Strip-Till Farmer editors encounter a variety of articles, social media posts, podcasts and videos that offer a unique look at the grower's world from the lofty digital realm. Here is our favorite content from the past week from across the web:

Strip-Tillers Focus on Water Quality, Profitability with Lawmakers & Peers

Earlier this year on the Strip-Till Farmer podcast, James Hepp informed me about The Lobe Rangers — a new conservation group he founded with fellow Iowa strip-tillers Zack Smith and Matt Bormann. They named their group after the Des Moines Lobe — a “flat, tongue-shaped region in north central Iowa with some of the world’s most fertile soil,” as described by Iowa Public Radio. The Lobe Rangers hosted their first field day at Hepp’s Farm last month near Rockwell City. Roughly 200 people packed the place, including farmers, lawmakers, representatives from Des Moines Water Works and advocates for better water quality, according to Iowa Public Radio’s coverage of the event.

Matt Bormann Lobe Rangers

Source: Rachel Cramer

Southern Illinois Focuses on Drones, AI & Strip-Till

Southern Illinois recently hosted its Ag Field Day, a research-focused event highlighting drones, AI and conservation practices like strip-till, no-till and cover crops. “This is a great community outreach with our farmers and agriculture partners who help fund some of our research projects,” says Dipanjan Mazumdar, interim associate dean for academic and student affairs. “University Farms is SIU’s largest research facility in terms of scope and size with 600 of the 2,000 acres being dedicated to research. Our college is producing quality research that can improve farming practices, and we want to share that information.”

Billy Ram and Samuel David

Source:Yenitza Melgoza

National Association of Soil Conservation Districts Celebrate Anniversary

Happy 80th Anniversary, NACD! It was on this day in 1946 that 19 conservation district leaders met in Chicago and formed the National Association of Soil Conservation District Governing Officials. The name was shortened to NACD in 1962. Read the Linkedin post here!

Strip-Till vs. No-Till vs. Full Tillage

Nebraska farmer and John Deere employee Travis Harrison (@TJHarrison22) sparked some good debate with this question on X: “Which team are you on and why? Tillage, no-till, strip-till, cover crops? Noah Brown makes the case for strip-till. “Reduces erosion. Warmer soil in the spring. More precise application of fertilizer. Reduces soil compaction. Saves time. Conserves fuel. Improves soil health.”

20-Minute Strip-Till Crash Course

Here’s a 20-minute crash course on all things strip-till — from equipment setup to the fall vs. spring comparison — from our good friends at Iowa State Extension.

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