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Frank Lessiter

Frank Lessiter has served as editor of No-Till Farmer since the publication was launched in November of 1972. Raised on a six-generation Michigan Centennial Farm, he has spent his entire career in agricultural journalism. Lessiter is a dairy science graduate from Michigan State University.

Articles

ARTICLES

‘Planting Green’ Picks Up Speed

By Frank Lessiter posted on March 29, 2021

Instead of terminating a cover crop prior to no-tilling corn, soybeans or another crop, more growers are planting through a still growing green cover crop. Seeding a cash crop into a growing green cover crop that may range in height from just a few inches to over 6 feet tall allows both crops to grow longer in the spring.

Failure Was Never a No-Till Option

By Frank Lessiter posted on February 22, 2021 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops

Ohio’s “No-Till Bill” says the key to selling growers on no-till over his four-decade career was to accept full responsibility for every aspect of the switch to reduced tillage.

Double-Croppers Lose Dicamba Options

New application restrictions mean dicamba probably can’t be used for double-cropped soybeans, but there are other options in the weed control arsenal.

By Frank Lessiter posted on February 1, 2021 | Posted in Crop Protection

With a federally-mandated June 30 cutoff for dicamba use (June 20 in Illinois), most no-tillers who double-crop soybeans after wheat or barley won’t be using this herbicide as an over-the-top application.

Building a Customized $350,000 Planter from the Ground Up

Seeking to ratchet up performance, Allan Brooks and a local dealer built a new machine from the “ground up” to fit the unique needs of this no-tiller’s farm.

By Frank Lessiter posted on January 1, 2021 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Equipment

Even though a 7-year-old 24-row John Deere planter was still effectively handling planting tasks, Allan Brooks spent 3 years debating whether investing in new seeding equipment made long-term economic sense.

For Every $1 of Government Funding Invested in No-Till Research and Education, Western Canadian Growers, Suppliers and Consumers Earned $109 in On-Going Benefits

By Frank Lessiter posted on December 29, 2020 | Posted in Residue Management, Soil Health, No-Till 101

With a new administration taking over in Washington, climate change is going to get much more attention. In fact, the new presidential team has already committed to helping farmers expand the use of no-till, cover crops and carbon sequestration in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

More No-Till, Less Farm Stress

By Frank Lessiter posted on November 30, 2020

I’VE ALWAYS FELT no-tillers tend to be more optimistic and happier than the general farm population. Like everyone else in farming, you don’t like low commodity prices, dealing with numerous government regulations and ever-increasing input costs. At the same time, no-tillers don’t seem to get as concerned or complain as much about things they can’t control.

More Clarity, Less Chaos Can Help Growers Improve Cropping Decisions

By Frank Lessiter posted on November 2, 2020 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Crop Protection, Soil Health

Syngenta continues to invest in new technologies to meet the changing needs of growers.

When it Comes to Capitalizing on the Many Benefits of Cover Crops, No-Tillers Are So Far Ahead of Growers Using More Intensive Tillage That it’s Embarrassing

By Frank Lessiter posted on October 17, 2020

Data from several surveys conducted this year by No-Till Farmer shows no-tillers are years ahead of growers using other tillage practices when it comes to cover crop adoption.

Ag Equipment Color Preferences are Fading

By Frank Lessiter posted on October 15, 2020 | Posted in Equipment

There’s considerably less “color” loyalty today to major farm equipment brands than in the past.

Wheat, Soybean Combo Looks Favorable

By Frank Lessiter posted on September 16, 2020 | Posted in Seeding & Planting

No-tillers in southern areas of the Corn Belt or further south may find new profit-building opportunities from no-tilling wheat this fall and double-cropping soybeans in 2021.

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Strip Cropping and Interseeding Cover Crops with Marty Weiss

Capturing sunlight and keeping living roots in the ground as long as possible is the goal of Beaver Dam, Ws., no-tiller Marty Weiss. The co-chair of the Dodge County Farmers for Healthy Soil & Healthy Water talks about strip-cropping and interseeding cover crops at a field day in the summer of 2020.

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