On April 1, 1976, Roy Applequist founded Great Plains Mfg., one of the major suppliers of no-till farming equipment.

It began with a 30-foot folding press drill Applequist developed for the Central Plains region, which he named Great Plains. Five years later, the company saw the need for equipment designed specifically for no-till and built its first no-till drill prototypes in 1981. It was also the first manufacturer to develop no-till grain drills for soybean crops.

Applequist was recently recognized as one of the 25 No-Till Living Legends for his contribution to no-till, and has also received the No-Till Innovator award. For more information, check out the What I’ve Learned from No-Tilling article “Listening to No-Tillers Makes for Better Equipment.”