Strip-Till Farmer
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Sights & Sounds from 2024 National Strip-Tillage Conference

Noah Newman
August 12, 2024

The 2024 National Strip-Tillage Conference delivered strip-till, no-till and conservation ag insights to over 350 attendees Aug. 7-9 in Madison, Wis. The event featured 6 general session presentations, 14 interactive roundtable discussions, 15 classroom sessions and several hours of networking in the hallways. The action kicked off with a special pre-conference dinner and screening of From the Heartland, followed by an unfiltered panel discussion with cast members Shawn Feikema and Jodi DeJong-Hughes. 

Charles City, Va., strip-tiller David Hula hit leadoff Thursday morning, and open seats were hard to find for the world corn yield record-holder's keynote presentation, "600 Bushels & Beyond: Checking the Boxes for Strip-Till Success." 

Next up was Northfield, Minn., strip-tiller David Legvold, who shared some of his top takeaways from decades of on-farm research during the 11th anniversary lecture. 

In between presentations, attendees got an up-close look at some of the latest innovations from title sponsors Ag Leader, AgSynergy, Dawn, ETS, Kuhn Krause, Montag, ESN, Ostara, RhizoSorb, Schlagel, Unverferth, Vulcan Equipment, Yetter Farm Equipment and Zimmerman Manufacturing. 

Other general sessions included the latest insights from veteran agronomist Brad Forkner, new strip-till fertility data from independent on-farm researcher Marion Calmer and Univ. of Illinois strip-till research specialist Jared Fender, a fall vs. spring strip-till panel discussion with Sparland, Ill., strip-tiller Jay Riddell and Kenton, Ohio, strip-tiller Brian Watkins and even a surprise appearance by Precision Planting PTI Farm Manager Jason Webster, who accepted the Best Speaker Award for his 2023 presentation, "Strip-Till Lessons Learned at the PTI Farm." Otwell, Ind., strip-tiller Chris Perkins also shared his unique strip-till journey during the 2024 Strip-Till Innovator Award presentation. 

Attendees "chose their own adventure" during 15 breakout classroom sessions and 14 interactive roundtables focusing on a wide range of topics including equipment setups, soil health, weed control, pest/disease management, cover crops, strip-till 101, compaction, precision technology, livestock, water conservation, residue management, strip fresheners, biologicals, economics and more. 

Among the many highlights of the 3-day event was the Strip-Till Hall of Fame announcement. Jodi DeJong-Hughes, David Legvold and Bill Preller were honored as the 2024 inductees, and each shared perspective on their strip-till journey and the future of the practice. 

Also announced in Madison were the dates and location of the 12th annual National Strip-Tillage Conference, that will be held July 31-August 1, 2025, in Iowa City, Iowa. 

Noah newman web

Noah Newman

Noah Newman started at Lessiter Media in March 2022 as Associate Editor for No-Till Farmer, Strip-Till Farmer and Cover Crop Strategies. He previously worked in broadcast journalism as a sports anchor/reporter for television stations in central Illinois and most recently Jackson, Mississippi, where he was named the state’s sportscaster of the year by the National Sports Media Association. The Cleveland, Ohio, native enjoys engaging with growers, learning extensively about their operations, and sharing impactful stories with the audience.

Contact: nnewman@lessitermedia.com