This paper examines the adoption of a conservation practice among Illinois farmers from the perspective of the importance of agroecological and conservation policy influences. Farmers in one agricultural region adopted the conservation practice of no‐till agriculture earlier and to a greater extent than those in another. Evidence shows that policy changes were not accompanied by changes in farmers’ motivations for adopting no‐till. If anything, farmers adopting in the period after the policy changes were less likely to adopt for conservation and erosion control reasons than in the period before the policy changes. The research concludes that, whereas a shift in policy may have resulted in the desired behavioral change, it has not resulted in influencing no‐till adoption for conservation reasons. Farmers’ future behavior is unlikely to be directly affected by conservation legislation and policy.