The combination of strip-till and strategically managed cover crops is your ticket to conservation gold, says Joe Curless. The longtime strip-tiller, who also runs an aerial application business in west central Illinois, takes an unfiltered look at his cover crop journey from 2008 to today, sharing the eye-openers, failures and breakthroughs he’s seen along the way. From aerially applying clover mixes into standing corn and soybeans in late summer to converting a planter into a strip freshener, Curless shows how thoughtful integration of strip-till and covers can protect soil, anchor nutrients, reduce erosion and improve soil biology.
You’ll Learn: Learn: How to incorporate diverse cover crop mixes with strip-till, termination strategies for dry & wet conditions, advantages of aerial applications & how to pivot when things don’t go as planned.
View the full speaker agenda and topics here.
The 13th Annual National Strip-Tillage Conference is heading to Springfield, Ill. on August 6-7, 2026. Join us to experience an energizing agenda featuring inspiring general session speakers, expert-led Strip-Till Classrooms, collaborative Strip-Till Roundtables and unlimited networking opportunities.
The jam-packed conference agenda includes:
- 6 thought-provoking general sessions
- 13 expert-led classrooms on specific topics
- 14 interactive farmer-to-farmer roundtable discussions
- Pre-conference workshop
- Meals & networking events
- Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) continuing education credits
For more information about the 2026 National Strip-Tillage Conference, to register for the event and to book your hotel room visit StripTillFarmer.com/NSTC
The National Strip-Tillage Conference extends its thanks to our 2026 Title sponsors: Ag Leader, AgSynergy, Case IH, Dawn Equipment Co., Environmental Tillage Systems, ForGround by Bayer, HUMA, KUHN, Land Luvr, Lynx Ag, eKonomics, Total Farm Marketing, Unverferth Mfg. Co., Inc., Vulcan Equipment, Yetter Farm Equipment and Zimmerman Manufacturing LLC.
