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No-Till Farming Tackles Moisture and Dust Challenges in California
Conservation educator Jeff Mitchell shares how California farmers are adopting no-till and strip-till practices with help from global pioneers.
Apr. 18, 2026 at 7:00am
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As California farmers adopt more sustainable no-till and strip-till methods, a complex web of natural forces and farming practices come together to tackle the state's unique moisture and dust challenges.Davis TodayAs a conservation educator in California, Jeff Mitchell has worked with farmers in the state's semiarid regions to adopt no-till and strip-till farming practices over the past 15 years. Mitchell says the progress has been aided by learning from pioneering no-till farmers in other parts of the world, including the Midwest U.S., Australia, Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay, where similar rainfall patterns exist.
Why it matters
California is a major agricultural producer, but its farming systems have historically relied on intensive soil disturbance. Transitioning to no-till and strip-till can help address challenges like limited rainfall and dust, but requires significant changes in mindset and equipment for many farmers.
The details
Mitchell, a cropping systems specialist at the University of California, Davis, says the shift to reduced disturbance farming in California has accelerated in the last 15 years, as farmers have connected with no-till pioneers globally. These farmers have shared techniques and equipment that have enabled California growers to experiment with no-till and strip-till methods better suited to the state's semiarid conditions.
- Jeff Mitchell has worked as a conservation educator in California for nearly 3 decades.
- The progress towards no-till and strip-till farming in California has occurred primarily in the last 15 years.
The players
Jeff Mitchell
A cropping systems specialist who has worked at the University of California, Davis for nearly 3 decades, helping California farmers adopt no-till and strip-till practices.
University of California, Davis
The university where Mitchell works as a conservation educator, supporting the adoption of no-till and strip-till farming in California.
What they’re saying
“California is a tremendously diverse region. Historically, it's a phenomenally productive region. California leads the U.S. in the production of a range of crops. These systems, however, are very reliant on intensive disturbance.”
— Jeff Mitchell, Cropping Systems Specialist
“A great number of the truly inspirational pioneers have been part of our progress with no-till and strip-till here in California. We're grateful and indebted to them all, including from areas like Australia and parts of the Midwest, where the rainfall is quite similar what we get in California.”
— Jeff Mitchell, Cropping Systems Specialist
The takeaway
By learning from no-till farming pioneers around the world, California's growers are finding ways to adopt more sustainable practices like no-till and strip-till that can help address the state's unique moisture and dust challenges, while maintaining high agricultural productivity.
