No-Till Farmer Podcast

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. But adding carbon incentive payments to your bank account may be easier said than done. There appear to be a number of roadblocks to getting on the carbon sequestration bandwagon, especially when it comes to being paid for having no-tilled for a number of years. Today’s spring 2021 episode of our “No-Till Influencers and Innovators” podcast will zero in on whether veteran no-tillers can qualify for carbon payments.

“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, reduce soil erosion and much more. But they can also lessen the negative affects some farming practices have on the environment. For this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast, we chat with independent agriculture consultant Bill Stangel of Madison, Wis., who joins us to discuss some of the ways farmers can minimize environmental impacts by focusing on developing healthy soils. Listen in to hear about how different cropping systems are able to store carbon below ground, how soil type affects nutrient and water management plans, lessons learned from installing on-farm phosphorus reduction systems, the challenges of dialing ion nitrogen use efficiency, why matching the crop to the soil matters and much more.

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!

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.

For this episode of the No-Till Farmer "Influencers & Innovators" podcast, brought to you by Martin Industries, Frank Lessiter talks with Jason Casselman, a no-tiller from Fairview, Alberta, Canada to find out how they make no-till work so far north.

Join us as North Dakota no-tiller Gabe Brown discusses that experience and shares his thoughts on how government programs could be designed so as to allow farmers to adopt regenerative practices more easily rather than hinder their efforts, how regenerative ag can unlock biological functions in the soil, why he’s not advocating farmers sell their carbon credits – yet – and much more.

For this episode of the No-Till Farmer "Influencers & Innovators" podcast, brought to you by Montag Mfg., Frank Lessiter talks with Retired Agronomy Consultant Harold Reetz about his approach to fertilizer management, including the 4Rs — right source, right rate, right place and right time — as well as other practices that underscore success in a no-till system.

Our guest for this week’s podcast is Brendon Blank, an independent certified forage specialist who works for Byron Seeds. Based in Ixonia, Wisconsin, Brendon helps farmers solve management problems by designing cropping systems that make better use of the land and human capital while focusing on diversity, enhancing animal health, and improving the soil.

In this podcast, Frank Lessiter talks with Allen Berry about the various configurations he’s tried, why he’s currently planting 20-inch non-GMO corn, his thoughts on whether or not no-tillers need coulters, and much more.

For this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast, we’re checking in with co-founder and co-CEO of Big Iron Auctions, Mark Stock as he shares some industry trends and predictions. Join us to hear Mark’s thoughts on the importance of transparency and honesty in online auctions, what the recent high commodity prices and low interest rates mean for the industry as a whole and much more.

For this podcast, Frank Lessiter talks with Rich Follmer, who became known as the ‘grandfather ‘ of strip-till, about that early strip-till toolbar, how he started building berms in the fall, his thoughts on using cover crops in a strip-till operation, the future of the strip industry and much more.

For this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast, fifth-generation grower Kelly Garrett discusses how his management practices align with the carbon credits marketplace, why he started entering National Corn Growers Association yield contests, the benefits of using a soybean byproduct fertilizer and much more.

For this podcast, we, sat down with Bill Richards to talk about the history of no-till adoption on his farm, the early innovators that helped him along, such as Kinze founder John Kinzenbaw and international product engineer Ralph Bumheckel, and some of the equipment modifications he made that helped him successfully adopt no-till.

For this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by Yetter, we’re sharing a conversation with USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, entomologist Dr. Jonathan Lundgren to discuss a new research paper he’s written called “Defining and validating regenerative farm systems using a composite of ranked agricultural practices.”

In this episode of the No-Till Farmer Influencers & Innovators podcast, editor Frank Lessiter talks with Thompson about how his understanding of no-till evolved through experiments with ridge-till, skip-till and strip-till before he converted 100% to no-till in 1991.

For this week’s podcast, we’re sharing a conversation between Cover Crop Strategies associate editor Sarah Hill and Bill Johnson, professor of weed science with Purdue University. In this interview, Johnson discusses how field management impacts weed problem, how herbicide applications influence cover crops and cash crops, herbicide antagonism, how cover crops can mitigate weed growth, and more!

In this episode of the No-Till Farmer Influencers & Innovators podcast, editor Frank Lessiter talks with Marion about the discoveries he’s made in his nearly 4 decades of no-tilling, including why he says no-till offers at least a $50 per acre advantage over tillage, what he considers his biggest mistakes early on, his thoughts on getting P & K deeper into the soil profile, plans for capitalizing on the $4 return he gets for every $1 of applied nitrogen, and much more.

In this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast, we share a reading of a story from David Moose, which explains how he’s succeeded with continuous soybean acres by widening the rows, cutting populations and using a biological seed treatment to aid in germination.

