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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

How No-Till Benefits the World’s Population

By Frank Lessiter posted on September 15, 2021 | Posted in Seeding & Planting

The continued growth of no-till offers a number of major environmental advances for people all around the globe.

No-Tillage is for the ‘Birds’

By Frank Lessiter posted on August 31, 2021 | Posted in Cover Crops, Crop Protection, Residue Management, No-Till Farming 101

OVER 50 YEARS of writing about the benefits of no-till, we’ve only done a few articles on the expansion of wildlife populations with no-till. That’s why we were pleased to come across some work by University of Illinois environmental scientists on whether no-till and cover crops provide extra benefits for birds.

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25 Critical Questions to Ask Before Signing a Carbon Contract

With many unknowns and uncertainties in the carbon markets, make sure you fully understand every aspect of a proposed contract.

By Frank Lessiter posted on July 20, 2021 | Posted in Soil Health, No-Till Farming 101

Before signing a carbon sequestration contract, you’ll need to fully understand all of the specific terms, conditions, requirements, data ownership and penalties covered in the document’s fine print.

Soil Microbes Prefer Crop Variety

By Frank Lessiter posted on May 28, 2021 | Posted in Cover Crops, Nutrient Management, No-Till Farming 101

While research on soil microbial health has mainly been done in a lab, greenhouse or in short-term field experiments, University of Illinois crop scientists have captured valuable crop rotation and tillage data from a 20-year field experiment.

Veteran Central Illinois No-Tiller Scott Davidson Passes Away

By Frank Lessiter posted on April 21, 2021 | Posted in Soil Health

A long-time booster of no-till, Scott Davidson passed away on April 17, 2021. The Dalton City, Ill., family man and farmer had made the transition to 100% no-till between 1991 and 1994.

‘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 Farming 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.

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Events

Soil Health Institute Webinar: Economics of Soil Health Systems on 100 Farms

Date: 09/30/21

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Farmers and ranchers are businesspeople, and the questions that often present the most significant barrier to adoption of soil health management systems pertain to the business case. The Soil Health Institute interviewed 100 farmers in 9 states who have adopted soil health systems and used partial budget analysis to evaluate whether soil health practices increase or reduce profitability.

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Frank Lessiter

ARTICLES

How No-Till Benefits the World’s Population

No-Tillage is for the ‘Birds’

25 Critical Questions to Ask Before Signing a Carbon Contract

Soil Microbes Prefer Crop Variety

Veteran Central Illinois No-Tiller Scott Davidson Passes Away

‘Planting Green’ Picks Up Speed

Failure Was Never a No-Till Option

Double-Croppers Lose Dicamba Options

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

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

Top Articles

Current Issue

No-Till Farmer

What I've Learned from No-Tilling: No-Till and Cover Crops Deliver More From Field and Pasture

No-Tillage is for the ‘Birds’

New Lines of Winter Camelina Show Promise for Profitable Relay Cropping

Must Read Free Eguides

Videos

How to Calibrate a No-Till Grain Drill

Events

Soil Health Institute Webinar: Economics of Soil Health Systems on 100 Farms

Needham Ag Technologies, LLC

Titan International, Inc

The Andersons PureGrade