Washington, Iowa, farmer and founder of Continuum Ag, Mitchell Hora has worked extensively on biofuel tax credits and regenerative agronomy.

Rockwell City, Iowa, strip-tiller James Hepp went from a career as a crop insurance adjuster to full-time farmer after crafting an arrangement with a retiring neighbor.

Beaver Dam, Wis., strip-tiller Ryan Nell pushes the envelope with planting dates, but in 2025 he took it to another level — planting soybeans on January 31!

Joey Hanson has seen the good, bad and ugly sides of strip-till, both in his own farming operation and while custom strip-tilling in Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota.

Internationally known as the “Father of Biological Agriculture,” Gary Zimmer is a big believer in strip-till. “It’s like putting a flowerpot under every plant,” he says. “It allows you to concentrate your nutrients in a row, but you’ll need a better source of nutrients as salts may make things worse.”

Jerry Hatfield, the former director of the National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment, leads off the 2025 National Strip-Tillage Conference with a big-picture look at how strip-till fits into the soil health puzzle and why it’s key to the long-term outlook of your operation.

Strip-Till Farmer is teaming up with Land Luvr/Rohrs Mfg. to select and recognize the 2025 Strip-Till Innovator Award recipient. Now in its 7th year, the Strip-Till Innovator Awards program recognizes innovative farmers who have excelled by taking risk, thinking outside of the box and leveraging the advantages of strip-till.

The Wabash County SWCD Board of Supervisors are such believers in this event that they are going to pay for the cost of up to 10 registrations for the 2024 National Strip-Tillage Conference — a $429 commitment per registration by the district.