Zimmerman hosted a strip-till field day last week at their manufacturing facility in Cantril, Iowa. 

Attendees got an up-close look at multiple strip-till rigs in action. During the event, Michaela caught up with Donnellson, Iowa, farmer Mark Dobson, who strip-tills soybeans right through cover crops on his certified organic farm. After switching to a Zimmerman toolbar, he’s doubled the acres he can strip-till in a day because he doesn’t have to get out of the cab as often. The benefits don’t stop there.

“I like the strip-till system because of nutrient placement. For a lot of people, it’s about the tillage component. It’s a nice marriage of the two. I like the ability to plant on top of nutrients and know they’re there. I rent some ground sometimes that doesn’t have the nicest soil tests, but then I know I can still have a lot of the fertility there for the crop. Another thing I like, when you look at it from a soil disturbance standpoint, you’re basically talking 6-8 inches of the 30 inches you’re farming that is disturbed. You’re not disturbing everything. Even though you’re still working some of the ground, you’re not disturbing the whole system. I do controlled traffic. On my farm I’m still in the same spot I was in 2011. I don’t move out of the same strips. I haven’t worked certain areas for several years. There’s been a lot of push to no-till and regenerative.  A good part of my acres don’t see tillage because I’m following controlled traffic.”

Watch the full version of this episode of Conservation Ag Update.