BROOKFIELD, Wis. — For more than 3 decades, No-Till Farmer has prided itself on providing a quality conference where growers can learn, network and recharge for the coming year — and the 2026 National No-Tillage Conference (NNTC) promises another exceptional experience for attendees.
The long list of more than two-dozen speakers at NNTC, slated for Jan. 6-9 in St. Louis, Mo., includes veteran no-tillers, experienced agronomists and researchers and knowledgeable manufacturer reps with practical experience that can help attendees solve their most difficult challenges.
The program includes 12 general sessions, 22 classrooms, 40 no-till roundtables, welcome reception, networking luncheon and presentation of the prestigious No-Till Innovator Award recipients for 2025.
You’ll also get to experience our first-ever ‘shark tank’-style session to hear and vote on some of the most cutting-edge conservation technologies presented before a panel of “investors.” And we’ll introduce our first “Ted Talk”-style sessions at NNTC — a series of shorter, inspirational discussions on tackling agriculture’s biggest challenges.
Some of the biggest no-till names in the industry are speaking at the event, including Jonathan Lundgren, Tom Cotter, Phil Needham, Marion Calmer, Pam Marrone, Ray Flickner, John Fulton, Monte Bottens, Kris Nichols, John Bradley, Rob Myers and 2025 Conservation Ag Operator Fellow Michael Thompson.
“We always aim to make this conference the re-charge event for attendees, as it’s a place where they can come together to share ideas, get the low-down on new practices and get some perspective on where modern no-till systems are headed in the future,” says John Dobberstein, senior editor at No-Till Farmer. “We invite growers to take a look at the full program and see all the opportunities here to better their no-till operation now and in the future.”
The 4-day event will kick off on Jan. 6 with two in-depth, exclusive workshops with something for everyone:
- REGENERATIVE AG WORKSHOP: Soil microbiologist, No-Till Innovator and KRIS Systems founder Kris Nichols will lead a 2-hour deep dive into using carbon flow as an approach for regenerative farming. Nichols will share how the different principles impact carbon flow below ground to enhance soil biology, chemistry and physics.
- PLANTER WORKSHOP: No-Till Innovators Bill Lehmkuhl and Phil Needham will host a 2-hour workshop to help attendees get the most out of their no-till planter and drill. Lehmkuhl is a former NNTC Most Outstanding Speaker and owner of Precision Agri Services and Needham is a 4-time NNTC Most Outstanding Speaker and owner of Needham Ag Solutions.
Highlights of the speaker program for the 2026 blockbuster event include:
Jonathan Lundgren — Regenerative Lessons Learned from 1,000 Farms: The president of Ecdysis Foundation and Blue Dasher Farms analyzes hard data from more than 1,000 farms across the country as he explores the expected outcomes from regenerative ag in fighting climate change, reversing desertification, increasing plant nutrition and earning more money.
Tom Cotter — Discovering the True Potential of Soil Health: The Austin, Minn., no-tiller, who runs 14 cash crops in rotation with cover crops and grazing on every acre, will share how to balance the positive and negative effect of each practice for weed control, making cover crops pay, coordinating livestock grazing with crop rotations and finding markets for all that’s produced.
Wayne Honeycutt — The Soil Health Advantage: Why No-Till Makes Dollars & Sense: In his first-ever NNTC presentation, the founding president and CEO of the Soil Health Institute shares SHI’s latest data on the economic impacts of no-till and takes a big picture look at how healthy soils can reduce inputs, increase profits and build resilience to extreme weather.
Innovators & Experts Panel: No-Tilling in a Challenging Market: Back once again by popular demand, the No-Till Innovators & Experts panel, sponsored by Titan Tire, wraps up the conference with an in-depth discussion about the economics of no-till and how to get the most bang for your buck in the face of rising input costs and low commodity prices. This grand finale presentation is a great way to interact, network and learn from no-till farming’s brightest minds of the past and present. Bring your notebook to capture actionable takeaways in this proven, fast-paced learning format! No-Till Innovator and Legend Randall Reeder moderates the highly interactive session.
