Planting Sale Ends Soon...

The 13th annual National Strip-Tillage Conference is heading to Springfield, Ill. on August 6-7, 2026. Join us to experience an energizing agenda featuring inspiring general session speakers, expert-led Strip-Till Classrooms, collaborative Strip-Till Roundtables and unlimited networking opportunities.

The jam-packed conference agenda includes:

✔ 6 thought-provoking general sessions

✔ 13 expert-led classrooms on specific topics

✔ 14 interactive farmer-to-farmer roundtable discussions

✔ Pre-conference workshop

✔ Meals & networking events

✔ Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) continuing education credits

Register by this Sunday (5/31) and take advantage of discounted Early Bird Rates AND the additional 10% Planting Sale Discount when you use code PLANTING.

DOWNLOAD PROGRAM

Check Out Some of the Featured Presentations

Brian Hefty

Ag PhD

Baltic, S.D.

KICKOFF PRESENTATION

Feeding & Weeding Your Strip-Tilled Crops

As input costs rise, it’s more important than ever to efficiently fertilize your crops and reduce weed competition. In this dynamic kickoff presentation, Brian Hefty, who’s been strip-tilling for over 20 years on his 4,000-acre farm near Baltic, S.D., explores how to fine-tune your nutrient management and crop protection plans with a comprehensive breakdown of soil tests, fertilizer rates/ placement, herbicides and spray timing/application.

“The goal is to have you walk away never thinking of fertility and weed control the same again,” says Hefty, the longtime co-host of Ag PhD Radio and TV, the industry’s leading agronomy shows.

Dean Sponheim

Sponheim Family Farm

Nora Springs, Iowa

GENERAL SESSION PRESENTATION

My Strip-Till Journey: Lessons Learned from the Field & the Mind

After more than 30 years in strip-till, Dean Sponheim has seen the wins,

setbacks and hard lessons learned that only time can teach. In this candid session, the 4th-generation farmer from Osage, Iowa, reveals what worked, what didn’t and the key adjustments that moved the needle on yield, soil health and efficiency during his 3-decade strip-till journey.

Sponheim also taps into his passion for helping farmers navigate the psychological barriers of implementing change. He shares strategies for

dealing with the feelings of being overwhelmed that hold some strip-tillers back from making key improvements. “No matter where you are in the process, there’s always room for improvement and change,” Sponheim says.

Marion Calmer

Alpha, Ill.

PREMIER LECTURE SERIES

Innovative Strip-Till Strategies to Boost the Bottom Line

Longtime strip-tiller and no-tiller Marion Calmer returns to the NSTC stage to share the latest discoveries from his independent on-farm research in Alpha, Ill. The 4-time Lessiter Media Speaker of the Year and No-Till Legend details his 10-10-10 System for strip-till and cover crops. Calmer aims to supercharge yields with the best of

both worlds by combining 10 inches of cover crops with 10 inches of

strip-tilled corn and 10 more inches of cover crops.

Plus, Calmer combs through soil test data to determine the correct depth for P and K placement. He also discusses the keys to chopping and spreading residue evenly ahead of fall strip-till and cover crop seeding.