No-Till Farmer and Lessiter Media are pleased to announce that Watertown, Wis., no-tiller Tony Peirick has been selected as the 2026 Conservation Ag Operator Fellow. He will be the subject of a unique year-long content series that includes a deep dive into his management practices throughout the 2026 via articles, videos, and webinars.

Peirick is an excellent fit for this program due to his extensive experience with no-till and cover crops over decades as well as his unique and expansive commitment to farmer-to-farmer learning and mentorship, the same principles on which the Fellowship itself was launched.

Farmers may ask Peirick specific questions at any time through the "Ask the Operator" online forum.

The capstone of the project includes a final report on performance and results, and a keynote presentation at the 35th Annual National No-Tillage Conference in Indianapolis from Jan. 12-15, 2027.

The 2026 program is made possible with the support of Dairy Management Inc.

No-Till Farmer and Lessiter Media are pleased to announce that Almena, Kan., no-tiller and rancher Michael Thompson has been selected as the 2025 Conservation Ag Operator Fellowship recipient and will be the subject of a year-long editorial series that will dive deep into his operational management via articles, video, webinars and more.

No-Till Farmer's editors and industry advisors selected Thompson due to his extensive experience no-tilling a diverse array of crops, successful livestock integration and dedication to soil health and the active role he takes in the stewardship of local watersheds.

Farmers may ask Thompson specific questions at any time through the "Ask the Operator" online forum.

The capstone of the project includes a final report on performance and results, and a keynote presentation at the 34th Annual National No-Tillage Conference in St. Louis from Jan. 6-9, 2026.

The 2025 program is made possible with the support of Titan Tires and Yetter Farm Equipment.

The Conservation Ag Operator Fellowship program includes an in-depth, year-long content series shared via No-Till Farmer channels that details McCormick's decisions and actions throughout the year. The multi-media series examines his approach to a variety of subjects, including cropping decisions, attachment/equipment purchases, test plots, seeding/planting conditions and on-the-go decisions in response to weather and other variables.

Farmers may also ask McCormick specific questions at any time through the "Ask the Operator" online forum.

The capstone of the project includes a final report on performance and results, and a keynote presentation at the 33rd Annual National No-Tillage Conference in Louisville from Jan. 7-10, 2025. 

No-Till Farmer has named Loran Steinlage of West Union, Iowa, as its 2023 Conservation Ag Operator Fellow. Launched in 2022 to mark the start of No-Till Farmer's second 50 years, the annual Conservation Ag Operator Fellowship program follows a selected no-till farmer throughout the year and shares the real-time decision-making and solutions needed to make no-till and conservation ag practices work in real-world conditions. 

For the 2023 fellowship program, made possible by A&I Products, No-Till Farmer's editors and industry advisors selected Steinlage as this year’s fellow due to his ongoing commitment to innovating on his own farm and going above and beyond to share his no-till knowledge with others. Steinlage is a 2020 No-Till Innovator Award recipient and frequent National No-Tillage Conference speaker. 

"It's humbling to be chosen as the Conservation Ag Operator Fellow," Steinlage said. "I see this as part of the mindset we've acquired over the years — to throw ourselves out there and help people. This is a way to give back and an opportunity to share more about the why behind the stories." 

The Conservation Ag Operator Fellowship program includes an in-depth, year-long content series in No-Till Farmer magazine that details Steinlage's decisions and actions throughout the year. The series examines a variety of subjects, including cropping decisions, attachment/equipment purchases, test plots, seeding/planting conditions and on-the-go decisions in response to weather and other variables. 

The Conservation Ag Operator Fellowship program includes an in-depth, year-long content series shared via No-Till Farmer channels that details McCormick's decisions and actions throughout the year. The multi-media series examines his approach to a variety of subjects, including cropping decisions, attachment/equipment purchases, test plots, seeding/planting conditions and on-the-go decisions in response to weather and other variables.

Farmers may also ask McCormick specific questions at any time through the "Ask the Operator" online forum.

The capstone of the project includes a final report on performance and results, and a keynote presentation at the 33rd Annual National No-Tillage Conference in Louisville from Jan. 7-10, 2025.