No-Till Farmer Podcast

On this episode of Conservation Ag Update, brought to you by Yetter Farm Equipment, Planet Earth Agronomy co-founder Mitchell Fiene reveals a checklist for farmers to consider when shopping for biologicals.

Just like many other states, the mantra in Tennessee cotton country was that no-till wouldn’t work. But through many fields days and experiments at the Milan Ag Experiment Station and Milan No-Till Field Day, Univ. of Tennessee Agronomist John Bradley proved them wrong.

On this episode of Conservation Ag Update, brought to you by Yetter Farm Equipment, managing editors Noah Newman and Mackane Vogel report from the National Strip-Tillage Conference pre-conference workshop at the Bayer Crop Science Research Farm in New Berlin, Ill.

In the latest edition of the No-Till Farmer podcast — brought to you by Yetter Farm Equipment, we go 1-on-1 with award-winning author and rural policy analyst Brian Reisinger. https://www.no-tillfarmer.com/articles/15457-podcast-land-rich-cash-poor-author-discusses-biggest-challenges-facing-farmers-today

On this episode of Conservation Ag Update, brought to you by Yetter Farm Equipment, Greg and Janis Thoren share how they’re eliminating insecticides and fungicides on their Leopold Conservation Award-winning operation in Stockton, Ill.

In the latest edition of the No-Till Farmer podcast, Kim Tutor, technical marketing manager for BASF, shares her knowledge about the symptomology of tar spot and important points to consider when deciding when and how to spray fungicides to manage potential outbreaks. For more information, read this article on the No-Till Farmer website about tar spot management.

On this episode of Conservation Ag Update, brought to you by Yetter Farm Equipment, we get the scoop on the benefits of planting green with Jackson, Wis., no-tiller Ross Bishop. Across the road from Bishop’s farm, we catch up with Greg Olsen, field projects director for Sand County Foundation, as he installs CropX Soil Sensors for a new soil health study.

An analysis of 11 years of in-depth data shows no-till and cover crops are a good choice for Corn Belt soybean and corn growers. https://www.no-tillfarmer.com/blogs/1-covering-no-till/post/15388-less-tillage-more-covers-consistently-leads-to-lower-costs-and-higher-returns

In the part two of this series of the No-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by Bio-till Cover Crops, we continue the No-Till Ted Talk with Iowa no-tiller James Hepp and Modern Ag Alliance Executive Director Elizabeth Burns-Thompson to share their thoughts on where agriculture is headed.

On this episode of Conservation Ag Update, brought to you by Titan International, a big piece of equipment is unveiled at the Kinze Product Innovation Day in Williamsburg, Iowa. Plus, we pay another visit to Robert Boyle’s farm in Coolidge, Ariz., for a look at a unique rotation that includes a 5-way cover crop mix.

In this No-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by Bio-Till Cover Crops, we share the first of this two part series of the No-Till Farmer podcast, we welcome Field to Market President Carrie Vollmer-Sanders and regenerative ag tech advisor Monte Bottens to share their thoughts on where agriculture is headed.

On this episode of Conservation Ag Update, brought to you by Titan International, we catch up with young Kentucky no-tiller Quint Pottinger to see how he autonomously planted his entire crop in 2026. Senior editor John Dobberstein checks in from the CTIC Conservation in Action Tour in Scotland Neck, N.C., where no-tiller Zeb Winslow III talks about his multi-species cover crop program.

Since the 1980s, Ray McCormick has seen that the major benefits of no-till include saving fuel, curbing erosion, building soil organic matter, boosting wildlife numbers and protecting the environment for future generations.

Well it finally happened! One of our 50 states has decided to ban the herbicide that got no-till started in the early years before glyphosate came along. It happened in Vermont, a state with an extremely low acceptance of no-till that has decided to ban the use of paraquat amid growing concerns about links between paraquat exposure and Parkinson’s disease.

If you are a white male farmer who has been received EQUIP funds from the JU.S. Department of Agriculture, the feds may have been costing you dollars. A recent piece from the Wall Street Journal editorial board states women and minority farmers have been getting a better deal than most white male farmers.

On this episode of Conservation Ag Update, brought to you by Titan International, we pay a visit to Strip-Till Innovator Robert Boyle’s farm in Coolidge, Ariz., for an up-close look at how he’s transforming his soils with cover crops and diverse rotations. Plus, we poll no-tillers from around the U.S. to see how they’re using different methods and equipment to seed cover crops.

The same highly sophisticated seismic tools and methods used to measure the severity of earthquakes show promise in determining the impact tillage has on soil moisture and water retention. University of Washington scientists say these research results indicate tillage and compaction disrupt the intricate capillary networks within the soil in ways that affect how it soaks up water.