For this episode of the No-Till Farmer "Influencers & Innovators" podcast, brought to you by Mosaic Susterra, No-Till Farmer editor Frank Lessiter talks with the production ag manager for the Spokane Conservation District, Ty Meyer who discusses how no-till got started in the Palouse area, the challenges of integrating cover crops on dryland acres and much more.

For this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by Yetter, we caught up with ong-time agronomist with Ceres Solutions, Betsy Bower, to get an agronomist’s viewpoint on no-till and cover crops.

For this episode of the No-Till Farmer "Influencers & Innovators" podcast, brought to you by Mosaic Susterra, No-Till Farmer editor Frank Lessiter talks with Attica, Ohio, grower Jerry Eitle about the equipment and technology that made it possible to make the switch, including an Aerway aerator, Kinze planters and RTK guidance and much more.

In this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast series, Jack Zemlicka, editorial director here at Lessiter Media, spoke with 6th-generation farmer Ben Riensche, owner and manager of Blue Diamond Farming Company in Jesup, Iowa. Riensche uses innovative and cutting-edge technology and management practices to guide the success of Blue Diamond, which has expanded dramatically over the past two decades.

For this episode of the No-Till Farmer "Influencers & Innovators" podcast, brought to you by Mosaic Susterra, No-Till Farmer editor Frank Lessiter talks with Pennsylvania no-tiller Jim Hershey about some of the practices that have put him on a successful no-till path.

In this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast series, I spoke with Holtwood, Pennsylvania no-tiller Steve Groff about his book, “The Future-Proof Farm,” which explores the market changes facing today’s farmers and how cover crops can help them stay resilient and relevant.

For this episode of the No-Till Farmer “Influencers and Innovators” podcast, No-Till Farmer editor Frank Lessiter talks with Ohio State University weed scientist, Glover Triplett about some of his early experiences.

In this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast series, we caught up with Jeff to talk about a new white paper put out recently by Rodale Institute, called “Regenerative Agriculture and the Soil Carbon Solution,” which identifies the potential of regenerative ag practices to sequester carbon and improve soil health while feeding the world.

For this episode of the No-Till Farmer “Influencers and Innovators” podcast, we’re bringing you part 2 of an interview that Cover Crop Strategies Associate Editor Sarah Hill did with Dwayne Beck, research manager of The Dakota Lakes Research Farm in Pierre, South Dakota, during the summer of 2020.

Indiana no-tiller Rick Clark has gained some notoriety recently as one of a handful of farmers who is making organic no-till work — and on a large scale. Cropping about 7,000 acres near Williamsport, he’s intensely focused on building soil health in his diverse system that includes seeding cover crops, planting green, reducing inputs and incorporating livestock. Acknowledging that he doesn’t have all the answers, he nonetheless stresses the importance of challenging the status quo. At the 2019 National No-Tillage Conference, for example, he said “I challenge everyone to get a little uncomfortable. I think you’ll like the way it feels.” In this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast series, I caught up with Rick after he hosted a field day on his farm at the end of August, 2020 called “Regenerative Systems Deconstructed.” 250 people turned out for the event and several hundred more tuned in online to hear what Rick and other local experts had to say about his organic no-till operation. Tune in to hear about the equipment he uses, his approach to diverse cropping rotations, the weed outbreak progressions he’s seen since going organic, his thoughts on weeds becoming resistant to cover crops, and much more.

In 1976, Roy Applequist founded Great Plains Mfg. which went on to become one of the major suppliers of no-till farming equipment. A few years later, the company saw the need for equipment designed specifically for the no-till industry and built its first no-till drill prototypes in 1981. For this episode of the No-Till Farmer Influencers & Innovators podcast, No-Till Farmer editor Frank Lessiter reminisces with Roy about how he got involved with building no-till equipment. Tune in as they discuss how Roy’s background making bearings led to the first Great Plains folding grain drill, turning a product flaw into a customer relations success, why Great Plains started putting depth wheels on individual row units, diversifying with twin-row and vertical tillage equipment, spreading the word about no-till around the world and much more.

In this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast series, I caught up with Josh and Rebecca to get a little inside scoop about their latest film, Kiss the Ground, which takes a wide-ranging look at regenerative ag practices and how they can be used to can help sequester carbon in the soil, reduce greenhouse gasses in the environment and improve the nutrient content of the food we eat.

In this episode of the No-Till Farmer “Influencers and Innovators” podcast, No-Till Farmer Editor Frank Lessiter talks with soil health specialist and rhizosphere ecologist, Jill Clapperton about the importance of no-till in building healthy soil structure.

For this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by Pivot Bio, we're joined by Trace Genomics co-founder, Poornima Parameswaran, who explains what Trace Genomics’ soil DNA test is able to analyze and how it can help farmers and agronomists target inputs and better understand the variables that affect crop health and yields.

