Join the staff of No-Till Farmer to honor individuals, businesses and organizations who have made major impact on the growth of no-till systems in the U.S. and across the world. (Made possible with the support of Calmer Corn Heads)

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There was a point when Loran Steinlage was fairly content with raising corn and soybeans like many Corn Belt farmers. But getting his first taste interseeding in 2006 sparked a wave of hunger and creativity in Steinlage, as he’s turned to a multi-crop rotation that to build soil resiliency and productivity on his 750-acre operation.
The West Union, Iowa, no-tiller will share the “story behind the story” on how he converted his farm over a 14-year period from a traditional corn-on-corn operation to a hub of innovation with relay cropping, organic no-till, wide-row corn and stacked enterprises. Steinlage will also explain why no-tillers who focus on low-cost farm management and offering higher crop-nutrient densities will have a better chance of increasing farm profitability now and down the road.

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Soil regeneration is different from soil sustainability, which could be seen as maintaining a degraded resource. Soil biological activity is key to regenerative processes and is crucial to building more robust, profitable no-till systems, says soil microbiologist Kris Nichols.
The founder and principal scientist of KRIS Systems Education & Consultation will describe the different types and roles of various microbial communities and outline the interactions needed to regenerate the soil. The former Rodale Institute chief scientist will also discuss what practices and tools can be put in place that positively impact soil biology and contribute to soil regeneration.

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When Annie Dee’s family moved to Alabama, it meant a transition from farming white sand in Florida to working with heavy, abused clay soils in their new location — making planting and establishment of cash crops very difficult. But turning to high-tech, conservation-based farming has significantly brightened the results and outlook for the family’s 4,000-acre operation.
The Aliceville, Ala., no-tiller and former No-Till Innovator Award winner will share how reduced tillage and no-till practices, cover crops cocktails, precision technology and spoon-feeding nutrients has rejuvenated the farm’s rain-soaked soils, stabilized corn and soybean yields and set the operation up for future productivity and profitability of Dee River Ranch.

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AgroLiquid and No-Till Farmer will recognize 3 no-tillers judged to be environmentally, economically and practically responsible with their no-till nutrient management programs. The fertility practices and techniques utilized by these top-notch no-tillers — recognized as Responsible Nutrient Management Practitioners — will provide you with some valuable ideas to consider in your own no-till operation for the coming year.

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Even though Rick Clark has realized much success with a progressive no-till program, he’s not one to rest on his laurels. There’s always something new happening at the Williamsport, Ind., no-tiller’s farm, where he raises corn, soybeans, wheat, alfalfa and field peas, while also managing a 200-head cow-calf operation.
A hit speaker at NNTC in 2019, Clark returns to update attendees on his intense journey to adapt his 7,000-acre organic operation to regenerative principles. Clark will cover the in-row roller system on his planter that lets him terminate cover crops and plant cash crops in one pass, and he’ll detail why grazing livestock is an important part of his operation. He’ll also review the financial benefits he’s seeing by farming this way.

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Although nitrogen is one of the most essential nutrients for plants, it’s also among the most expensive inputs on no-tillers’ ledgers and the subject of long-running debates on what form is most efficient and cost-effective. But John Kempf says many of these questions can be answered by understanding the rhizophagy cycle and using that knowledge to manage nutrients in a way that improves crop health and profits while increasing resilience to weather stress.
The founder of Advancing Eco Agriculture will discuss how plants absorb and utilize different forms of nitrogen, how some forms of nitrogen increase a plant’s water requirements, how to greatly increase nitrogen use efficiency and reduce application rates. He’ll also describe how plants absorb microbes directly from the soil, how to get the greatest benefit from seed treatments, and how to use other nutrients to get the same growth energy that nitrogen delivers — but with much higher quality.

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The concept of planting corn in 60-inch-wide rows — introduced at the National No-Tillage Conference by ag consultant Bob Recker a few years ago — has attracted the interest of many no-tillers across the Midwest. This system permits no-tillers to capitalize on additional sunlight and interseed cover crops in the early summer, getting them well established before harvest. Farmers can even graze the covers for additional economic and soil health benefits.
But how are corn grain yields affected by this newfangled practice? Reinbeck, Iowa, strip-tiller and retired ag engineer Jack Boyer will share the results of on-farm research conducted on 60-inch corn with Practical Farmers of Iowa’s Cooperators’ Program and help attendees understand the what, why and how of this practice and what data show about corn yields.

