Farming with the Future in Mind: The Benefits of Roller Crimping at The Farm

Apr 22, 2025

Written by Sarah Bressler, Hunger Task Force Farm Director

At the Hunger Task Force Farm (The Farm), we’re always working to grow healthy food in a way that supports our community and the environment. This year, we’re excited to implement a second field trial that could help us reduce our reliance on external inputs like fertilizers by using sustainable methods that build healthier soil, grow stronger plants and produce high-quality nutrient-dense food.

What are the key players in this newer approach? A tall grassy plant called rye, a tractor tool called a roller crimper and a technique called strip tilling—one of several sustainable practices we use across The Farm.

How It Starts: Cover Cropping with Rye

Last fall, we planted rye in Field 5—not to harvest for food, but to act as a cover crop. Cover crops are planted to protect and improve the soil. They help:

    • Keep weeds from taking over
    • Hold moisture in the soil
    • Prevent erosion from wind and rain
    • To add organic matter and nutrients back into the soil
    • Support the health of the tiny organisms that help crops grow

Now, in Spring, our rye crop is tall and ready for the next step—roller crimping.

What Is Roller Crimping?

Picture a giant rolling pin with ridges attached to a tractor. As it moves across the field, it flattens the rye and slightly damages the stems. This stops the rye from growing but leaves it in place on the soil as a thick, natural mulch.

This mulch does important work:

    • Blocks sunlight to help suppress weeds
    • Keeps the soil cooler and moister
    • Breaks down slowly, feeding the soil as it decomposes

This helps us reduce our use of synthetic weed control and fertilizers. The cover crop does that work for us, using a natural material.

Next Step: Strip Tilling and Planting

After roller crimping, we prepare the soil for planting, not by tilling up the whole field. Instead, we use a technique called strip tilling, where only narrow eight-inch planting rows are tilled. This keeps most of the rye mulch undisturbed, which helps protect the soil and retain moisture.

Strip tilling, also known as conservation tillage, is a sustainable agricultural practice we use on The Farm. It strikes a balance between preparing the soil for planting and protecting its structure, biology and moisture. It’s one of the many ways we work to improve soil health and structure and reduce erosion while still growing strong, productive crops.

In June, we’ll plant a mix of vegetables— collards, cabbage, peppers, melons, squash, cucumbers and pumpkins—right into these eight-inch strips. Many of the plants will come from extra seedlings and seeds we already have from last year, making good use of our resources for a trial.

Why It Matters

This field trial is about exploring how we can grow nutritious, high-quality food while using fewer synthetic inputs, adding to the soil health and being good stewards of the land. That means fewer external inputs like fertilizers and more natural support from the soil itself. If it’s successful, this method could change how we prepare our fields—not just this season, but year-round and into the future.

By taking care of our soil today, we’re investing in the long-term health of The Farm, our food and our community.

Stay tuned for updates from Field 5 as the season continues. We’re excited to see how this transforms our process!

Hunger Task Force is Milwaukee’s Free & Local food bank and Wisconsin’s anti-hunger leader. The organization’s core values are Dignity, Justice, Equity, Compassion and Stewardship. Hunger Task Force feeds people today by providing healthy and culturally appropriate food to hungry children, families and seniors in the community absolutely free of charge. Hunger Task Force also works to end future hunger by advocating for strong public policies and nutrition programs at the local, state and federal level.