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Mike Lessiter

Mike Lessiter

Mike Lessiter, a second-generation ag journalist, has been Editor/Publisher of Farm Equipment since 2004. He has covered business-to-business operations, manufacturing, and marketing topics since 1992 and has held various roles with the Farm Equipment Manufacturers Assn. and the Assn. of Equipment Manufacturers. Mike is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and was named president of Lessiter Media in 2007.

Contact: mlessiter@lessitermedia.com
Articles

ARTICLES

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Your No-Till History

Darwin’s ‘Lowly Earthworm’ Gets Its Due

In time, farmers learned their ‘underground ally’ did the soil work & would become the no-tiller’s best friend.
By Mike Lessiter posted on January 30, 2023 | Posted in Soil Health
The quest for no-till history research of the last couple years turned up the still-accessible web musings of the late Ed Winkle of Ohio’s Hymark Consulting. One of his “essays” suggested that no-till’s vital “tool” — the earthworm — may not have been indigenous to the U.S. The No-Till History series is made possible by Calmer Corn Heads.
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Bill Richards on The Value of No-Tillage

By Mike Lessiter posted on January 7, 2023

Bill Richards, Ohio no-tiller, No-Till Farmer Legend and retired chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), remains frustrated that perfection-seeking scientists haven’t been able to put a dollar value on soils under no-till, nor the economic impact of the farmers. 


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Influencing World’s Understanding of No-Till

By Mike Lessiter posted on January 6, 2023

When asked of the global importance of the Ohio State University’s no-till research plots that marked 60 years in 2022, Warren Dick, retired Emeritus Professor of Soil Science at OSU, who had primary responsibility for the plots from 1980-2016, points to the scientific citations. The No-Till Passport series is brought to you by Martin Industries.


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Profiles in Passion: No-Till’s Proven Template for Changing Ag

By Mike Lessiter posted on December 19, 2022

A necessary lining of the planets was needed to make a revolution like no-till happen. More important than the new herbicides and a no-till-ready planter were the individuals who relentlessly believed in the practice, encouraged farmers to stay the course and tirelessly evangelized on no-till to numerous camps.


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40-Year-Old Conservation Tillage Information Center Gave Unified Voice for No-Till

An idea for a simple no-till ‘club’ grew into a private-public clearinghouse that influenced hearts & minds on the practice.
By Mike Lessiter posted on November 6, 2022
The 2022 farm season has several important no-till milestones — no-till’s first commercial plot (60 years), No-Till Farmer (50) and National No-Tillage Conference (30). We’ll add a fourth jewel to the “no-till crown” with the 40th anniversary of a public-private partnership, the Conservation Tillage Information Center (CTIC). The No-Till History series is made possible by Calmer Corn Heads.
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Dick Foell: Nothing Too Crazy to Promote No-Till

Country music, gaudy green silk jackets or a dressing his bride up as a tiger, nothing was off-limits to Dick Foell when it came to attracting attention for no-tillage.
By Mike Lessiter posted on July 28, 2022
Country music, gaudy green silk jackets and the costuming of his bride up as a tiger, nothing was off-limits to Dick Foell when it came to attracting attention to the merits of no-tillage. The No-Till History series is made possible by Calmer Corn Heads.
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No-Tiller Plants Entire Corn Crop with Driverless Tractor

No-Tiller Plants Entire Corn Crop with Driverless Tractor

On this episode of Conservation Ag Update, brought to you by Titan International, we catch up with young Kentucky no-tiller Quint Pottinger to see how he autonomously planted his entire crop in 2026. Senior editor John Dobberstein checks in from the CTIC Conservation in Action Tour in Scotland Neck, N.C., where no-tiller Zeb Winslow III talks about his multi-species cover crop program.

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