Two individuals, one company and one no-till association are being recognized as the 22nd Class of No-Till Innovators for leading the adoption and advancement of no-till.

Sponsored by Syngenta and No-Till Farmer, the program honors farmers, researchers, businesses and organizations for their ongoing commitment and contributions toward advancing no-till farming management.

The four No-Till Innovators have made important contributions to this growth and were chosen based on dedication to the advancement of no-till farming, regardless of the type of crop grown and equipment, seed, seed treatment or crop protection products used.

The 2017 honorees are: 

• Conservation Agriculture Systems Innovation, Organization
• Annie Dee, Aliceville, Ala., no-tiller, Crop Production
• Hans Kok, independent conservation consultant, Research & Education
• Cross Slot USA, Business & Service

Conservation Agriculture Systems Innovation (CASI) — Organization

Name: Conservation Agriculture Systems Innovation (CASI)

Location: Five Points, Calif.

In 1998, a group of select pioneering farmers came together with different reasons for using no-till, but had one common goal of bettering the soil in the state of California.

Many were looking to reduce operating costs, some wanted to conserve water by keeping residues on the soil surface, others wanted to improve water movement in their fields and some were dairy farmers looking to save manpower in their operations.

These pioneers were a very diverse lot, including San Joaquin dairy farmers Michael…