With an average annual rainfall of just ten inches, maintaining air-water balance in the soil is essential for farming success in northwest Montana.

Jerry Philipps, a forward-thinking farmer from Conrad, Montana, has long been ahead of the curve. He adopted no-till farming in 1982 and later implemented the Maximum Farming System in 2007. A decade into using the System, Jerry participated in a government EQIP cover crop study that involved frequent soil testing. The study organizers were stunned by the results.

“They called me up and said, ‘What are you doing on your soil because we are getting levels on certain things that we don’t get anywhere else – your organic matter is higher, your activity in that area is much higher’”, Jerry recalls. “This is validation that, yes, this program is doing my soil good.”

Jerry’s son, Brandon, grew up with a deep understanding of soil health and long-term sustainability. Now, 17 years into using the Maximum Farming System, the family has seen remarkable improvements in their land’s ability to retain water and support crops, despite its historically hard, poor moisture-holding soil.

Watch the video below to see how the Philipps family is supporting their soil with the Maximum Farming System.