Switching their farming practices to zero-tillage in 1992 has left plenty of free time for Haydon, Michael, Nigel and Stuart Wass on their western plains property.

These days the Wass brothers only need work for six months of the year to earn what they consider a good living for their families.

Haydon Wass, 50, said it was the desire for a better lifestyle that prompted the family to adopt zero-till practices on their 10,360 hectare property "The Plains", 30 kilometres south of Nyngan.

"We wanted to have more time to see our kids grow up and to play a real part in their lives," Haydon said.

"When we were conventional farming we’d spend hours on the tractor, day and night, and it seemed to swallow up our time.

"Zero-till is an efficient, time-saving method of cropping and since we started we’ve been very pleased with the results from an agronomic, economic and lifestyle point of view."

The Wass brothers’ experience is one of 12 case studies of farmers who overcame obstacles and transformed their operations and their lifestyles, detailed in a new book, Mustering Moisture.

With 50 years of farming under his belt Liverpool Plains producer, Neil Barwick, has seen significant change in agriculture.

Now 66, Neil has successfully tackled soil degradation on his property by extending crop rotations and adopting zero-till farming techniques.

Under his no-till program soils have regained their fertility and friability, organic carbon levels have increased from less than one to nearly two per cent, earthworms have returned in abundance, compaction has disappeared, erosion is negligible, crop yields have increased and cropping consistency has improved.

"That all adds up to increased profitability," Neil said.

"An added benefit is the improvement in our lifestyle - we have more leisure time to spend with the family and to travel.

"No-till farming means we no longer spend thousands of hours on the tractor smashing our soil to pieces.

Instead we’re able to fallow spray 50 hectares an hour with herbicides and pass over our country just once a year with a no-till planter."

Many farmers give reasons why they cannot adopt no-tillage and conservation farming practices but Mustering Moisture presents the successes of large-scale grain production specialists and smaller scale mixed farming enterprises.

The soils range from fertile self-mulching black clays to run-down hard setting red soils.

Journalist, Robyn Yeo, recorded the trials and tribulations in the words of the farmers, and Alf Manciagli shot the photos.

Mustering Moisture is calculated to inspire more farmers to have a go at no-till.

The publication was supported by the Grains Research and Development Corporation, the Namoi Catchment Management Authority, the Australian Centre for International Research, the University of New England and the NSW Department of Primary Industries.

Contact the NSW DPI bookshop, 1800 028 374 or visit www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/aboutus/resources/bookshop