Cory Atkins is a rare example of a young, first generation commercial farmer in an aging and family-centric industry. Although he grew up on a hobby farm with a roadside market and was tutored by an uncle who farms, he has taken it upon himself to obtain a production agriculture degree and expand the acres under his management.

With nearly a decade under his belt, the Seaford, Del., grower has acquired over 800 acres and recently took home the American Soybean Assn.’s 2016 Conservation Legacy Award for the Northeast U.S. region.

Characteristic of his lean beginnings, Atkins needed to expand his operation slowly and exercise precise judgement when making high-dollar purchases in either acreage or equipment. Being free from the constraints of family tradition, he was able to focus on the practices that were most cost effective rather than inheriting a strategy. These values are what lead him to his conservative and strict practice of no-tilling and cover cropping.

“When I started farming, I was using a lot of older equipment,” Atkins says. “I realized I was going to wear it all…