Brookfield, Wis. — Calmer Corn Heads and No-Till Farmer recognized the most recent class of No-Till Innovator Award (NTIA) winners during the 29^th annual National No-Tillage Conference (NNTC) held virtually Jan. 12-15 and hosted by the Whova conference app.

The 25th class of No-Till Innovators recognized for 2020 include:

• Loran Steinlage — West Union, Iowa no-tiller, Crop Production
• Exapta Solutions — Business & Service
• Jeffrey Mitchell — Cooperative Extension specialist, University of California-Davis; Research & Education
• Practical Farmers of Iowa — Organization

Short documentary videos about the winners were viewed by hundreds of attendees Jan. 12-15 on Whova. The NTIA program is sponsored Calmer Corn Heads, owned by Alpha, Ill., no-tiller Marion Calmer — a long-time supporter of NNTC.

“Calmer Corn Heads is very proud sponsor this year’s awards. We appreciate the opportunity to honor the important achievements of these amazing No-Till Innovator Award winners,” Calmer says.

“We’d like to commend each of this year’s winners for their priceless contributions in promoting the growth of no-till practices across the U.S. and globally — leading both by example and with the valuable industry knowledge and information they bring to the table,” says John Dobberstein, senior editor at No-Till Farmer.

“We’d also like to sincerely thank Marion Calmer and Calmer Corn Heads for stepping up to support the No-Till Innovator Awards program with their sponsorship, helping to ensure worthy individuals and organizations continue to be honored into the future.”

Here is some information and documentary view on each NTIA winner:

Loran Steinlage, Crop Production

Loran Steinlage operates Flolo Farms near West Union in northeastern Iowa. The 750-acre farm sits on the edge of the ‘Driftless Region’ of Iowa, an area known for its unique topography and coldwater streams. 

The Driftless Region is a small region of northeast Iowa, southwest Wisconsin and southeast Minnesota missed by glaciers during past ice ages, creating a unique landscape. The high-relief topography and mixture of soil types creates challenges for producers in the area, including Steinlage.

Steinlage recognized long ago that the location of his farm was unique and implementing sustainable management practices such as no-till was critical to keeping his farm productive long into the future. 

Steinlage quit tillage 20 years ago and soon began implementing cover crops as well. Today, Steinlage is considered one of the most innovative producers in Iowa and is recognized for his ability to ‘push the envelope’ with equipment adaptations, interseeding of cover crops and diverse crop rotations. 

Steinlage is always looking for ways to continue to improve soil health, increase water infiltration and sequester carbon in his fields. Steinlage’s efforts are helping other farmers in the region implement management practices that help protect the environment and reduce the impact of frequent flooding. 

“Perhaps what sets Steinlage apart the most from other producers is his wiliness to share ideas and techniques with others,” says Ross Evelsizer, watershed planner and GIS specialist for Northeast Iowa Resource Conservation and Development. 

“While some farmers hesitate with sharing ideas for fear of competition or simply being an outcast, Loran has embraced the idea of sharing and helped build a network of thousands of producers on social media that spans a vast geographical area.”

Steinlage spends the ‘offseason’ traveling with his wife, Brenda, to speaking engagements around the world, sharing regenerative techniques and ideas that he’s implementing. 

Last year, Steinlage spoke in Canada, Europe, Australia and several states in the U.S. He was one of the first producers to try relay cropping in Iowa and helped start the Multi-Cropping Iowa project with Northeast Iowa Resource Conservation & Development. 

Multi-cropping Iowa now has a global following. The project is helping producers understand more about multi-cropping by learning from producers like Loran, exploring alternative markets for crops such as craft beer production, and developing equipment that works for multiple crops. 

Steinlage also uses his mechanical skills to assist Dawn Equipment/Underground Ag develop agricultural implements specifically for regenerative management. 

“A lot of what we’re working on right now comes from trying to figure out what worked in the past and tie it together with the technology we have available today,” Steinlage says. “Everybody thinks we need special equipment. We don’t. We just need to figure out how to build the right tools that are versatile.”

Steinlage’s real passion is engaging youth in activities related to agricultural production and teaching young people about conservation production methods, Evelsizer says. 

Steinlage has a greenhouse that he’s provided as an on-the-farm lab for local 4H students to try out ideas for projects. He has actively helped with school field trips and helped coordinate outreach between conservation and agricultural professionals and students. 

Steinlage continues to think of ways to engage more young people in on-farm activities and be a positive influence on area youth. 

Exapta Solutions, Business & Service 

The idea for Salina, Kan.-based Exapta Solutions was born after Matt Hagny migrated to Kansas in 1993 and started offering crop consulting and agronomy services for no-tillers.

He also offered custom no-till seeding from 1994 to 2001, which provided him with both frustrations and insights for better methods of no-till seeding. 

Hagny founded Exapta Solutions in 1998 with the vision of providing better tools for no-till seeding. To this day, Exapta’s forte is in understanding how plants grow, and how the no-till seeding process can be more effectively accomplished.

