When someone in Europe wanted to know about conservation tillage some months ago, I turned to a number of people, including Dean Carstens, co-owner of Twin Diamond Industries in Minden, Neb. His company makes “Strip Cat” machines for strip-tillers.

He put me in touch with Vic Lefrestier, who works for SLY, the European company that distributes Strip Cats. Vic proved to be incredibly helpful. It also turned out that he has visited the U.S. and that both he and I know some of the same people in the world of agriculture in the U.S. and Europe. But the connections and sharing went beyond our initial exchange last winter.

Vic subsequently asked Mike Lessiter, president of Lessiter Publications (which publishes this newsletter) about strip-till fertilizer placement practices in the U.S. Mike contacted Nick Jensen, chief marketing officer of Thurston Manufacturing Co., which makes Blu-Jet strip-till equipment. Nick provided Vic a detailed summary.

While I initially thought what Nick had to say was pretty much understood in the U.S. strip-till world, my subsequent work on a story about banding vs. broadcasting phosphorus and potassium made me reconsider that. And Vic’s question reminded me once again that Strip-Till Strategies has readers world wide.

So, this issue of Strip-Till Strategies includes the insight that Nick shared with Vic in Europe. I hope that this exchange between the newsletter’s readers continues.