For this No-Till Farmer podcast, we caught up with Hickory, North Carolina, no-tiller Russell Hedrick to hear about his latest venture, a mobile grain milling operation he launched alongside partners Liz Haney and Sarah Varble called Regen Mills. Join in to hear how the trio sees this as a way to return more profit to farmers, how this new approach to grain milling supports that goal, the requirements and expectations they have for farmers signing on to the program, likely financial returns a fa...
Nov 12, 2021•35 min
In this episode of the No-Till Farmer Influencers & Innovators podcast, Frank Lessiter talks with Dick Wittman, a no-tiller in Lapwai, Idaho, about his transition to no-till, his resource management mindset and how Wittman is positioning the next generation of farmers in his family for success.
Nov 05, 2021•45 min
For this No-Till Farmer podcast, we caught up with Paul Mikesell, founder and CEO of Carbon Robotics, a new company that is tackling weed control with a combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and lasers. This past year, in 2021, the company released its first production units of a machine called the LaserWeeder, which has the potential to eliminate the need for herbicides or tillage for weed control. Join in to hear about how the LaserWeeder can distinguish between crops and weeds, how it e...
Oct 29, 2021•33 min
In this episode of the No-Till Farmer Influencers & Innovators podcast, brought to you by Martin Industries, we’re sitting in on a presentation by Ray Weil, Soil Scientist at the University of Maryland to discuss his research. He explains how cover crops influence nutrient profiles, optimal planting dates for cover crops and how well different kinds of cover crops can penetrate dense, compacted soils.
Oct 25, 2021•53 min
In this episode of the No-Till Farmer Influencers & Innovators podcast, Tim Brannon, former Allis-Chalmers territory manager and current president of B&G Equipment, Paris, Tenn., talks with Frank Lessiter about the early days of Allis-Chalmers and shares some memorable stories from the road as he introduced no-till planters to growers around the world.
Oct 22, 2021•53 min
For this No-Till Farmer podcast, we caught up with Anthony Bly, Soils Field Specialist with South Dakota State University Extension, who was a presenter at the event. In an interview with associate editor Sarah Hill, Anthony discusses the interconnected relationship between water and soil, how cover crops fit into profitable cropping systems, the importance of minimal soil disturbance and more.
Oct 15, 2021•28 min
Listen to no-tiller & philanthropist Howard G. Buffet's keynote presentation at the 2010 National No-Tillage Conference in Des Moines, Iowa. At the time of his presentation, Buffett (son of billionaire investor Warren Buffett) had been no-tilling since 1992 on 16,000 acres in Illinois and Nebraska as well as another 6,000-plus acres in South Africa.
Oct 12, 2021•56 min
In this episode of the No-Till Farmer Influencers & Innovators podcast, brought to you by Terrasym, Frank Lessiter gets into the weeds with Kelly VanBeek, wildlife biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Migratory Bird Program to discuss which no-till fields provide the best habitats for songbirds, what cover crops are most hospitable to birds and finding a balance between productivity and conservation on farmland.
Oct 07, 2021•31 min
For this No-Till Farmer podcast, we caught up with Tom Cotter, a no-tiller and strip-tiller in Austin, Minnesota, right after a Minnesota Soil Health School session he hosted at his farm. He explains how he has skirted many of the problems facing hemp farmers by following the farm-to-table production model to grow the product for his own Superior Cannabis Company stores in Austin and Duluth.
Sep 17, 2021•36 min
In this episode of the No-Till Farmer Influencers & Innovators podcast, brought to you by Martin Industries, Frank Lessiter talks with Betsy Bower, an agronomist for Ceres Solutions in Lafayette, Ind., about the task force and some of the hottest areas in no-till farming – from carbon sequestration to biologicals and more.
Sep 09, 2021•34 min
Carbon market programs are a hot topic amongst farmers today, as they represent a potential new revenue stream for growers who implement conservation practices such as no-till, strip-till and cover crops. But every program is a little different in how they approach qualifying acres, establishing baseline measurements, practice verification, farmer compensation and more. For this No-Till Farmer podcast, we caught up with representatives from three companies who were talking with farmers about the...
Sep 03, 2021•42 min
For this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by The Andersons, we caught up with Lance Gunderson, president and co-owner of the recently launched Regen Ag Lab in Pleasanton, Nebraska to talk about some of the new soil tests, how they differ from conventional tests and why it matters.
Aug 27, 2021•44 min
In this episode of the No-Till Farmer Influencers & Innovators podcast, Frank Lessiter talks with Director of Agronomy at Fall Line Capital and no-tiller in Manitoba, Canada, Scott Day about no-tilling in the harsh climate of Canada’s prairies and how diverse crop choices have become a legacy of no-till on his farm.
Aug 23, 2021•54 min
Finding ways to improve farm profits without taking on more acres is one of Zack Smith’s goals. In fact, the Buffalo Center, Iowa, strip-tiller has a name for it – biohacks. With his mindset of finding natural, vegetative solutions for farm problems, he recently started developing a unique autonomous structure he calls the Stock Cropper that integrates strip-cropping with mobile grazing.
