Alex Uderman, a fifth-generation farmer, is helping lead his family’s transition toward regenerative agriculture. Alongside his parents, John and Mary Lou, his wife Kirsten, his brother Jake, and sister-in-law Sam, Alex operates a diversified dairy, beef, and row crop farm that has become a working example of how soil health practices can strengthen both farms and the farmers who run them.
A Turning Point
Around 2016, the Uderman family found themselves facing a difficult reality. Commodity prices were low, weather patterns were becoming more erratic and input costs—from fuel to fertilizer—continued to climb.
Alex recalls looking at the farm’s financial records and realizing that something needed to change.
“I saw what my dad and grandpa had worked their whole lives to build, and we were burning through that equity just to keep going,” he says. “If I wanted to farm long-term—and if my dad was going to have a healthy retirement—we had to rethink the system.”
That realization sparked the beginning of the farm’s shift toward regenerative practices.
Experimenting With No-Till
Like many farmers exploring new approaches, the Udermans started cautiously. Alex spent time attending conferences, visiting field days, and learning from other producers experimenting with soil health practices such as no-till, strip-till and cover crops.
Their first major test came in 2017.
The farm hired a custom operator to plant 400 acres of soybeans using no-till methods, while planting another 100 acres conventionally themselves. At harvest, the results surprised them.
There was no yield difference between the two systems. But there was a significant difference in cost.
The custom no-till planting cost about $22 per acre, or roughly $9,000 total. When Alex compared that to the fuel, labor, and machinery expenses required for their own conventional planting, it was clear they couldn’t match that efficiency.
Instead of reverting to old practices, the family made an investment to begin no-tilling all soybean acres themselves. It was the first step toward a much larger transformation.
Reducing Costs, Improving Soil
Between 2017 and 2020, the farm gradually expanded its conservation practices. No-till soybeans became standard, and the family began reducing tillage for corn while improving manure management and nutrient placement.
The financial benefits appeared quickly. Eliminating fall tillage reduced spending on diesel fuel, machinery repairs and labor hours while lowering equipment wear and depreciation.
At the same time, the Udermans began noticing changes in their fields. Earthworm populations increased. Soil aggregates became stronger. Water infiltration improved, and erosion declined.
Encouraged by those results, the family decided to deepen their commitment to regenerative farming.
A Full Commitment
Around 2020 and 2021, the farm enrolled in the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) through the Natural Resources Conservation Service. The program supported the next phase of their transition, which included expanding cover crop adoption and upgrading planting equipment.
Today, the Uderman farm operates no-till across all acres and integrates cover crops into their crop rotation. They also invested in a no-till air drill that allows them to seed both small grains and cover crops more efficiently.
Alex says understanding the guiding principles of soil health helped shape the farm’s strategy.
These principles include:
• Keeping soil covered
• Minimizing soil disturbance
• Increasing plant diversity
• Maintaining living roots year-round
• Integrating livestock
However, he emphasizes that farmers should not feel pressured to adopt every practice at once.
“I thought you had to do all five at the same time,” he says. “That’s overwhelming. Start with what you’re comfortable with and build from there.”
Cover Crops Take Root
By 2021, the Udermans began experimenting more extensively with cover crops. Their most reliable species has been cereal rye, which establishes quickly and survives cold conditions common in the Upper Midwest.
Rye provides multiple benefits. It protects soil from erosion, maintains living roots during early spring, and improves soil structure while adding organic matter.
The farm also experiments with multi-species mixes on small grain acres that can include clover, hairy vetch, radishes, turnips and oats. These combinations help improve soil biodiversity, naturally build nitrogen, and break up compaction.
Over time, Alex says the soil itself becomes more resilient.
“Once the soil biology starts working for you, the system begins to improve on its own.”
Helping Other Farmers Start
As the farm gained experience, the Udermans began offering custom services to neighboring farms interested in regenerative practices. These services include no-till planting, cover crop seeding, manure hauling, and nutrient management support.
For many farmers, the biggest barrier to experimenting with new systems is the upfront investment in equipment. Custom services allow them to test practices on a smaller scale before making long-term commitments.
Even trials of 20 or 40 acres can provide valuable insights.
Learning From Farmers
Alex also serves as a mentor with the Minnesota Soil Health Coalition, which connects farmers interested in regenerative agriculture with experienced producers.
The coalition includes more than 1,300 members and over 50 farmer mentors, providing peer-to-peer learning on topics such as cover crops, grazing systems, soil biology, and conservation planning.
For Alex, that farmer-to-farmer network is one of the most powerful tools for change.
“Farmers listen best when it’s another farmer sharing what works—and what doesn’t.”
Benefits Beyond the Soil
The Udermans have also noticed unexpected benefits in their dairy herd.
As feed quality improved, the farm reported reductions in several common health issues, including respiratory problems in calves, mastitis, milk fever, ketosis and hoof health concerns.
Alex believes the improvements all trace back to soil health.
“Everything starts with the soil,” he says. “Healthy soil grows healthier crops, which feed healthier animals—and eventually healthier people.”
Looking Ahead
Despite years of progress, Alex says regenerative farming is a continuous learning process. The farm continues exploring new ways to build soil organic matter, improve water infiltration, and strengthen the resilience of their operation.
Future goals include expanding compost production using local organic waste and continuing to share knowledge with other farmers.
“This isn’t about being perfect,” Alex says. “It’s about learning, improving, and leaving the soil better than we found it.”
Across the Midwest, more farmers are beginning similar journeys. And through conversations, collaboration, and shared experience, those small steps are gradually reshaping how agriculture works—one field at a time.