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Legal and regulatory scrutiny continues to proliferate for popular herbicides such as Roundup, paraquat and dicamba. In fact, bans of certain herbicides by some European countries and food industry giants could be harbingers for what no-tillers will face in the future as crop production faces increased scrutiny, says Steve Groff.
The longtime Holtwood, Pa., no-tiller and cover crop producer will go over some alternative weed control strategies he’s seen in the field, including using cover crops and roller-crimpers, as well as other mechanical innovations, that can help growers extend the life of the herbicides on their farm and improve their effectiveness.

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While the science behind soil health is important, the ultimate goal for most no-tillers is building a farm ecosystem that is regenerative and capable of helping them be low-cost producers with profitable operations. There are definitive, practical steps to achieving both soil health and plant health through achieving steps outlined in the Plant Health Pyramid, says John Kempf.
In this exclusive 3-hour workshop, the crop health consultant and founder of Middlefield, Ohio-based Advancing Eco Agriculture will provide a comprehensive look at this pyramid and how growers can progress through each step toward achieving complete photo and protein synthesis and increasing lipids and plant secondary metabolites that will ultimately establish complete pest and disease resistance in soils and build the highest level of plant and soil health.

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Jay Baxter had big shoes to fill when his father passed and he took the reins of their family farm. But his family has moved the ball forward, implementing no-till practices, cover crops, high-tech irrigation technology and other practices on their 2,000-acre farm near Georgetown, Del.
Baxter will provide an overview of his family’s diversified farm operation that includes corn, soybeans, wheat, sweet corn and lima beans, as well as a 200,000 broiler chicken operation and potted plant production in greenhouses. He’ll also describe the learning curve he encountered with planting cash crops and processing vegetables into living cover crops and how he overcame those challenges to continue improving soil health.

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Herbicides have been a backbone of agriculture since the 1960s and still play an important part in successful no-till systems. But herbicide resistance has become a major threat to farm production. New resistance problems are appearing more quickly than before and are largely being driven by a different resistance mechanism in the plants, says Bob Hartzler.
The weed specialist at Iowa State University Extension will explain “rapid herbicide metabolism” in weeds and how it’s allowing weeds to develop resistance to herbicides more quickly. And he’ll provide an overview of why metabolism-based resistance requires a different approach to managing this problem and what no-tillers can do to preserve their herbicide program for the future.

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Many farmers attend trade shows, seminars, browse the Internet and read magazines looking for truthful information to better their operations. Then they try to utilize those “truths” by integrating them on their own farms, says Marion Calmer.
A veteran no-tiller from western Illinois, Calmer will explain how he’s utilized his “7 Steps to Better Thinking” over his 46 years of farming to make successful agronomic and mechanical decisions — which he believes has helped make farming more environmentally friendly, profitable, rewarding and, most importantly, fun!

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Fundamental change in American agriculture is no longer an option — it’s an absolute necessity, says John Ikerd. One road to the future promises to fix the ecological, social and economic problems of today’s agri-food system with new biological, digital and mechanical technologies. The other road promises to avoid today’s problems by creating food and farming systems that are inherently resilient, regenerative and socially responsible.
The ag economist, author and professor emeritus at the University of Missouri will explain how no-tilling has a different path on each of these divergent roads. He’ll discuss and compare the environmental, social, and economic implications of each road — including how they impact soil erosion, water quality, greenhouse gas emissions, carbon sequestration, economic opportunity, and quality of life for farmers and people in rural communities. Which road will you choose?

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Dialing in correct seeding and fertilizer rates for variable-rate applications can be challenging but the potential cost savings and possibly improved yields make it worthwhile. Mark Chapman writes all the prescriptions for his no-till farming operation and has developed a systematic approach to setting seeding and fertility goals and identifying how to achieve them in the midst of multiple complicating factors.
The no-tiller from Bowling Green, Ky., will walk through the decisions that need to be made in developing variable-rate seeding and fertilizer programs, and will discuss the functional, agronomic and maintenance impacts of each. He’ll talk about how labor, equipment and cost factor into his decisions and how to cut through the confusion of having multiple reasonable options.

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It’s been said that if you aren’t experimenting, you aren’t learning. This is a philosophy that fifth-generation farmer Jon Stevens has adopted to diversify and drive profitability on his 700-acre Rock Creek, Minn., operation. Transitioning into no-till in 2013 after decades of full-width tillage, Stevens wanted to improve soil health and reduce fertilizer costs.
Stevens will detail how he’s integrated and intertwined progressive experiments, including interseeding cover crops, 60-inch corn, the reintroduction of cattle onto the farm and strip-till to contribute to a $40 per ace savings since transitioning out of full-width tillage. 