CHAMPIONS & CHALLENGERS LECTURE
John Fulton — No-Till, High-Tech: Data-Driven Insights to Maximize Every Acre: The Ohio State Univ. professor and former president of the International Society of Precision Agriculture reveals key takeaways from new on-farm research to explore how data-driven insights and cutting-edge technologies are enhancing the performance and sustainability of no-till systems.
CONSERVATION AG OPERATOR FELLOWSHIP CAPSTONE LECTURE
Sponsored by Titan Tire and Yetter Farm Equipment
Michael Thompson — No-Till Soil Building to Survive Tough Times: Michael Thompson, No-Till Farmer’s Conservation Ag Operator Fellow for 2025 and former NNTC Most Outstanding Speaker, details the long-term gains he’s seen through investments made in soil health, crop rotation and livestock integration. Thompson will also highlight the importance of keeping a positive outlook and taking a long-term approach to no-till success.
DAVE BRANDT MEMORIAL LECTURE
Rob Myers — The Future of Cover Crops: New Varieties, Technologies &Trends: The director of the Center for Regenerative Agriculture at the Univ. of Missouri helps no-tillers stay ahead of the curve with a look at new varieties coming to market. He also addresses how virtual fencing, drones, robots and other technologies and policy trends will affect the future of cover cropping.
HARRY YOUNG JR. MEMORIAL LECTURE SERIES
Pam Marrone — What’s Happening in Biologicals for Pest Management & Plant Health: The executive chair and co-founder of Invasive Species Corp. and a renowned researcher and entrepreneur in the market, shares what’s driving the growth of biologicals in the industry; potential regulations coming down the pike; new technologies and products on the horizon, and how no-tillers can integrate biologicals on their farm based on their modes of action.
FRANK LESSITER LECTURE SERIES
Sponsored by Calmer Corn Heads
Ken Brodbeck — Conquering Compaction with the Push of a Button: An ag tire engineer with over 35 years of experience dives into everything no-tillers should know about new tire technology, including the ins and outs of central tire inflation systems (CTIS), and how tire pressure affects soil health, yield and fuel economy.
TALKING SHOP. No-tillers participate in a roundtable discussion to troubleshoot pain points on their farms. In this format, a moderator leads the discussion, and no-tillers are free to respond and bounce ideas off each other.
NNTC 2026 will also have numerous breakout classroom sessions covering impact topics such as:
- Testing for Soil Health Without Breaking the Bank
- New Ways to Supercharge No-Till Yields
- Boosting Water-Use Efficiency with Cutting-Edge Technology
- Digging Deeper into Regenerative Ranching
- No-Till Breakthroughs & Lessons Learned from Cotton Country
- What No-Tillers Should Know About Strip-Till
- Getting Back to Basics with No-Till Residue Management
- Bringing Profitable Conservation Practices to Dairy
- Boosting Forage Density with No-Till, Cover Crops & Manure
Additionally, the 30th class of No-Till Innovators will be recognized at the event: Kris Nichols, Alex Udermann, Saddle Butte Ag and the Northeast Iowa Dairy & Agriculture Foundation. The award is made possible by Calmer Corn Heads.
Stay at the host hotel, the Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch for just $155 per night with exclusive attendee-only pricing, by calling (314) 655-1234 — and mention the January 2026 National No-Tillage Conference. Or book your room at NoTillConference.com. Hotel room cut-off is Dec. 23, 2025, or until the allocated room block is sold out.
Title sponsors for the 2026 National No-Tillage Conference are Ag Leader, Martin-Till, Yetter Farm Equipment, Bio-Till Cover Crops, Copperhead Ag, The Andersons, Horsch, Total Farm Marketing, Vulcan Equipment, Midwest Bio-Tech and Titan International.