In this episode of the “No-Till Farmer Influencers & Innovators” podcast, brought to you by Martin Industries, we're joined by Cover Crop Strategies Associate Editor Sarah Hill in the first of a two-part interview with Dwayne Beck to discuss the Dakota Lakes Research Farm in Pierre, South Dakota.

For this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by Pivot Bio, senior editor John Dobberstein spoke with Craig Bednarz, director of the West Texas A&M Semi-Arid Agricultural Systems who discusses his recent appointment, the big changes in store for the research program at the Institute and the renewed focus on promoting no-tilling and cover crops that growers should start to notice later this year.

In this episode of the “No-Till Farmer Influencers & Innovators” podcast, brought to you by Martin Industries, No-Till Farmer editor Frank Lessiter talks with Halford about the zero-till movement in Canada, the development of the Conserva Pak and how no-till has made it possible for growers to farm more acres.

For this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by Pivot Bio, we caught up with no-tiller Bryan Tomm of Carmi, Illinois by phone to talk about nitrogen and his efforts to preserve this costly input.

In this episode of the “No-Till FarmerInfluencers & Innovators” podcast, brought to you by Martin Industries, No-Till Farmer editor Frank Lessiter Frank Lessiter talks with David about his approach to converting CRP ground, including why he says soybeans are a great crop to plant for the first-year of production and how he goes about terminating sod beforehand.

For this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by Pivot Bio, West Union, Iowa no-tiller Loran Steinlage sat down with Jay Baxter, who no-tills more than 2,000 acres of corn, soybeans, wheat, sweet corn, and more in Georgetown, Delaware, in a conversation that was moderated by Jen Nelson of Resource Smart.

In this episode of the “No-Till Farmer Influencers & Innovators” podcast, brought to you by Martin Industries, No-Till Farmer editor Frank Lessiter talks with Sixth-generation farmer Ray McCormick about his diverse operation. Listen in as Ray talks about growing non-GMO corn and why he plants it late, how he uses annual ryegrass in flood-prone areas, using cover crops in food plots for deer and waterfowl, keeping his landlords happy, how Roundup has been instrumental in conservation efforts and much more.

For this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by Pivot Bio, we caught up with soil scientist Rattan Lal and talked about how he came to focus on carbon instead of synthetic inputs, the connection between the health of the soil and human vitality, how carbon affects the soil’s ability to hold onto nutrients and water, the 5 components of conservation agriculture, optimizing production instead of maximizing production and much more!

In this episode of the “No-Till Farmer Influencers & Innovators” podcast, brought to you by Martin Industries, No-Till Farmer editor Frank Lessiter talks with Ag engineer Paul Jasa with the University of Nebraska about his many years studying no-till.

For this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by FR8STAR, we met up with Gary Zimmer, also known as the “father” of biological farming, on the Taliesin grounds where he talked about his system of biological farming.

In this episode of the No-Till Farmer Influencers & Innovators podcast, brought to you by Martin Industries, No-Till Farmer editor Frank Lessiter talks with Dr. Erin Silva, associate professor specializing in organic and sustainable cropping systems at the University of Wisconsin.

For this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by FR8STAR, we’ll hear excerpts from our conversation with Wolford, North Dakota no-tiller Paul Overby and General Mills’ Senior Principal Scientist Research Agronomist Tom Rabaey in which they talk about the General Mills Regenerative Agriculture pilot program.

In this No-Till Farmer “Innovator and Influencer” podcast, we look back at a reduced tillage practice that was developed even before the no-till movement got started. In this episode, No-Till Farmer Editor Frank Lessiter talks with “Bud” Fleischer of Columbus, Nebraska.

For this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by FR8STAR, West Union, Iowa no-tiller Loran Steinlage is joined by Dale Richardson, who no-tills about 500 acres of corn, soybeans and cover crops just outside of Springfield, Missouri.

In this episode of the No-Till Farmer “Influencers & Innovators” podcast, brought to you by Martin Industries, No-Till Farmer editor Frank Lessiter talks with independent ag consultant Joe Nester.

In this podcast, we hear from veteran no-tiller Mark Chapman, who systematically refines his operation with efficiency as one of his main drivers. Andrew Reuschel, who was a speaker at the 2020 conference, says his system is guided by his profitable use of soil-building cover crops. My third guest was Alan Smock, who runs a demonstration farm on a university campus and is always looking for ways to prevent further erosion and nutrient loss on the rolling ground.

In this episode of the No-Till Farmer “Influencers & Innovators” podcast, brought to you by Martin Industries, No-Till Farmer editor Frank Lessiter talks with retired USDA soil scientist Don Reicosky.

For this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by FR8STAR, we’ll hear from U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, who outlines the CFAP relief package and then takes questions from the press.