Individuals or organizations can now be nominated for the 30th class of No-Till Innovators to be announced in January 2026 at the 34th annual National No-Tillage Conference.
Made possible with the support of Calmer Corn Heads, this program honors farmers, researchers, organizations and others who have identified ways to no-till more effectively, more economically and with better impact on the environment.
Any person, business or organization who has made a significant contribution to the advancement of no-till farming in the U.S. or Canada is eligible to win, regardless of the crop grown, brand of equipment used, or crop protection or seed products chosen.
Recipients will receive complimentary registration and lodging for the duration of the 2026 National No-Tillage Conference, as well as a special token of appreciation to commemorate the honor.
4 Easy Ways to Submit Your No-Till Innovator Nomination:
- Submit your nomination form online here.
- Fax your completed nomination form to John Dobberstein at (262) 786-5564
- Email your completed nomination form to jdobberstein@lessitermedia.com.
- Mail your completed nomination form to: No-Till Innovator Awards, Attn: John Dobberstein, P.O. Box 624, Brookfield, WI 53008-0624.
The deadline for nominations for the 30th class of No-Till Innovators is Friday, June 20, 2025.
Nominate Online Now Download Nomination Form
No-Till Innovator Award Recipients
Note: Those with an asterix (*) after their name have passed away.
The 28th class of No-Till Innovators was honored for its contributions to the practice of no-tillage by No-Till Farmer and Calmer Corn Heads during the 32nd annual National No-Tillage Conference.
Those individuals and organizations honored 2024 National No-Tillage Conference included:
- Mike Starkey — Crop Production
- Jeff Moyer — Educator
- H&R Agri-Power — Business & Service
- Conservation Technology Information Center — Organization
Previous Innovator Award Recipients:
Crop Production
1996 — John McLarty, London, Ontario
1997 — Ron Jaques, Hutchinson, Kan.
1998 — Steve Groff, Holtwood, Pa.
1999 — Doug Harford*, Mazon, Ill.
2000 — Mike Ellis, Worth & Dee Ellis Farm, Eminence, Ky.
2001 — Russ Zenner, Genesee, Idaho
2002 — Mike, Ted, Paul, Tom and Nick Guetterman, Bucyrus, Kan.
2003 — Tom, Jeff and Doug Martin, Mt. Pulaski, Ill.
2004 — Randy Schwartz, Great Bend, Kan.
2005 — John Aeschliman, Colfax, Wash.
2006 — Joe Breker, Havana, N.D.
2007 — Bill Richards, Circleville, Ohio
2008 — Allen Berry, Nauvoo, Ill.
2009 — Rulon Enterprises (Rodney, Ken and Roy Rulon), Arcadia, Ind.
2010 — Ray McCormick, Vincennes, Ind.
2011 — Terry Taylor, Geff, Ill.
2012 — Dan DeSutter, Attica, Ind.
2013 — Jack Maloney, Brownsburg, Ind.
2014 — Mike Beer, Keldron, S.D.
2015 — David Brandt*, Carroll, Ohio
2016 — Steve Berger, Wellman, Iowa
2017 — Annie Dee, Aliceville, Ala.
2018 — Jim Hershey, Elizabethtown, Pa.
2019 — Ralph Upton Jr., Springerton, Ill.
2020 — Loran Steinlage, West Union, Iowa
2021 — Rick Clark, Williamsport, Ind.
2022 — Dan Forgey, Gettysburg, S.D.
2023 — Mike Starkey, Brownsburg, Ind.
Research & Education
1996 — John Bradley, University of Tennessee, Milan, Tenn.
1997 — George Kapusta*, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Ill.
1998 — Paul Jasa, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Neb.
1999 — Dwayne Beck, Dakota Lakes Research Farm, Pierre, S.D.
2000 — John Walker, Ricks College, Rexburg, Idaho
2001 — Wayne Reeves, National Soils Lab, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Auburn, Ala.
2002 — Glover Triplett, Mississippi State University, Starkville, Miss.
2003 — Norman Widman, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Columbus, Ohio
2004 — Dan Towery, Conservation Technology Information Center, West Lafayette, Ind.
2005 — Jim Cook, Washington State University, Pullman, Wash.
2006 — Jim Leverich, University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension Service, Sparta, Wis.
2007 — Bud Davis, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Salina, Kan.
2008 — Randy Raper, National Soil Dynamics Lab, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Auburn, Ala.
2009 — Barry Fisher, Indiana NRCS state agronomist, Indianapolis, Ind.
2010 — Harold Reetz, Reetz Agronomic Services, Monticello, Ill.
2011 — Randall Reeder, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.
2012 — Randy Pryor, University of Nebraska Extension
2013 — Jill Clapperton, Rhizoterra, Inc., Florence, Mont.
2014 — Joel Gruver, Western Illinois University, Macomb, Ill.
2015 — Lloyd Murdock, University of Kentucky, Princeton, Ky.
2016 — Dave Franzen, North Dakota State University, Fargo, N.D.
2017 — Hans Kok, ag conservation consultant, Indianapolis, Ind.
2018 — Eileen Kladivko, Purdue University
2019 — Jim Hoorman, retired NRCS, Ohio State Extension educator
2020 — Jeffrey Mitchell, Cooperative Extension specialist, University of California-Davis
2021 — Jon Anderson, Environmental scientist, Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources
2022 — Ray Archuleta, Seymour, Mo.