Chief of operations Leah Lanie says Exapta strives not to sell a device, but to provide useful information so that customers can get the most out of their seeding equipment — more acres, better emergence, higher yield, and greater profit. 

Hagny traveled the globe, both as a consultant and a student of no-till and learned from some of the best. He conducted highly acclaimed seeding schools every year to assist producers in better understanding all aspects of no-till seeding equipment, ranging in subject matter far beyond Exapta products. 

“Matt was a factual straight shooter, not a salesman,” Lanie says. “Matt’s expertise was always backed up by science.” 

Hagny also had written numerous educational articles about the fundamentals of no-till, no-till seeding, effective equipment, improvements and more to help inform no-tillers for success. 

Unfortunately, Exapta Solutions lost its founder in 2019 when Hagny died during a mountain-climbing accident in Colorado. Although his passing was a major jolt, the company’s management is determined to carry on Hagny’s legacy and continue advancing no-till practices worldwide. 

“It was never about Exapta’s bottom-dollar for Matt, but only what was best for the customer’s success. That is truly honorable,” Lanie says.

“I’m extremely honored and humbled receiving this award, and I just wish that Matt was here to receive it,” says Hagny’s sister, Emilie Downs, who succeeded Matt as the company’s CEO. “I think it’s truly a testament to his work over the last 25 years.” 

Jeffrey Mitchell, Research & Education

Jeffrey Mitchell serves as a Cooperative Extension specialist for the University of California-Davis, where he’s been a pioneer in design, research, knowledge generation and extension in conservation cropping systems in California. 

The idea of conservation tillage and high-residue farming is still a vigorously challenged idea in California, while the rest of the world is practicing these systems. But Mitchell has worked diligently on these systems, unfettered by the challenges and opposition. 

With his dedication, these conservation cropping systems are now beginning to be gradually adopted in California and are receiving much attention from growers, extension, industry, educational institutions, state and Federal government agencies, and non-governmental agencies, says Anil Shrestha, chair of the department of Viticulture and Enology at Fresno State University.

Initially, Mitchell established the University of California Conservation Tillage Workgroup that was primarily focused on no-till systems. Later, he expanded the workgroup and established the Conservation Agriculture Systems Initiative (CASI) group with a broader conservation systems approach. CASI won the No-Till Innovator Award in 2018. 

“I don’t think it would be an exaggeration to state that this is now one of the strongest Extension education programs in California, which goes beyond a traditional Cooperative Extension program as Jeff has brought together people from multiple agencies mentioned above,” Shrestha says. 

Mitchell expanded his work to vegetable crops and is among the first in the U.S. to work on these systems combined with precision irrigation technology. His long-term research site at Five Points, Calif., has generated a wealth of knowledge in applied conservation systems, and growers, scientists, regulators, industry and NGO employees, and students from various institutions of California are frequent visitors to this site. 

The site has provided an opportunity for graduate students from several California universities to complete their thesis work, and undergraduate students to obtain knowledge as interns. Several of these interns have continued on to graduate school due to their experience at the site. 

Mitchell has also initiated research projects on precision overhead irrigation systems, combined with conservation tillage and high-residue systems with strategic crop rotations. 

Mitchell organizes the CASI Workgroup Field Days and Demonstrations at the University of California West Side Research and Extension Center, which are among the most highly attended Extension events. “It’s not just the numbers of Extension events, but the quality of these events is also very high,” Shrestha notes. “Jeffrey is an excellent speaker which adds value to these events.”

Mitchell’s voluntary and community service record also is noteworthy. He has volunteered in several local community events, “but what is outstanding is his effort to take the value of agriculture and conservation education efforts to K-12 students,” Shrestha says. 

“He is one of the hardest-working people I have ever worked with. I have not seen anyone more dedicated to delivering services to growers. I’ve seen him drive long distances to deliver equipment and supplies to growers and to other extension agents. These are qualities that make him a great Extension educator.”

An important part of Mitchell’s research and education efforts has emphasized evaluations of the impacts and tradeoffs that reduced disturbance tillage and cover cropping have on soil and cropping system function. 

Based on a long-term study dating to 1999, Mitchell worked with a team that documented that no-till and cover crop practices in sorghum, cotton, corn, wheat and tomato could not only maintain productivity, but also greatly impact a number of important soil quality indicators — including higher soil carbon and nitrogen (N), aggregation and infiltration. 

This work has been the first such long-term study to test the coupled impacts of no-till and cover-cropping practices on soil properties in California and it has now documented that significant positive changes have occurred even in the arid, irrigated soils in the San Joaquin Valley. 

Practical Farmers of Iowa, Organization

Headquartered in Ames, Iowa, Practical Farmers of Iowa (PFI) was founded in 1985 as an organization for farmers. PFI uses farmer-led investigation and information sharing to help them practice an agriculture that benefits both the land and people.

