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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.

lessitef@lesspub.com

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ARTICLES

Frank Comments

Tips, Tricks, Techniques

By Frank Lessiter posted on June 1, 2001 | Posted in Crop Protection

With weed control season in full swing for many no-tillers, it’s a good time to pass along a few practical ideas used successfully by attendees at last winter’s National No-Tillage Conference.

Rockin’ With No-Till

Where corn is no-tilled today, there were 23,110 Union and Confederate casualties on the bloodiest day of the Civil War.

By Frank Lessiter posted on May 1, 2001 | Posted in No-Till Farming 101

When thousands of troops walked around the huge rocks and out of the corn fields on the morning of Sept. 17, 1862, in the bloody Battle of Antietam, little did they know that 19,510 soldiers would be wounded and 3,600 killed on this single, gruesome day. The No-Till History series is made possible by Calmer Corn Heads.

Frank Comments

Strip Till Vs. No-Till?

By Frank Lessiter posted on April 1, 2001 | Posted in No-Till Farming 101, Seeding & Planting, Strip-Till Farming

While some readers feel fall or spring strip-tilling can overcome concerns about no-tilling corn, others aren't so sure that this is always the very best way to get the job done. Besides using no-till, many attendees at the National No-Tillage Conference in Cincinnati felt using residue conditioning machines could help expand the effectiveness of no-tilling corn

Trim ‘em Back!

No-tillers are eliminating the mud buildup on Keeton seeding attachments by trimming back the plastic tail.

By Frank Lessiter posted on March 1, 2001 | Posted in Residue Management

With earlier no-tilling and seeding into wet soils, many no-tillers across the Corn Belt have seen a buildup of mud on Keeton seeding attachments.

“Your Farming Future Depends On No-Tilling”

By helping protect the environment while trimming your cropping costs, National No-Tillage Conference attendees learned why this system represents the future in efficiently feeding the 19 out of every 20 people who don’t live on farms.

By Frank Lessiter posted on March 1, 2001 | Posted in No-Till Farming 101

Practically anything you ever wanted to know about no-till was discussed during the ninth annual National No-Tillage Conference held in Cincinnati, Ohio, in mid-January. Over 700 veteran no-tillers from more than 20 states, Canada and several foreign countries shared their "best of the best"; no-tilling ideas that have worked so successfully with other attendees.

Frank Comments

Who Was The Conference Spy?

By Frank Lessiter posted on March 1, 2001 | Posted in No-Till Farming 101

When you turn to pages 12 and 13 in this issue, you'll find an article on the pros and cons of trimming part of the plastic tail off the Keeton seeding attachment to improve your no-till planting efficiency.

Will Ultra-Narrow No-Till Corn Rows Work For You?

There’s not as much excitement about 15- and 20-inch corn rows as a couple of years ago, but more no-tillers are taking a closer look.

By Frank Lessiter posted on February 1, 2001 | Posted in Seeding & Planting

With 900 acres of corn near Beaver Dam, Wis., Charlie Hammer uses 20-inch rows. He plants 36,000 to 38,000 seeds per acre and finds the narrower rows add 6 to 8 inches to plant height.

Frank Comments

Butterflies Vs. Bt Corn

By Frank Lessiter posted on February 1, 2001 | Posted in Crop Protection

With considerable controversy surrounding the impact of Bt corn on butterflies over the past several years, recent research indicates the fear isn’t as great as once suspected.

Coming Soon To A No-Till Field Near You

Here are 14 exciting ideas that may change the way you no-till while boosting your income.

By Frank Lessiter posted on January 1, 2001 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Crop Protection, Residue Management

Plenty of new ideas are coming along to help you no-till more efficiently by the year 2005. As the No-Till Farmer editors look to the future, here are a few ideas you may be putting to good use within the next 10 years.

Frank Comments

More Say “No” To Tillage

By Frank Lessiter posted on January 1, 2001 | Posted in Seeding & Planting

For the first time ever, no-till acres in the United States have broken the 50 million acre mark. The results shown in the No-Till-Age chart at left indicate farmers no-tilled 50,787,792 acres last year.

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