Frank Lessiter

Cover Crops Required in New York Town

By Frank Lessiter posted on November 19, 2019 | Posted in Seeding Practices

New legislation addresses last winter's dust storms that led to wind erosion and health concerns among New York residents living in eastern Long Island.

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If Lawmakers Were to Say ‘Yes,’ Your History with No-Till, Cover Crops and Rotations Could Slice Insurance Costs by $4.50 Per Acre

By Frank Lessiter posted on July 24, 2018 | Posted in Soil Health, Economics

Passage of a unique concept that got Congressional consideration during the writing of the 2018 Farm Bill could put more dollars in the pockets of no-tillers. It’s an idea that farmers who use no-till, cover crops and conservation-minded crop rotations to protect the soil should be rewarded with an equivalent of auto insurance’s “good driver discount” when it comes to paying crop insurance premiums.

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Same Old Conservation Ideas, Just New Words to Describe Them

By Frank Lessiter posted on April 14, 2018 | Posted in Soil Health

While there’s increasing emphasis on “sustainable agriculture” and “soil health,” these four buzzwords tend to ruffle the feathers of veteran no-tillers and others like myself who have followed the no-till movement for nearly a half century. It’s because we recognize that earlier generations of no-tillers were the original true innovators behind these “not-so-new” concepts that go back to the 1960s.

Plowing CRP Ground is Like Building a House, Setting it on Fire to Collect the Insurance, Then Not Having Anywhere to Stay when Colder Weather Arrives

By Frank Lessiter posted on January 13, 2018 | Posted in Soil Health

The dramatic statement highlighted in this column’s headline was among comments received from over 150 no-tillers who answered a recent No-Till Farmer email survey dealing with bringing Crop Reserve Program (CRP) ground back into cash crop production.

Every Field Totally Winterized

By Frank Lessiter posted on December 16, 2017 | Posted in Seeding Practices, Soil Health

A recent drive along the eastern U.S. shore opened my eyes to the dramatic acceptance of cover crops and no-till among farmers in this area in boosting incomes and protecting the environment.

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Even Though They’re Among Ag’s Latest ‘Buzz Words,’ Cover Crops Offer a Soil-Building Strategy that No-Tillers Have Cashed in on for Several Decades

By Frank Lessiter posted on October 28, 2017 | Posted in Seeding Practices, Soil Health

While less than 2% of America’s cropland is seeded to cover crops, a remarkable 77% of no-tillers enjoy the many benefits offered by protecting the soil over the winter months.

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Differing Viewpoints On the Weed Control Benefits of Using Annual Ryegrass as a Cover Crop Sparks Controversy Among Indiana No-Tillers

By Frank Lessiter posted on March 8, 2017 | Posted in Soil Health

During this year’s 25th National No-Tillage Conference, one of the interesting hallway conversations dealt with the clash between a Purdue University weed scientist and organizations that sell or promote annual ryegrass as a cover crop.

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More Cover Crops, More Profit

By Frank Lessiter posted on February 11, 2017 | Posted in Soil Health, Economics

AFTER 4 DAYS of intensive interest in no-till and cover crops at the mid-January 25th anniversary National No-Tillage Conference, it was encouraging to recognize interest in cover crops continues to grow.

Frank Comments: Soil Microbes Flourish in No-Till

By Frank Lessiter posted on December 17, 2016 | Posted in Soil Health

No-tillers recognize the fact that the millions of microbes living underground in their fields are continually improving soil quality by cycling nutrients and turning residues into organic matter.

Clogged Tile Lines Caused by Over-Grown Cover Crop Roots Might be Creating Major Drainage Concerns in Some No-Tilled Corn Belt Fields

By Frank Lessiter posted on October 29, 2016 | Posted in Soil Health

While one of the numerous benefits of seeding cover crops is helping solve drainage concerns, a few no-tillers say it has actually created more drainage worries. The concern is that cover crop roots were blocking tile lines.

Frank Lessiter

ARTICLES

Cover Crops Required in New York Town

If Lawmakers Were to Say ‘Yes,’ Your History with No-Till, Cover Crops and Rotations Could Slice Insurance Costs by $4.50 Per Acre

Same Old Conservation Ideas, Just New Words to Describe Them

Plowing CRP Ground is Like Building a House, Setting it on Fire to Collect the Insurance, Then Not Having Anywhere to Stay when Colder Weather Arrives

Every Field Totally Winterized

Even Though They’re Among Ag’s Latest ‘Buzz Words,’ Cover Crops Offer a Soil-Building Strategy that No-Tillers Have Cashed in on for Several Decades

Differing Viewpoints On the Weed Control Benefits of Using Annual Ryegrass as a Cover Crop Sparks Controversy Among Indiana No-Tillers

More Cover Crops, More Profit

Frank Comments: Soil Microbes Flourish in No-Till

Clogged Tile Lines Caused by Over-Grown Cover Crop Roots Might be Creating Major Drainage Concerns in Some No-Tilled Corn Belt Fields

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