Mike Lessiter, president and CEO of Lessiter Media, sat down with Pivot Bio CEO Chris Abbott to talk about the company’s approach to researching and manufacturing biological nitrogen products, and Pivot Bio’s commitment to creating products that help no-tillers and strip-tillers maximize their ROI with crop nutrition.

On this episode of Conservation Ag Update, brought to you by Titan International, Latimer, Iowa no-tillers Landon and Anne Plagge describe the soil health practices that propelled them to the 2025 Leopold Conservation Award, including a unique cover crop grazing system.

In the Spring issue of our No-Till Farmer Conservation Tillage Guide, I wrote my “Frankly Speaking” column about Jon Lundgren and his tour of duty as a USDA scientist. The founder of Blue Dasher Farms and the Ecdysis Foundation at Esteline, S. Dak. Lundgren gave up a career path at a USDA scientist due to political pressure. Now free of government and congressional interference, he and his team do independent on-farm regenerative farming studies and analyze data from over 1,000 farmers already using this practice.

Tom Cotter has embarked on a long journey adopting no-till on his farm and then evolving it to both organic and regenerative principles side by side. The Austin, Minn., no-tiller runs 14 cash crops in rotation with cover crops and grazing on every acre.

At this year’s 34th National No-Tillage Conference in St. Louis, I heard the real story behind a federal controversy I’ve wondered about for 10 years. This revelation came during a classroom session presented by Jonathan Lundgren. Now the operator of Blue Dasher Farms in Estelline, S.D., Lundgren gave up a career path as a USDA scientist due to unfortunate political manipulation by folks in Washington.

A half-dozen years before I concentrated my ag journalism career on no-till, I edited Massey-Ferguson’s 6-times-a-year Farm Profit magazine that circulated to 400,000 U.S. growers. This memory came up with the recent news that a western Canadia startup company (Ursa Ag) is building tractors with very little technology — selling them for half the price of today’s more advanced tractors.

In recent years, our No-Till Farmer editors have shared numerous conversations with no-tillers interested in finding new ways to expand farm income past traditional cash crop, milk and meat production. While we’ve seen many opportunities for developing a direct-to-consumer business, many growers maintain it seems like too much work.

If you’re no-tilling and seeding cover crops, you’re in a much better position to deal with higher nitrogen (N) prices than many other growers. That’s because cover crops can provide up to 100 pounds per acre of N you don’t have to buy.

No-Till Farmer Editor Frank Lessiter returned to the National No-Tillage Conference in January to moderate a thought-provoking discussion with No-Till Innovators Jim Moseley, Rodney Rulon and Lisa Holscher about the critical role farmer-to-farmer mentorship plays in the advancement of no-till, cover crops and other conservation practices.

If you ever had the chance to meet Dick Foell, you quickly realized his excitement for no-till knew no bounds. Unfortunately, Dick passed away at the age of 90 on March 1 at his home in central California. Through his journey he touched many lives with his wisdom, humor and an unwavering spirit of perseverance. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Laraine ‘Chic’ Foell, two daughters, two sons, 12 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren.

Relay Cropping, New No-Till Drill Among Early #Plant26 Highlights by No-Till Farmer

In this No-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by Bio-Till Cover Crops, we’re sharing the conversations we had this week with Quality Drills and Alaska Agro about the logistics of this long haul, the no-till retrofit project, and hear more about the no-till field coming up at the farm.

On this episode of Conservation Ag Update, brought to you by Titan International, we share a key takeaway from the USDA Prospective Plantings report, and catch up with Wisconsin no-tiller Kevin Klahn to discuss his state record-breaking soybean yield.

In this No-Till Farmer podcast brought to you by Yetter Farm Equipment, Senior Editor John Dobberstein shares highlights from his interviews with several exhibitors at the Commodity Classic show in San Antonio as they discussed products, innovations and management strategies that you’ll find of interest for this coming season.

On this episode of Conservation Ag Update, brought to you by Martin-Till, Lake City, Iowa no-tiller/strip-tiller Mark Schleisman shares how cover crops helped his family sweep the NCGA corn yield contest in Iowa last year. Wisconsin Leopold Conservation Award recipient Michael E. Berg shines light on his family’s conservation practices near the flood-prone Pecatonica River.

At Commodity Classic 2026 in San Antonio, U.S. Secretary Brooke Rollins, NRCS Secretary Aubrey Bettencourt and USDA Undersecretary Richard Fordyce answered many questions from the farm media about the state of U.S. trade, the fighting to eliminate the new world screw worm, input costs, E-15, the USDA’s relocation to hub offices in the heartland, farm succession and more.

On this episode of Conservation Ag Update, brought to you by Martin-Till, we head out to Commodity Classic in San Antonio, Texas, for key takeaways from the USDA press conference addressing its computer network overhaul. Plus, Environmental Tillage Systems and Case IH give us a first-look at the companies’ new strip-till rigs that debuted at Commodity Classic.

