By Mark Badertscher

Randall Reeder has retired as program coordinator of the Conservation Tillage and Technology Conference (CTTC). Reeder held this position for about 39 years, directing the planning and coordination of the annual conference, which annually attracts 600-800 farmers, crop consultants, university, and agency personnel. This conference is held each year in early March at Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio. Typically, about 30 OSU Extension and research professionals are involved with presenting CTTC. About 10 individuals do most of the planning, including others in ODA, NRCS, and SWCDs.

Randall Reeder retired in 2011 as an Extension Agricultural Engineer from The Ohio State University. He did research on tillage systems and soil compaction at the Northwest Ohio Agriculture and Research Development Center (OARDC). When he retired from OSU, nobody took over the conference, so he continued as the program coordinator for the next 14 years. He continues as the executive director of the Ohio No-Till Council. He has written the Ohio No-Till News page in the Ohio’s Country Journal since 2005.

The Ohio No-Till Council holds an annual conference in December and hosts field days each summer, partnering with other groups. The connection between the Ohio No-Till Council and CTTC has helped both grow.

The Conservation Tillage and Technology Conference began as the Ridge-Till Conference in 1983, organized by Don Moore, OSU Extension. When Don retired in 1987, Randall took the leadership role. The annual event transitioned, adding no-till and other topics, and currently features four concurrent sessions over two days. CTTC was held in different locations, including Minster and Wapakoneta, before moving to Ohio Northern University in Ada about 30 years ago.

The conference grew from about 100 attendees to over 1000. It was common to have 900 in attendance up until early March 2020. A few days after the 2020 conference, COVID hit. The 2021 conference was held virtually.

Randall Reeder and a small group initially planned the Conservation Tillage Conference. More OSU Extension folks got involved, including Jim Beuerlein, John Smith, Gary Wilson, Alan Sundermeier, and Jim Hoorman. The organization became a non-profit entity and formed a board with a constitution. Incidentally, CTTC became the largest gathering of Certified Crop Advisers in Ohio thanks to the work of Extension Specialist Harold Watters in providing CCA credits. Then Amanda Douridas and Glen Arnold added Certified Livestock Manager (CLM) credits.

Agencies, including the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD), became involved in the 1990s. Major sponsors, including the Ohio Soybean Council and Ohio Corn & Wheat Assoc., and ~25 exhibitors help bring in top presenters from across the Midwest and keep the registration fee low.

Today, Randall Reeder continues as the Executive Director of the Ohio No-Till Council, writes a monthly column for the National No-Till Farmer magazine, and serves as a member of the Board of Trustees for the Franklin County Farm Bureau. He recently wrote “Common Horse Sense from Will Rogers – 7 Timeless Tips for Leaders (and Everyone Else)” with co-author Jennifer Rogers, Will’s great-granddaughter. Reeder is also a professional speaker (WillRogersToday.com) who presents to organizations nationwide.

The Conservation Tillage and Technology conference thanks Randall Reeder for his many years of service, providing leadership to the organization and conference. The current board of directors has named Mark Badertscher, retired Hardin County OSU Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Educator, as the next conference coordinator.

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