We’re coming off an exciting week in Louisville, Ky., where not even 2 snowstorms could stop the 33rd annual National No-Tillage Conference.

 In attendance were more than 600 farmers, researchers, educators and industry experts from all over the U.S. and countries like Australia, Canada, Hungary, Italy and New Zealand. There were 14 general sessions, 24 classrooms, 34 roundtables and hours of networking. And what a grand finale — the Innovators & Experts panel gave the audience plenty to think about with some advice for when Mother Nature throws them a knuckle curveball.    

“You need to have a general plan that you want to follow but have that equipment and everything ready to go and have alternative plans. Don’t get caught with having to make changes that you hadn’t anticipated. Always figure the weatherman is going to throw some changes at you.”   

 

   – Allen Berry, Nauvoo, Ill.  

“You’ve got to have a soil that’s resilient to dry. That goes back to organic matter. Either you’ve got to be really good at selecting your grandparents who knew where to find that high organic matter soil and that’s where you farm. Either that or you’ve got to have an intentional management plan to build organic matter.”  

   – Barry Fisher, Putnam County, Ind.  

“April 25th, I had some of the best-looking rye I ever had. Was set up for a relay crop. We’re out there fixing tile. We’ll wait a day or 2 to plant, we figured, and get the tile fixed. 30 inches of rain later, I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth and butcher it. We decided we’re growing rye that day. I called the insurance agent; ‘Well, I guess we’re going to grow rye this year, can I put some hail insurance on it?’ The next day, the feed lot guy comes and says, Hey I need some rye, I need forage.’ Two days later, we’re planting beans in that field because he took the rye off, and we could plant beans in there. Learn to adapt to whatever Mother Nature is throwing at you. I always used to say lemons-lemonade but learn how to throw a little vodka with it when you get the chance.”  

   – Loran Steinlage, West Union, Iowa  

“I’m growing annual ryegrass on every field, year after year, and quite frankly my corn roots are down there where they’ve never been before. Nutrients and water availability with deep root systems – I don’t see hardly any impact on my corn. In these wet fields, I don’t have drowned out areas. I have crops very resilient to drought. Resiliency — so your farm can take a wet rain, but your crop can take what is statistically there — longer more intense drought periods — and that’s just a fact. If you have a system that’s resilient, then you’re going to come out ahead.”   

   – Ray McCormick, Vincennes Ind.  

 We’ll have lots of coverage from the event in the coming weeks. And we have some breaking news to pass along — next year’s conference will take place in St. Louis, Jan. 6-9. Super Early Bird registration is underway.


Watch the full version of this episode of Conservation Ag Update.