John Dobberstein

John Dobberstein is senior editor of No-Till Farmer magazine and the e-newsletter Dryland No-Tiller. He previously covered agriculture for the Tulsa World and worked for daily newspapers in Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Joseph, Mich. He graduated with a B.A. in journalism and political science from Central Michigan University.

‘Boutique’ Farm Yields Big-Time No-Till Savings and Success

97-year-old Melvin Steck has flirted with 300-bushel corn and hit 70-bushel soybeans with homemade equipment, common sense and a long-term commitment to no-till.

By John Dobberstein posted on September 14, 2018 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops, Equipment

These days, Melvin Steck doesn’t go to many farm shows, field days or plot tours and isn’t the type to sell his program or philosophies to others. But this 97-year-old no-tiller will talk plenty about how the soil works.

[Podcast] It’s All About Carbon: Building a Thriving Soil Biological Community

In this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by Calmer Corn Heads, we're discussing healthy soils and diverse organisms with Dennis Chessman, the team leader for the NRCS Soil Health Division in Lexington, Ky.

By John Dobberstein posted on September 13, 2018 | Posted in Cover Crops, Soil Health

In this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by Calmer Corn Heads, we're discussing healthy soils and diverse organisms with Dennis Chessman, the team leader for the NRCS Soil Health Division in Lexington, Ky.

From the Desk of John Dobberstein

No-Tilling, Cover Crops Not Window Dressing — They’re the Solution

By John Dobberstein posted on September 13, 2018 | Posted in Cover Crops, Soil Health

I came across an article this week that seems to mirror the challenges we’re having today with implementing conservation practices in the semi-arid Great Plains, and the concern I’ve had that our agricultural leaders are not on the same page about this.

Another ‘You Can’t Do That’ No-Till Story

By John Dobberstein posted on August 23, 2018 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Soil Health, Water Management

Many naysayers don’t believe you can no-till sugarbeets, but Greg Schlemmer has proved his doubters wrong as he’s been no-tilling irrigated sugarbeets in southern Montana for the last 5 years. Find out how he’s doing it.

[Podcast] Nuts and Bolts of No-Till Crop Nutrition Part 2

In this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by Calmer Corn Heads, we continue our discussion with John Grove, director of the University of Kentucky Research and Education Center, shifting focus to nutrient management after crops have emerged.

By John Dobberstein posted on August 21, 2018 | Posted in Cover Crops, Soil Health

In this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by Calmer Corn Heads, we continue our discussion with John Grove, director of the University of Kentucky Research and Education Center, shifting focus to nutrient management after crops have emerged.

Heeding Soil and Leaf Sap Tests Could Boost No-Till Soybean Yields

A comparison of No-Till Farmer survey results and soil test data from five states show a need for no-tillers to address micronutrient deficiencies to improve soybean production.

By John Dobberstein posted on August 18, 2018 | Posted in Nutrient Management, Soil Health, No-Till 101

No-Tillers could be leaving as much as $24 per acre on the table by not addressing key soil nutrient deficiencies in soybeans, says an Illinois certified crop adviser.

No-Tillers Stay Flexible to Get the Most from Cereal Rye

A new cover crop seeding rig, an ATV sprayer and a lot of patience helped this Ohio family improve tough soils and stabilize yields with no-till and cereal rye.

By John Dobberstein posted on August 14, 2018 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops, Equipment

When Nathan Wilson first considered no-tilling corn and soybeans he was worried it might not work well. He had seen some poor stands and weed control problems on other farms and field days. But it turned out Nathan just needed to set foot on the right farm to see the possibilities.

[Podcast] Nuts and Bolts of No-Till Crop Nutrition Part 1

In this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by Calmer Corn Heads, we welcome John Grove, director of the University of Kentucky Research and Education Center, to discuss the unique characteristics of no-till soil environments when compared to soils on conventionally tilled farms and how those can affect the availability of nutrients to plants.

By John Dobberstein posted on August 9, 2018 | Posted in Cover Crops, Soil Health

In this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by Calmer Corn Heads, we welcome John Grove, director of the University of Kentucky Research and Education Center, to discuss the unique characteristics of no-till soil environments when compared to soils on conventionally tilled farms and how those can affect the availability of nutrients to plants.

Feeding Off No-Till, Cover Crop Profitability

Tiffany Cattle Co. separates itself from the herd with a focus on grazing cover crops to improve soil health economically.

By John Dobberstein posted on July 28, 2018 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops, Soil Health

When Shawn and Shane Tiffany took over the former Black Diamond feed yard in 2007 it wasn’t in terrible shape, mostly because of manure applications that kept organic matter in the soil. But after going to a cover crop field day 8 years ago, the brothers didn’t want to just settle.

3 Alternative No-Tilled Crops to Boost Your Bottom Line

Grain sorghum and winter canola have growing markets, and no-tilled vegetables can help growers tap into the farm-to-table movement.

By John Dobberstein posted on July 28, 2018 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Soil Health

With corn and soybean stockpiles growing and prices stagnant, no-tillers may want to decide whether it’s time to plant an alternative crop to explore new markets and work toward being a market maker instead of a market taker.

John Dobberstein

ARTICLES

‘Boutique’ Farm Yields Big-Time No-Till Savings and Success

[Podcast] It’s All About Carbon: Building a Thriving Soil Biological Community

No-Tilling, Cover Crops Not Window Dressing — They’re the Solution

Another ‘You Can’t Do That’ No-Till Story

[Podcast] Nuts and Bolts of No-Till Crop Nutrition Part 2

Heeding Soil and Leaf Sap Tests Could Boost No-Till Soybean Yields

No-Tillers Stay Flexible to Get the Most from Cereal Rye

[Podcast] Nuts and Bolts of No-Till Crop Nutrition Part 1

Feeding Off No-Till, Cover Crop Profitability

3 Alternative No-Tilled Crops to Boost Your Bottom Line

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