A no-till and strip-till pioneer is stepping into the spotlight on National Ag Day. Mt. Pulaski, Ill., native Jeff Martin stars in the season 3 premiere of ADM’s ongoing Faces of Food film series, which goes live today.
Martin, who is on No-Till Farmer’s List of Legends, has been no-tilling since 1982 and for nearly two decades has been strip-tilling continuous corn on much of his farm’s 5,000-plus acres. Based on extensive soil testing and plant analysis, Martin has cut back sharply on nitrogen (N) applications with corn while producing yields of over 250 bushels per acre.
“Success doesn’t come overnight,” Martin told No-Till Farmer in 2009. “But if you pay attention to details, no-till or strip-till has the potential for higher yields in rotated or continuous corn and more profitability than any other tillage method. And at the same time, no-till or strip-till can lead you to fun, soil-saving and even money-making conservation and wildlife-enhancement activities.”
Martin shares more details on the motivation behind his switch to conservation ag practices in the latest videos from ADM’s Faces of Food series. Themed “The Next Generation,” the episode also focuses on the future of the Martin family farm with Jeff’s sons, Derek and Doug.
"We're 7th-generation farmers and our goal is to make sure that we can keep it sustainable for the next generation,” Derek Martin says.
In No-Till Farmer’s November 2023 Conservation Tillage Guide, editor Frank Lessiter challenged food companies to prove their commitment to regenerative agriculture is more than just a PR campaign … and at least one major food company was listening.
ADM answered the call by sponsoring the 2024 National No-Tillage Conference, and now the company continues to walk the walk with its spotlight on conservation practices.
What better way to celebrate National Ag Day than a feature presentation about a No-Till Living Legend and his impact on the world of no-till? Grab some popcorn and click here to watch Jeff Martin’s unconventional path to no-till success.
Related Content
Striving for Lofty Goals with Strip-Till
Tweaks, Experiments Lead to Successful No-Till Transition
Continuous Strip-Till Corn Works if You Pay Attention to Details
