Although the 2021 planting season started well, wet areas in the south, hail and frost in the Midwest, and high heat and drought in the west and Great Plains proved challenging for farmers last year.

When Randy Chapman started farming with his father, he knew they weren’t going to have the help they needed for labor. He also didn’t like the erosion he witnessed from tillage and realized they had to do something different.

While many strip-tillers would have preferred to build strips and put down fertilizer in the fall, a late harvest prevented much of the work from being completed.

If you haven't heard of Richard Follmer, just know that you've probably used a version of his invention if you've used a strip-till unit recently. The owner of Progressive Farm Products in Hudson, Ill., invented the midmount, dual-placement strip-till toolbar that is being used by thousands of Corn Belt farmers.