[Video] What I Learned from My First Year Strip-Tilling

After a 44-year run as co-owner and president of Case IH dealer Johnson Tractor in Wisconsin and Illinois, Leo Johnson retired to pursue his lifelong dream of farming with his wife, Sue. Although he has an extensive knowledge of equipment, Johnson was a novice at almost everything else when he started farming 1,000 acres of corn and soybeans in southern Wisconsin.

Armed with good suppliers, neighbors and intentions, Johnson began strip-tilling in 2023. In this basic “Strip-Till 101” course, he shares a first-hand account of what year 1 in a strip-till operation looks like, and shares the potential landmines he faced. Johnson discusses his decision-making in picking the right strip-till rig for his soils, his first experience in making strips, how to prepare a good seedbed and apply nutrients where they’ll give you the most bang for your buck.

You’ll Learn: Critical steps to take when switching to strip-till, what to consider when shopping for a strip-till rig, first-year planting challenges and more.

The 2024 National Strip-Tillage Conference Video Replays are brought to you by ForGround by Bayer.           ForGround by Bayer is a farmer-first digital platform that supports growers in improving soil health and resilience through practices such as strip-till, no-till and cover crops. ForGround provides farmers exclusive access to tools, resources and discounts as well as the potential to earn revenue through carbon programs for the adoption of regenerative practices. Learn more at BayerForGround.com/Farmers.