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For several reasons, seed placement in no-till is fundamentally different from tilled systems, but vigorous stands in no-till are more attainable than you might think. You can achieve consistent stands every year in every field, says Tom Cannon.
The veteran grower from Blackwell, Okla., who no-tills corn, double-crop soybeans, cotton, winter wheat and milo, seeds cover crops and raises livestock, will document how he’s implemented Exapta Solutions’ forensic-level approach to no-till planting and seeding, while also sharing what helps and hurts stand establishment in a no-till farming system. Cannon will also arm you with a better understanding of how plants grow and how the no-till seed-installation process can be more effectively accomplished.

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The last few years have reinforced the importance of proper no-till planter setups. Getting consistent seed-to-soil contact in less-than-ideal conditions can be challenging, regardless of experience. But a working knowledge of essential do’s and don’ts for no-till planter setup — from attachment selection and settings to precision technology must have’s — can increase the likelihood of success.
Bill Lehmkuhl, owner of Precision Agri Services and a no-till planter expert from Minster, Ohio, will deliver an in-depth classroom session on getting back to no-till planter basics, understanding the “why” and “how” of choosing and setting up the right no-till attachments, meter calibration, planting rates and speeds, and also sharing 2020 planter plot research on closing wheels, down force adjustment and emergence.

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Although California is often seen as the epicenter of environmentalism, that hasn’t been the case with the state’s diverse, arid and irrigated cropping systems. Degraded soils and endangered water supplies have created major challenges for growers, says Jeff Mitchell.
The conservation specialist for University of California-Davis and founding member the state’s Conservation Agriculture Systems Innovation Center will outline the recent focus on economics and soil health driving no-till and strip-till adoption in California. And he’ll highlight several examples of reduced disturbance production system innovation spanning the spectrum from processing tomatoes to dairy silage to organic vegetables.

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Slug and voles are major pests when no-till and cover crops are used together, as this system can provide beneficial food, shelter and habitat for them. Both thrive in dense, lush moisture and vegetation and so understanding the life cycle of these pests and learning how to manage the environment is the key to minimizing their population, says Jim Hoorman.
The soil health consultant and former NRCS educator will provide more than 30 management tips on cover crop mixes, seeding practices, natural predators, baits, repellents, harvesting methods and other solutions that may help reduce pest populations. Five fact sheets on slugs and voles, with the most current research included, will be available to help no-tillers be even more successful.

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Interseeding offers many no-tillers — including those ‘Up North’ with shorter growing seasons — the opportunity to get cover crops established earlier in year and maximize the benefit for their investment. But beginners may find it tough getting questions answered on how to get to started successfully.
West Union, Iowa, no-tiller Loran Steinlage, who’s been interseeding covers into cash crops since 2006, will share some history on how he got started with the practice, and offer some insights on equipment (you don’t have to break the bank), species selection, seeding options and timelines, termination and more. He’ll also share some of the yield data he’s pulled from his 750-acre farm and open up the floor for some extra Q&A time.

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n ongoing quest for alternatives to conventional food choices has been magnified by the coronavirus pandemic. The movement to mitigate global climate change, coupled and growing scientific evidence of the environmental and public health impacts of the industrial agri-food system, had already fueled explosive growth in organic food sales and triggered a vibrant local food movement says John Ikerd.
During the COVID-19 crisis, farmers with direct access to customers through farmers markets, CSAs and local food hubs experienced greater demand than they could possibly supply. A professor emeritus, author and ag economist, Ikerd will explain the importance of internet marketing options to respond to new market demands and help no-tillers learn and share perspective on the potential of no-tilling to benefit from these new and emerging food markets.

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There are countless threats facing agriculture: crop pests, market volatility, stagnant grain prices and environmental scrutiny. The solution for Eric Rademacher and his son, Frank, was eliminating tillage, and by 2017 they adopted no-till and cover crops on their entire 600-acre operation near Gifford, Ill.
In a broad overview of their operation, Frank will share how they embarked on planting green, raising non-GMO crops, using early maturing varieties and reducing synthetic inputs to increase profits and the long-term resiliency of their farm. They’ll also discuss future concerns driving their decisions and the steps they’re taking to streamline their cropping system.

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