Strip-Till Farmer Podcast

On this episode of the Strip-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by Yetter Farm Equipment, we dive into the latest equipment, technologies and trends from strip-tillers and equipment manufacturers.

Leesburg, Ga., strip-tiller Alex Harrell and Schlagel Manufacturing’s Jonathan Spence sit down for an exclusive interview about Harrell’s record-breaking 218-bushel soybean yield. Plus, Black Eagle Ag president Doug Hays gives us the scoop on the company’s brand-new heavy-duty toolbar designed to hold up in the toughest soil conditions.

Later in the episode, hear how strip-tillers are using their ETS SoilWarrior not just to make strips, but to also plant soybeans and cover crops. Redekop’s Eric Schuler gives us the rundown on the SCU weed seed control unit and explains why it could be a game-changer for weed management in conservation ag systems. Also, Lynx, Kuhn Krause, Yetter and Unverferth share what’s new with their equipment for 2025.

On this episode of the Strip-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by Yetter, University of Illinois soil scientist Andrew Margenot shares key takeaways from his long-term phosphorous (P) studies.

Margenot’s research group focuses on everything from NPK recommended rates, soil test values, removal rates and more. He’s currently leading the charge on a project to analyze thousands of soil samples dating back to the late 1800s — the largest soil samples archive in the world.

On this episode of the Strip-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by Yetter, we catch up with Donnellson, Iowa, strip-tiller Mark Dobson.

Dobson strip-tills 420 acres of certified organic corn, soybeans and wheat, and he custom strip-tills about 2,000 acres annually in southeast Iowa. The innovative strip-tiller shares some of his top lessons learned from pairing strip-till with organic farming and explains how he uses more than just yield to measure profitability.

Dobson also discusses his approach to planting green, precision technology and nutrient management, which includes lower nitrogen rates, a mix of 5-7 micronutrients and manure applications at 50% the recommended rate.

On this edition of the Strip-Till Farmer podcast, Bill Preller, longtime agronomist, Strip-Till Hall of Famer and founder of AGuru Machinery, kicks off a 3-part series exploring why strip-till is the ideal system for most soil types.

On this edition of the Strip-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by DigiFarm, we visit with 2024 Strip-Till Innovator Award recipient Chris Perkins at his Banded Ag facilities in Otwell, Ind. Perkins shares his formula for growing a 300-bushel corn crop as he talks shop with fellow strip-tiller and Montag territory manager Harold Crawford. Perkins discusses the value of residue and fungicides in a strip-till system and explains how and why he’s combining dry and liquid fertilizer on his LandLuvr strip-till rig.

On this edition of the Strip-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by DigiFarm, Andrew Focht takes us inside his strip-till operation in Villisca, Iowa.

Focht has increased his yields each year since switching to strip-till 2 years ago. He shares his nutrient management plan, which includes phosphorous (P) and potassium (K) applications in the fall, nitrogen (N) applications in the spring and variable rate N applications throughout the growing season.

Strip-tiller John Hanson gets creative with his strip-till rig on this episode of the Strip-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by DigiFarm.

John Hanson switched to strip-till a few years ago to save money on fuel and labor costs and increase the moisture-holding capacity of the soils on his 1,600-acre farm in north central Iowa. He’s found a way to be even more efficient by planting soybeans with his Environmental Tillage Systems (ETS) SoilWarrior.

On this episode of the Strip-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by DigiFarm, we go 1-on-1 with Westville, Ind., strip-tiller Jeff Herrold for a conversation about nutrient management, cover crops, strip-till equipment and more!

In recent years, Herrold has become a firm believer in spacing out his fertilizer applications to maximize uptake, while also marginally dialing back rates. Herrold shares some recent adjustments he’s made to his nutrient management strategies and how he’s applying N up to 4 different times and ways throughout the growing season.

On this episode of the Strip-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by Yetter Farm Equipment, veteran agronomist Michael Petersen reacts to new data revealed for the first time from the 2024 Strip-Till Farmer Benchmark Study.

How do your strip-till practices compare to hundreds of other farmers across all regions of the U.S.? You’re about to find out as technology editor Noah Newman shares results from the 2024 Strip-Till Farmer benchmark survey.

In this episode of the Strip-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by Yetter Farm Equipment, we honor the life and legacy of the late Bill Northey with a look back at his keynote presentation from the 2015 National Strip-Tillage Conference about applying science and technology to improve strip-till operations.