversion ditches, and sod waterways.

In 1970, Cotner Farms, Inc. began perhaps their most significant soil conservation practice, no-til farming.

No-til farming consists of planting and harvesting crops with minimal disturbance to surface soil.  Due to the hilly terrain and soil conditions common to central Pennsylvania, previous plowing practices resulted in runoff and nutrient-poor soils.  No-till farming significantly reduces soil erosion and nutrient runoff.

In 1970, Cotner Farms, Inc. planted approximately one-third of the total farm acreage using no-til techniques.  The following year, one hundred percent of the total acreage was no-til farmed.

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