Syngenta and No-Till Farmer magazine recognized the 16th class of No-Till Innovator Award winners at a banquet held during the milestone 20th Annual National No-Tillage Conference in St. Louis, Jan. 11-14, 2012.

"Syngenta understands the entire growing process and has aligned its focus on total crop solutions that produce higher yields from fewer resources," said David Piñon, communications lead, Syngenta. "And with a growing global population, Syngenta is dedicated to delivering holistic and more relevant solutions to growers.

"Our goal is to help farmers improve yield and quality by growing more from less. This year's No-Till Innovator Award winners have proven themselves leaders in the effort to increase adoption of sustainable farming methods, and Syngenta is proud to be part of such a valuable program and conference, which has been passing these important messages along to growers for 20 years now."

Winners were chosen based on their commitment to the advancement of no-till farming, regardless of the crop grown or the equipment or products used. The 2011 No-Till Innovators are:

• Jamie Scott, J.A. Scott Farms, Inc. – Business and Service

Jamie Scott of J.A. Scott Farms, Inc., in Pierceton, Ind., has been no-tilling since the early 1980s. Scott and his father farm more than 2,000 acres of 100 percent no-till corn, soybean, alfalfa and cover crops. In addition, he manages more than 35,000 acres of cover crops for a group of regional growers who have decided to work together to increase the use of cover crops. Scott has dedicated himself to showing other farmers how they can afford to use cover crops, as well as demonstrating the payoff both in soil structure and in bottom line. He serves as a local chairman of the Soil and Water Conservation District and the treasurer at the state level.

• Terry Taylor – Crop Production
Terry Taylor of Geff, Ill., began no-tilling in the mid-1970s with the intention of planting cover crops on every acre. Today, Taylor is one of the highest-yielding farmers in the country, operating approximately 2,000 acres of 100 percent no-till corn and soybean. With the "whole farm" strategy in mind, Taylor continues to make significant advancements in his no-till practice, while educating others through his extensive experience, research and plot tours.

• Pennsylvania No-Till Alliance – Organization
The Pennsylvania No-Till Alliance was founded in 2004 by a group of committed no-till farmers to mentor and support growers with little or no no-till farming experience. Its mission is "to promote the successful application of no-till through shared ideas, experiences, education and new technology." Approximately 150 members from throughout the state make up this organization. The group developed and executed a "Farmer-to-Farmer" initiative that reached hundreds of producers with field-based, hands-on advice for no-till crop production. The members and leaders of the organization serve as resources and mentors to help other farmers integrate no-till farming into their operations. The Alliance has created a network of information, resources and people who encourage growers to connect and help improve their no-till operations.

• Randall Reeder – Research and Education
Randall Reeder recently retired as an agricultural engineer with The Ohio State University (OSU) and is considered one of the leading research and education advocates for conservation tillage and no-till. His main areas of expertise are in conservation tillage and soil compaction. He has established no-till research plots at the OSU Hoytville Research Station and initiated an annual conference, now known as the Conservation Tillage Conference, which in 2011 drew 1,024 participants.

He chaired the team that in 1992 published the Conservation Tillage Systems Management Handbook for the Midwest Plan Service and also co-authored an 85-page chapter on conservation practices in a book published by the Soil and Water Conservation Society.

No-till farming is an environmentally sound and economical method of crop management that is rapidly spreading throughout the world.

The 16th Annual No-Till Innovators were selected by a committee of leaders who represent different aspects of the no-till industry, including Hans Kok, Indiana Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative, Indianapolis, Ind.; Frank Lessiter, editor, No-Till Farmer magazine; Brett Timke, sales representative, Syngenta; Keith Wendte, Wendte Farms and CNH, Willowbrook, Ill.; and Dan Towery, Ag Conservation Solutions, Lafayette, Ind.

For more information about the No-Till Innovator Awards, please visit the program web site, and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

No-Till Innovator Award Winners

Crop Production…
1997 — John McLarty, London, Ontario
1998 — Ron Jaques, Hutchinson, Kan.
1999 — Steve Groff, Holtwood, Pa.
2000 — Doug Harford, Mazon, Ill.
2001 — Mike Ellis, Worth & Dee Ellis Farm, Eminence, Ky.
2002 — Russ Zenner, Genesee, Idaho
2003 — Mike, Ted, Paul, Tom and Nick Guetterman, Bucyrus, Kan.
2004 — Tom, Jeff and Doug Martin, Mt. Pulaski, Ill.
2005 — Randy Schwartz, Great Bend, Kan.
2006 — John Aeschliman, Colfax, Wash.
2007 — Joe Breker, Havana, N.D.
2008 — Bill Richards, Circleville, Ohio
2009 — Allen Berry, Nauvoo, Ill.
2010 — Rulon Enterprises (Rodney, Ken and Roy Rulon), Arcadia, Ind.
2011 — Ray McCormick, Vincennes, Ind. 