2023 — Jeff Moyer, Kutztown, Pa.
Business and Service
1996 — Swaim Crop Consulting, Crawfordsville, Ind.
1997 — Southern States Cooperative, Owensboro, Ky.
1998 — Nester Ag Management, Antwerp, Ohio
1999 — Hymark Consulting, Blanchester, Ohio
2000 — Savage Crop Consulting, Farley, Iowa
2001 — ITAC Inc., Prairie du Sac, Wis.
2002 —
Whitehall Agricultural Services, Whitehall, Wis.
2003 — Moeller Ag Service, Keokuk, Iowa
2004 — Exactrix Inc., Spokane, Wash.
2005 — Schaffert Manufacturing, Indianola, Neb.
2006 — Kroeck Consulting, Knoxville, Pa.
2007 — Binkley & Hurst, Lititz, Pa.
2008 — Progressive Farm Products, Hudson, Ill.
2009 — Brokaw Supply Co., Fort Dodge, Iowa
2010 — Great Plains Mfg., Salina, Kan.
2011 — J.A. Scott Farms Inc., Pierceton, Ind.
2012 — Advanced Ag Solutions, Lafayette, Ind.
2013 — Precision Agri Services, Inc., Minster, Ohio
2014 — Ag Spectrum, DeWitt, Iowa
2015 — Needham Ag Technologies, Calhoun, Ky.
2016 — Ceres Solutions, Lafayette, Ind.
2017 — Cross Slot USA, Missoula, Mont.
2018 — Vertical Till Injector, Washington, Iowa
2019 — Ward Laboratories, Kearney, Neb.
2020 — Exapta Solutions, Salina, Kan.
2021 — Martin Industries, Elkton, Ky.
2022 — Yetter Farm Equipment, Colchester, Ill.
2023 — H&R Agir-Power, Hopkinsville, Ky.
No-Till Organizations
1997 —
Manitoba-North Dakota Zero Tillage Farmer’s Association, Brandon, Manitoba
1998 —
Clark County Farm Bureau,
Clark County, Ind.
1999 —
Conservation Action Project,
Defiance, Ohio
2000 — Ohio No-Till Council, Columbus, Ohio
2001 —
Coffee County Conservation Tillage Alliance, Coffee County, Ga.
2002 —
West Tennessee No-Till Farmers Association, Milan, Tenn.
2003 —
Pacific Northwest Direct Seed Association, Pullman, Wash.
2004 —
Lower Elkhorn Natural Resource District, Norfolk, Neb.
2005 —
Innovative Farmers Association of Port
Stanley, Ontario
2006 —
Innovative Cropping Systems Team, Quinton, Va.
2007 — Clearwater Direct Seeders, Idaho
2008 —
Embarras River Management Association, Toledo, Ill.
2009 — No-Till on the Plains, Salina, Kan.
2010 —
Delta Conservation Demonstration Center, Metcalfe, Miss.
2011 — Pennsylvania No-Till Alliance
2012 — Midwest Cover Crops Council
2013 — Virginia No-Till Alliance
2014 —
Ohio Conservation Tillage Conference
2015 — Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative
2016 —
Champlain Valley Farmer Coalition, Middlesbury, Vt.
2017 —
Conservation Agriculture Systems Innovation Center, Parlier Calif.
2018 —
Colorado Conservation Tillage Association, Burlington, Colo.
2019 —
South Dakota No-Till Association,
Pierre, S.D.
2020 — Practical Farmers of Iowa, Ames, Iowa
2021 —
South Dakota Soil Health Coalition,
Pierre, S.D.
2022 —
Cedar Creek Farmers, Jackson, Wis.
2023 — Conservation Technology Information Center, West Lafayette, Ind.
Equipment Design
1996 — Howard Martin*, Elkton, Ky.
1997 — Ray Rawson, Farwell, Mich.
1998 — Eugene Keeton*, Clarksville, Tenn.
1999 — Jon Kinzenbaw, Kinze Manufacturing Co., Williamsburg, Iowa
2000 — Terry Schneider, Shirley, Ill.
2001 — The Reed Family (Paul Reed), Washington, Iowa
2002 — Herb Stam*, Hi-Pro Manufacturing Co., Watseka, Ill.
Ag Supplier
1997 — Jim and Tom Boyd, B & B Farm Service, Fredericktown, Ohio
1998 — Eric Laux, Laux Farm Service, New Madison, Ohio
1999 — Crop Production Services, Morganfield, Ky.
2000 — Miles Farm Supply and Opti-Crop, Owensboro, Ky.
2001 — Roger Strand, Strand of Milan, Inc., Milan, Minn.
2002 — Loudonville Farmers Equity, Loudonville, Ohio
Environmental Stewardship
1996 — Jim LeCureux, Bad Axe, Mich.
Public Image of Agriculture
1996 — Marion Calmer, Alpha, Ill.
Education
1996 — Mike Plumer*, Marion, Ill.
NOMINATE YOUR NO-TILL INNOVATOR USING THE FORM BELOW
Or download a nomination form and complete it offline. Once completed, nomination forms can be faxed to John Dobberstein at (262) 786-5564, emailed to jdobberstein@lessitermedia.com or mailed to No-Till Innovator Awards, P.O. Box 624, Brookfield, WI 53008-0624.
Nominations are due by Friday, June 20, 2025.
