With 270 acres of irrigated, double-cropped land, as well as 375 acres of hilly, dryland farm ground, converting to no-till wasn’t always an easy transition for Michael Crowell. In this presentation, the Turlock, Calif., no-tiller talks about the steps he took to reclaim abused soils that were worked wet continuously and how he made irrigated land respond positively to no-till. Crowell also discusses what he did to improve the calcium-to-magnesium ratios for better soil structure, what’s worked — and what hasn’t — in regards to fertility and things to be careful of when converting planters to no-till so that you achieve the right setup.

In his 40 years of farming, Mike Wolpert has no-tilled for more than 20 of them. In this presentation, he discusses what’s worked and what hasn’t over the past two decades. The West Virginia no-tiller also shares his 7-step plan for keeping your no-till operation thriving for another 20 years: how to establish your farm’s mission; adjust your attitude for success; become goal-oriented; create action plans for long- and short-term goals; assess your results; and adapt your plans for future improvement.

In an industry driven by marginal cost of production, how do you build a competitive advantage that will allow your operation to earn an economic profit consistently? How do no-till, cover crops and active soil biology combine to enhance long-term results? After recently completing an Eisenhower Fellowship in Australia and New Zealand, no-tiller Dan DeSutter of Attica, Ind., shares his adventures in soil health and discuss the relationship between regenerative agriculture and building a profitable business.

With more than 3 decades experience with continuous no-till, Roger Harrington knows some of the challenges farmers face in making this system work. The Ollie, Iowa, no-tiller raises 1,300 acres of corn, soybeans and alfalfa on rolling ground in southeast Iowa, and will share what he’s done with drainage and soil management to limit erosion and protect highly productive farmland.

For 30 years, Marion Calmer has studied the impact on yields of no-tilling corn in ultra-narrow rows. The Alpha, Ill., no-tiller became so convinced at the benefits that he designed his own corn head to harvest 15-inch rows.

With more than 40 years experience no-tilling, western Kentucky farmer Jerry Peery has faced many struggles and realized triumphs in no-tilling. The owner of Springhill Farms near Clinton, Ky., will provide an overview of the strategies and tactics he implements in his 1,600-acre corn and soybean operation.