In today’s episode, brought to you by Yetter Farm Equipment, listen to a discussion with Bladen, Neb., no-tiller and Co-Owner of Green Cover Seed, Keith Berns, as he talks about his new book Cover Crops 101. The book explores cover crop benefits, species selection, seeding methods and much more.

On this episode of Conservation Ag Update, brought to you by Martin-Till, we head inside the 2026 National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, Ky., for a look at new equipment and residue management insights from No-Till Innovator Phil Needham. Plus, agronomist Brad Forkner shares some innovative new inputs, including a product called Squid Juice.

In today’s episode, brought to you by Yetter Farm Equipment, listen to a discussion about Pennsylvania No-Till Pioneer Bill Cannon. You’ll hear from 4 different people who were heavily influenced by Bill and worked closely with him before his passing.

On this episode of Conservation Ag Update, brought to you by Martin-Till, longtime no-tiller Chris Weaver explains how he prepared his record-breaking soybean plot with a roller-crimper in the fall. Plus, we get the scoop on some breaking news in the equipment world, including Yetter’s plans to acquire Martin, and Horizon Ag’s big debut in the U.S.

On this episode of Conservation Ag Update, brought to you by Martin-Till, Leopold Conservation Award recipient Jim Hershey shares some of his latest conservation tips and tricks from his Elizabethtown, Pa., farm. Fellow no-tiller Joseph Kern describes how planting green has transformed his operation in Mariah Hill, Ind.

Iowa no-tiller and executive director of the Conservation Technology Information Center, Ryan Heiniger, and his son Mat talk about the new cover crop business they founded and what it’s like to go from father and son to business partners.

In the latest edition of the No-Till Farmer podcast — brought to you by Yetter Farm Equipment, No-Till Farmer President and CEO Mike Lessiter caught up with Elizabeth Burns-Thompson, Executive Director of the Modern Ag Alliance, following her TED TALK-style presentation at the 2026 National No-Tillage Conference in St. Louis. Burns-Thompson discusses the work being done to protect farmers’ choices in crop protection tools, reflects on her ag journey and dives deeper into the important role everyone in conservation agriculture plays and much more.

This blog is a first for me. Of the 600 words or so that follow below, only about one-third are mine. The rest of you’re about to read on this blog on artificial intelligence (AI) came from AI itself.

On this episode of Conservation Ag Update, brought to you by Martin-Till, we’re headed inside the 34th annual National No-Tillage Conference in St. Louis. Both longtime and first-time attendees share some of their biggest takeaways from the conference. We catch up with Jeff Martin from Mt. Pulaski, Ill., during one of the networking breaks for a conversation about how the longtime no-tiller is applying ocean water and more to his crops.

There are many distinct types of seed treatments, including those already on the market that prevent diseases and deter pathogens. But a fast-growing segment of biological seed treatments goes beyond protection and actively support seed germination, seedling growth and early root development. In the latest edition of the No-Till Farmer podcast — brought to you by Yetter Farm Equipment — Doug Miller, vice president of MidWest Biotech, explores the common ingredients in biological seed treatments and explains their role in germination and early plant growth.

Lessiter Media president and CEO Mike Lessiter caught up recently with Cambridge, Ill., no-tiller and Ag Solutions Network co-founder Monte Bottens, who shares why the USDA’s announced $700 million commitment to regenerative ag is a big deal for the no-till and soil health movement. Bottens also explains why he’s excited for the upcoming National No-Tillage Conference and the new "Ted-style” talks he’s participating in, as well as cutting-edge technology for killing weeds and planting non-GMO seeds.

In this No-Till Farmer Podcast, brought to you by Yetter Farm Equipment, Senior Editor John Dobberstein shares some of the exciting educational sessions and networking opportunities growers will have at their fingertips at the 2026 National No-Till Conference, Jan. 6-9, in St. Louis.

As time has marched on, the future of Conservation Agriculture rests with the tribal knowledge of those who’ve made the transition work – and who is willing to share it.

On this episode of Conservation Ag Update, brought to you by Bio-Till Cover Crops, Cambridge, Ill., no-tiller Monte Bottens explains why the USDA’s recently announced $700 million commitment to regenerative ag is a big deal for the no-till and soil health movement.

On this episode of Conservation Ag Update, brought to you by Bio Till Cover Crops, Austin, Minn., no-tiller and Leopold Conservation Award recipient Tom Cotter shares the building blocks of his no-till system. Hickory, N.C., no-tiller Russell Hedrick reveals results from his on-farm biologicals trials and also details the program he uses to test new products.

On this episode of Conservation Ag Update, brought to you by Bio Till Cover Crops, we head inside Jimmy and Andy Gray’s Leopold Conservation Award-winning operation in Stony Point, N.C. Jon Stevens takes us along for the ride as he harvests a no-tilled corn-on-corn field in the challenging soils of Rock Creek, Minn.