At Bentley Farms, LLC, conservation is vital to their operation. For Jeff Bentley, Soil and Water Outcomes Fund farmer and co-owner of the business, finding a trusted partner for refining conservation practices is a welcome addition to the family business.
The Bentley family has been no-tilling for around 35 years, long before conservation discussions about soil health and environmental outcomes were featured on podcasts. Jeff’s dad was an early adopter of no-till in the rolling hills near Macedonia, Iowa, where erosion is an ongoing challenge.
“Here in southwest Iowa, aside from river-bottom ground, it’s a lot of rolling hills,” Jeff explains, “so switching to no-till a long time ago was probably the right move.”
Today, Jeff and his brother, John, farm just under 3,000 acres through Bentley Farms. Their operation includes a corn and soybean rotation along with feeding cattle. Their journey with no-till set the stage for exploring the world of cover crops: start small, learn what works and expand from there.