Aug 13, 2021•45 min
In this episode of the No-Till Farmer Influencers & Innovators podcast, Frank Lessiter talks with Amy Bartow about the NRCS’ recent initiatives to promote the establishment of pollinator plots and strips. Tune in as they discuss native vs. non-native pollinator mixes, the importance of diversity in the mix, the pollination value of cover crops, how no-tillers can make extra income with pollinator habitat, how weed management fits into the equation and much more.
Aug 09, 2021•33 min
For this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by The Andersons, we chat with independent crop consultant Jeremiah Durbin about those physical, chemical and biological aspects of soil health and how he uses his mechanical background to help trouble-shoot issues in the field.
Jul 29, 2021•1 hr 2 min
In this episode of the No-Till Farmer Influencers & Innovators podcast, Frank Lessiter talks with Jackson, Wisconsin, no-tiller Ross Bishop about how he got turned on to no-tilling back in the 1990s and how that impacts his operation today. Join us as they discuss using cover crops and planting green, no-tilling in 20-inch rows, why he’s experimenting with growing Kernza, the benefits of using sulfur and dry boron and much more.
Jul 23, 2021•53 min
For this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast, we chat with Ross Evelsizer of Iowa Resource Conservation and Development. As the director of the organization’s Multi-Cropping Iowa project, Evelsizer works with growers around the state to implement cropping systems that help achieve soil health goals while expanding market opportunities.
Jul 19, 2021•48 min
In this episode of the No-Till Farmer Influencers & Innovators podcast, Frank Lessiter talks with Vincennes, Ind., no-tiller Ray McCormick about his approaches to conservation and farming intersect. Join us as they discuss how he got the idea to seed covers with an air seeder attached to his combine header.
Jul 09, 2021•56 min
In this episode of the No-Till Farmer Influencers & Innovators podcast, brought to you by Martin Industries, Frank Lessiter continue his talk with Retired Michigan State Agronomist Jerry Grigar, about many of the lessons learned from decades of using no-till practices on Jerry’s 140-acre farm, where he no-tills black beans, soybeans, oats, wheat and hay.
Jun 25, 2021•36 min
For this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast, we chat with no-tillers Sheldon Luehmann of Lewiston, Minn., and Mike Unruh of Winona, Minn., as well as Lance Klessig, a Resource Specialist with the Winona County Soil & Water Conservation District.
Jun 25, 2021•48 min
For this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast, we caught up with chief of the NRCS, Terry Cosby to hear about how his childhood experience on the farm shaped his views on conservation, his goals for the agency during his tenure, his thoughts on the Biden Administration’s plan to have 30% of U.S. lands and waters under conservation by the year 2030, and much more.
Jun 11, 2021•29 min
In this episode of the No-Till Farmer Influencers & Innovators podcast, brought to you by Martin Industries, Frank Lessiter talks with Retired Michigan State Agronomist Jerry Grigar about many of the lessons learned from decades of working with farmers to improve no-till techniques and equipment.
Jun 04, 2021•41 min
For this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by Montag Manufacturing, we're featuring Josh Lofton, Cropping System Specialist with Oklahoma State University. Lofton will discuss the timing of cover crop termination, differences in termination timing for various cover crop species, improper cover crop termination, and more.
May 28, 2021•34 min
Recently retired from a multi-decade career with the NRCS, agronomist Barry Fisher has been a long-time booster of no-till. Based in his home state of Indiana, Fisher’s efforts helped the state’s no-till acres grow to the point where it was among the states with the highest percentage of no-till ground in the U.S. Fisher devoted much of his government career to encouraging the adoption of no-till and cover crops. Over the years, he’s worked with thousands of farmers while conducting numerous fie...
May 21, 2021•1 hr 5 min
For this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by Montag Manufacturing, we chat with Léa Vereecke and Nic Podoll, two recent additions to Rodale’s consulting team, to learn more about the process of transitioning land to organic.
May 13, 2021•55 min
With the current interest in climate change, sequestering carbon and farmers getting carbon sequestration payments being at an all-time high, many no-tillers have been excited about the thought of earning additional income through incentive payments. Whether it’s through current privately-financed carbon programs or new ones being developed by the Biden administration in Washington, there’s considerable interest in sequestering carbon to avoid the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere....
May 11, 2021•57 min
“A highly functional soil will reduce the negative impacts of our agricultural practices…Runoff and soil erosion are major contributors to degrading water quality…and as we discuss soil health, we are simply promoting the practices that by default will address both of those right off the bat…” – Bill Stangel, independent agriculture consultant, Madison, Wis. Healthy soils are key to productive and profitable farm operations as they can increase nutrient availability, improve water infiltration, ...
Apr 30, 2021•47 min
In this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by Martin Industries, we chat with soil health experts Ray Archuleta, Gabe Brown and Russell Hedrick at a Soil Health Academy training seminar held in Watertown, Wis. They talk about how regenerative agriculture is different from traditional conservation farming techniques, that can help farmers make more money and reduce inputs, why they like the Haney soil test and much more!
Apr 23, 2021•44 min
For this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast, we’re sharing the story of Kindred, North Dakota no-tiller Lynn Overboe, as narrated by frequent No-Till Farmer contributor Dan Crummett. Farming 1,200 acres near the North Dakota-Minnesota border, about 30 miles from Fargo, Overboe has developed a number of solutions and hacks to improve his chances of success over his past 2-plus decades of no-tilling.
Apr 16, 2021•16 min
