No-Till Farmer's Conservation Ag Operator Fellowship

No-Till Farmer's Conservation Ag Operator Fellowship

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.


The 2023 fellowship program, made possible by A&I Products, aims to broaden farmers’ understanding about how to realize economic and sustainability success through no-till and conservation ag by returning to the same farm all year long. No-Till Farmer’s editors and industry advisors selected Loren Steinlage of West Union, Iowa, 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 (NNTC) speaker.


The content series examines a variety of year-long 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 series also features a unique “Ask the Operator” monthly live webinar series, scheduled for the first Friday of every month at 7 a.m. Central, in which viewers may ask Steinlage for advice and questions about the no-till results he’s seen on his own farm. The capstone of the project includes a final report on performance and results, and a featured presentation at the 32nd Annual National No-Tillage Conference in 2024.

ARTICLES

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Upcoming Webinar

Ask the Operator: Highly Modified No-Till Planter Setups [Webinar]

No-Till Farmer broadcasts live from Loran Steinlage’s FLOLO Farms in West Union, Iowa, for the May edition of the Ask the Operator webinar series: No-Till Planter Walkthroughs & Troubleshooting. The 2023 Conservation Ag Operator Fellow gives a live walkthrough of two of his highly modified no-till planters and shares the reasons behind his setup decisions.
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Upcoming Webinar

Ask the Operator: No-Till & Regenerative Ag in Ukraine [Webinar]

In the second installment of No-Till Farmer’s Ask the Operator webinar series, 2023 Conservation Ag Operator Fellow Loran Steinlage of West Union, Iowa, welcomes Olexiy and Konstantin, two Ukrainian no-tillers, and UW-Madison's Erin Silva for a live discussion about organic no-till and the regenerative practices the farmers are experimenting with in Ukraine.
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Webinar Replay

Ask the Operator: Help Me with Cover Crops! [Webinar]

In this panel discussion, No-Till Farmer managing editor Michaela Paukner and No-Till Farmer's 2023 Conservation Ag Operator Fellow Loran Steinlage of West Union, Iowa, give you a first look at the results of the 4th annual Cover Crop Benchmark Study, a nationwide survey of hundreds of growers using cover crops, and talk through key takeaways for successfully using cover crops.
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On-Farm Trials Identify Yield-Boosting Hybrids, Fertilizer Strategies

In the final installment of No-Till Farmer’s inaugural Conservation Ag Operator Fellowship, no-tiller Jim Leverich shares results of his 2022 corn hybrid & starter fertilizer trials.
Taking a precision approach to planting and nutrient management proves profitable for Sparta, Wis., no-tiller Jim Leverich.
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Focus on the ‘4Rs’ for Higher Yields

The 2022 No-Till Farmer Conservation Ag Operator Fellow delves into the ‘4Rs’ of nutrient management: Right source, right time, right rate and right place.

With 35 years’ experience working for the University of Wisconsin Extension, research is second nature for Sparta, Wis., no-tiller Jim Leverich. Now retired, he maintains a rigorous program of testing to get the best yields he can on his 1,000-acre corn-soybean operation that his forbears began as a 25-acre orchard in 1864. In testing components of the “4Rs” of nutrient management, he’s found anhydrous ammonia consistently provides the most efficient source of nitrogen (N) while offering the highest level of safety for the environment.


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