Michael Thompson Named 2025 Conservation Ag Operator Fellow
No-Till Farmer and Lessiter Media are pleased to announce that Almena, Kan., no-tiller and rancher Michael Thompson has been selected as this year’s Conservation Ag Operator Fellowship recipient and will be the subject of a year-long editorial series that will dive deep into his operational management via articles, video, webinars and more.
Launched in 2022 to mark the start of No-Till Farmer's second 50 years of publication, the annual Conservation Ag Operator Fellowship program follows a selected no-tiller throughout the year and shares the real-time decision-making and solutions needed to make no-till and conservation ag practices work in real-world conditions.
No-Till Farmer's editors and industry advisors selected Thompson due to his extensive experience no-tilling a diverse array of crops, successful livestock integration and dedication to soil health and the active role he takes in the stewardship of local watersheds.
Thompson is a founding member and chairman of the Kansas Soil Health Alliance, ex-officio board member of No-till on the Plains and serves as mentor in the Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS) program that connects Kansas farmers and ranchers to improve water quality. He was also the recipient of the 2022 Kansas Leopold Conservation Award, which recognizes farmers, ranchers and forestland owners who inspire others with their dedication to land, water and wildlife resources in their care.
Thompson was a classroom presenter at the 2019 National No-Tillage Conference, where his talk, “Cows on Cropland: How Grazing Synergies Boost Yields and Soil Health,” packed the room with attendees.
The Conservation Ag Operator Fellowship program includes an in-depth, year-long content series shared via No-Till Farmer channels that will detail Thompson’s decisions and actions throughout the year. The multi-media series examines his approach to a variety of subjects, including cropping decisions, attachment/equipment purchases, test plots, seeding/planting conditions and on-the-go decisions in response to weather and other variables. Farmers may also ask Thompson specific questions at any time through the "Ask the Operator" online forum.
The capstone of the project includes a final report on performance and results, and a keynote presentation at the 34th Annual National No-Tillage Conference in St. Louis from Jan. 6-9, 2026.
See more about Michael Thompson here:
- Diversified Crops and Grazing Cattle Provide No-Till Benefits
- 2022 Kansas Leopold Conservation Award - Michael Thompson
- The Power of No-Till