Research & Education…
1997 — John Bradley, University of Tennessee, Milan, Tenn.
1998 — George Kapusta, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Ill.
1999 — Paul Jasa, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Neb.
2000 — Dwayne Beck, Dakota Lakes Research Farm, Pierre, S.D.
2001 — John Walker, Ricks College, Rexburg, Idaho
2002 — Wayne Reeves, National Soils Lab, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Auburn, Ala.
2003 — Glover Triplett, Mississippi State University, Starkville, Miss.
2004 — Norman Widman, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Columbus, Ohio
2005 — Dan Towery, Conservation Technology Information Center, West Lafayette, Ind.
2006 — Jim Cook, Washington State University, Pullman, Wash.
2007 — Jim Leverich, University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension Service,
Sparta, Wis.
2008 — Bud Davis, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Salina, Kan.
2009 — Randy Raper, National Soil Dynamics Lab, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Auburn, Ala.
2010 — Barry Fisher, Indiana NRCS state agronomist, Indianapolis, Ind.
2011 — Harold Reetz, Reetz Agronomic Services, Monticello, Ill. 

Business and Service…
1997 — David Swaim, Crawfordsville, Ind.
1998 — Philip Anderson, Southern States Cooperative, Owensboro, Ky.
1999 — Joe Nester, Nester Ag Management, Antwerp, Ohio
2000 — Ed Winkle, Hymark Consulting, Blanchester, Ohio
2001 — David Savage, Farley, Iowa
2002 — Kevin Morrow, Smiths Grove, Ky.
2003 — Brad Mathson, Whitehall Agricultural Services, Whitehall, Wis.
2004 — Dave Moeller, Moeller Ag Service, Keokuk, Iowa
2005 — Guy Swanson, Exactrix Inc., Spokane, Wash.
2006 — Paul Schaffert, Indianola, Neb.
2007 — Karl Kroeck, Knoxville, Pa.
2008 — Don Hoover, Binkley & Hurst, Lititz, Pa.
2009 — Rich Follmer, Progressive Farm Products, Hudson, Ill.
2010 — Dave Nelson, Brokaw Supply Co., Fort Dodge, Iowa
2011 — Roy Applequist, Great Plains Mfg., Salina, Kan.

No-Till Organizations…
1998 — Manitoba-North Dakota Zero Tillage Farmer’s Association, Brandon, Manitoba
1999 — Clark County Farm Bureau, Clark County, Ind.
2000 — Conservation Action Project, Defiance, Ohio
2001 — Ohio No-Till Council, Columbus, Ohio
2002 — Coffee County Conservation Tillage Alliance, Coffee County, Ga.
2003 — West Tennessee No-Till Farmers Association, Milan, Tenn.
2004 — Pacific Northwest Direct Seed Association, Pullman, Wash.
2005 — Lower Elkhorn Natural Resource District, Norfolk, Neb.
2006 — Innovative Farmers Association of Port Stanley, Ontario
2007 — Innovative Cropping Systems Team, Quinton, Va.
2008 — Clearwater Direct Seeders, Idaho
2009 — Embarras River Management Association, Toledo, Ill.
2010 — No-Till On The Plains, Salina, Kan.
2011 — Delta Conservation Demonstration Center, Metcalfe, Miss. 

Equipment Design…
1997 — Howard Martin, Elkton, Ky.
1998 — Ray Rawson, Farwell, Mich.
1999 — Eugene Keeton, Clarksville, Tenn.
2000 — Jon Kinzenbaw, Kinze Manufacturing Co., Williamsburg, Iowa
2001 — Terry Schneider, Shirley, Ill.
2002 — The Reed Family (Paul Reed), Washington, Iowa
2003 — Herb Stam, Hi-Pro Manufacturing Co., Watseka, Ill.

Ag Supplier…

1998 — Jim and Tom Boyd, B & B Farm Service, Fredericktown, Ohio
1999 — Eric Laux, Laux Farm Service, New Madison, Ohio
2000 — Crop Production Services, Morganfield, Ky.
2001 — Miles Farm Supply and Opti-Crop, Owensboro, Ky.
2002 — Roger Strand, Strand of Milan, Inc., Milan, Minn.
2003 — Loudonville Farmers Equity, Loudonville, Ohio

Environmental Stewardship…
1997 — Jim LeCureux, Bad Axe, Mich.

Public Image of Agriculture…
1997 — Marion Calmer, Alpha, Ill.

Education…
1997 — Mike Plumer, Marion, Ill.