With 35 years’ experience working for the University of Wisconsin Extension, research is second nature for Sparta, Wis., no-tiller Jim Leverich. Now retired, he maintains a rigorous program of testing to get the best yields he can on his 1,000-acre corn-soybean operation that his forbears began as a 25-acre orchard in 1864. In testing components of the “4Rs” of nutrient management, he’s found anhydrous ammonia consistently provides the most efficient source of nitrogen (N) while offering the highest level of safety for the environment.

Sparta, Wis., home to Jim Leverich, No-Till Farmer’s 2022 Conservation Ag Operator Fellow, is not far from the beautiful sandstone bluffs of the Mississippi River. Hugging the west-central part of the state, Leverich’s farm features a range of soils from sandy loam to heavier clay loam soils.