Brian O'Connor started at Lessiter Media as the Lead Content Editor for Conservation Agriculture in November 2021. He previously worked in daily print journalism for more than a decade in places as far flung as Alaska and the U.S. Virgin Islands, where he shared a national award for coverage of two Category 5 hurricanes that struck the islands in 2017. He's also taught English in Korea, delivered packages for Amazon, and coordinated Wisconsin election night coverage for the Associated Press. His first job was on a Southeast Wisconsin farm.

Poll: Chemical Shortages

By Brian O'Connor posted on July 5, 2022 | Posted in Crop Protection

What chemicals are you seeing shortages of this summer and into the fall?

Water Drives Minnesota No-Tiller to Plow

By Brian O'Connor posted on July 5, 2022 | Posted in Seeding & Planting

While western farmers pray for rain, heavy spring rains in Minnesota have forced some farmers away from no-till to combat wet conditions. That includes Minnesota Corn Growers President Brian Biegler, who farms near Lake Wilson, Minn.

Kinze 4905 16-Row True Speed Planter_0720 copy

Experts from Missouri, Iowa, Share Observations On No-till

By Brian O'Connor posted on June 27, 2022 | Posted in No-Till Farming 101

Experts from Missouri and Iowa academic institutions weigh in on the benefits of no-till in this piece from Missouri Farmer Today. While almost all praise (and use) no-tillage systems, they admit the positive benefits (soil absorption, for one) are hard to quantify monetarily.

[Podcast] Bespoke Fertility Recommendations With Parker Cohn

For this episode of the <em>No-Till Farmer</em> podcast, brought to you by Bio-Till Cover Crops, we're joined by Parker Cohn, the young soil services entrepreneur and operator of Performance Resources Management.

By Brian O'Connor posted on June 23, 2022 | Posted in Nutrient Management, Soil Health

For this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by Bio-Till Cover Crops, we're joined by Parker Cohn, the young soil services entrepreneur and operator of Performance Resources Management.

Fare-Thee-Well John Deere Moldboard Plow 3710

By Brian O'Connor posted on June 23, 2022 | Posted in No-Till Farming 101, Equipment, Soil Health

The company will no longer take orders for the model 3710 moldboard plow, citing changing tillage practices among farmers.

Chilean No-Till Legend Carlos Crovetto Lamarca Dead at 89

By Brian O'Connor posted on June 22, 2022 | Posted in No-Till Farming 101

Carlos Crovetto Larmarca, who turned his farm Chequén into an experimental test plot for agriculturalists all over the world, died at home on June 17.

Glyphosate On Trial

U.S. Supreme Court Will Not Hear Glyphosate Case

By Brian O'Connor posted on June 21, 2022 | Posted in Crop Protection

The U.S. Supreme Court denied the company's writ of certiorari for a case arising from California that had resulted in a multimillion dollar verdict against the company and its subsidiary Monsanto.

Ag Groups Accuse Fertilizer Industry of Price-Gouging

By Brian O'Connor posted on June 20, 2022 | Posted in Cover Crops, Nutrient Management, Soil Health

Among 24 groups who signed a letter to the USDA as part of the official comment on fertilizer are a few prominent ag and regen groups, including the Indiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin farmers unions.

The Biofuel Folks Might Like a Word About Your Corn Stover

By Brian O'Connor posted on June 18, 2022 | Posted in Cover Crops, Residue Management, Soil Health

A study published in the Journal of Cleaner Production found that harvesting up to 30% of corn stover on a field for use in fuel products could increase revenues for growers and decrease the negative impact on the environment, while at the same time allowing some soil organic matter accumulation.

No-Till Farmer Influencers & Innovators

[Podcast] Norbert Beaujot on No-Till Saskatchewan and Dot Technologies

For this episode of the <em>No-Till Farmer</em> Influencers & Innovators podcast, brought to you by The Andersons, we'll discusses the intersection of no-till and technology in Saskatchewan, Canada. The need for autonomy arose in Saskatchewan because of the shortage of available labor, says Norbert Beaujot. Farms — like his 3,000-acre no-till mixed crop and testing operation — were getting larger, but labor remained scarce.

By Frank Lessiter and Brian O'Connor posted on June 17, 2022 | Posted in Equipment, Soil Health

For this episode of the No-Till Farmer Influencers & Innovators podcast, brought to you by The Andersons, we'll discusses the intersection of no-till and technology in Saskatchewan, Canada. The need for autonomy arose in Saskatchewan because of the shortage of available labor, says Norbert Beaujot. Farms — like his 3,000-acre no-till mixed crop and testing operation — were getting larger, but labor remained scarce.

Videos

Kinze Introduces the True Speed version of the Blue Drive Planter

Kinze introducing their True Speed version of Kinze’s Blue Drive planter for their 3505 8 row planter market.

Events

2022 National Strip-Tillage Conference

Date: 07/28/22

Location: Coralville, IA

Discover 2-days of cutting-edge ideas, techniques and strategies in Coralville, Iowa., July 28-29. Join the most innovative, forward-thinking minds in strip-till to raise your level of strip-till profitability, efficiency and efficacy.

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Top Directory Listings

Needham Ag Technologies, LLC

Needham Ag understands the role of technology in making better use of limited resources within a specific environment by drawing on a wealth of global experience to overcome the challenges facing today's farmers, manufacturers and dealers.

Titan International, Inc

Titan offers a full line of wheels, tires and undercarriage products for a wide variety of off-the-road equipment.

The Andersons PureGrade

The Andersons grows enduring relationships through extraordinary service, a deep knowledge of the market, and a knack for finding new ways to add value as we have done for nearly 70 years.

Brian O'Connor

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