PFI’s mission is equipping farmers of all types to build resilient farms and communities. Farmers in PFI’s network raise corn and soybeans, hay, livestock large and small, horticultural crops from fruits and vegetables to cut flowers and herbs, and more. The organization boasts more than 4,000 members and interacts with 70-100 researchers annually to conduct research projects. 

Members have conventional and organic systems, employ diverse management practices, run operations of all sizes and come from a range of backgrounds. These farmers come together, however, because they believe in nature as the model for agriculture and are committed to moving toward sustainability.

Stefan Gailans, PFI’s research and field crops director, heads up the on-farm research program, also known as the cooperator’s program. Together with “curious and creative farmers,” PFI helps farmers design and execute experiments on their farms based directly on challenges they’re facing. 

“Practical Farmers of Iowa was founded in the spirit of environmental stewardship and profitability,” Gailans says. “So a number of our experiments that the farmers design and conduct on their farms usually have some kind of conservation or stewardship ethic.”

That could mean learning how to reduce tillage, or adopt or manage cover crops to have living roots in the ground year round, “and farmers are seeing how they can implement those kinds of soil improvements, soil health, or soil conservation practices,” he says. 

On a yearly basis, PFI has about 50-60 farmers, or “cooperators” as PFI calls them, that partake in some kind of on-farm research. Gailans says farmers typically drive what topics or challenges are addressed in the research work.

“We employ the principles of replication and randomization of treatments, just as a researcher at an academic institution would do, so it adds a level of commitment on their part.”

PFI publicizes and promotes the results of these trials in research reports, videos, blogs, podcasts, and through field days or events that PFI organizes. 

Of late, cover crop and soil health topics and 60-inch-row corn systems have seen major interest from members, although PFI has also tackled foundational agronomic topics such as hybrid and variety trials, livestock and pasture management, and financial analysis and enterprise budgeting.

“The Cooperators’ Program has become especially valuable to the farmers partaking in it, but also the rest of our membership. Our mainstay is farmer-to-farmer knowledge sharing.”

The 2020 winners were chosen based on their commitment to the advancement of no-till farming. The 25th class was selected by a committee of leaders who represent different aspects of the no-till industry.

The award recipients received complimentary registration from Calmer Corn Heads for the duration of the National No-Tillage Conference, as well as a special memento to commemorate the honor.

Nominate Those Worthy 

The nomination process is already under way for the 26th class of No-Till Innovators, who will be recognized at the 30th annual National No-Tillage Conference in Louisville in 2022.

** The deadline for nominations for the 26th class of No-Till Innovators is Friday, June 25, 2020. There are four easy ways to submit a No-Till Innovator Award nomination:

1. Submit your nomination form online here.
2. Fax your completed nomination form to John Dobberstein at (262) 786-5564.
3. Email your completed nomination form to jdobberstein@lessitermedia.com.
4. Mail your completed nomination form to: No-Till Innovator Awards, Attn: John Dobberstein, P.O. Box 624, Brookfield, WI 53008-0624.

Past Winners

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

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 — Dr. 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

Business and Service
1996 — David Swaim, Swaim Crop Consulting, Crawfordsville, Ind.
1997 — Philip Anderson, Southern States Cooperative, Owensboro, Ky.
1998 — Joe Nester, Nester Ag Management, Antwerp, Ohio
1999 — Ed Winkle*, Hymark Consulting, Blanchester, Ohio
2000 — David Savage, Farley, Iowa
2001 — David Cole, ITAC Inc., Prairie du Sac, Wis.
2002 — Brad Mathson, Whitehall Agricultural Services, Whitehall, Wis.
2003 — Dave Moeller, Moeller Ag Service, Keokuk, Iowa
2004 — Guy Swanson, Exactrix Inc., Spokane, Wash.
2005 — Paul Schaffert, Indianola, Neb.
2006 — Karl Kroeck, Knoxville, Pa.
2007 — Don Hoover, Binkley & Hurst, Lititz, Pa.
2008 — Rich Follmer, Progressive Farm Products, Hudson, Ill.
2009 — Dave Nelson, Brokaw Supply Co., Fort Dodge, Iowa
2010 — Roy Applequist, Great Plains Mfg., Salina, Kan.
2011 — Jamie Scott, J.A. Scott Farms Inc., Pierceton, Ind.
2012 — Daryl Starr, Advanced Ag Solutions
2013 — Bill Lehmkuhl, Precision Agri Services, Inc., Minster, Ohio
2014 — Terry Metzger, Ag Spectrum, DeWitt, Iowa
2015 — Phil Needham, Needham Ag Technologies, Calhoun, Ky.
2016 — Betsy Bower, Ceres Solutions, Lafayette, Ind.
2017 — Gavin Porter, Cross Slot USA, Missoula, Mont.
2018 — Phil Reed, Vertical Till Injector
2019 — Ray Ward, Ward Laboratories, Kearney, Neb.
2020 — Exapta Solutions, Salina, Kan.

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 — Randall Reeder, 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

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.