John Dobberstein

Crop Insurance Confusion with Cover Crops May Fade Away

By John Dobberstein posted on December 27, 2018 | Posted in Soil Health

Read on to learn about changes ushered in by the recently approved Farm Bill that should make cover crops a more attractive conservation tool for no-tillers.

Piecing Together a No-Till System from the Ground Up

A family that ignored naysayers and embraced no-till practices and living roots is bringing productivity back to tough clay soils and riverbottoms in southern Indiana.

By John Dobberstein posted on November 5, 2018 | Posted in Soil Health

Joe Kern and his father, John, admit they’re still dealing with a learning curve. But through working with no-till practices they’re transforming their “clay pot” soils into acreage that recently produced up to 240-bushel corn and 80-bushel soybeans.

‘Boutique’ Farm Yields Big-Time No-Till Savings and Success

97-year-old Melvin Steck has flirted with 300-bushel corn and hit 70-bushel soybeans with homemade equipment, common sense and a long-term commitment to no-till.

By John Dobberstein posted on September 14, 2018 | Posted in Seeding Practices, Economics

These days, Melvin Steck doesn’t go to many farm shows, field days or plot tours and isn’t the type to sell his program or philosophies to others. But this 97-year-old no-tiller will talk plenty about how the soil works.

[Podcast] It’s All About Carbon: Building a Thriving Soil Biological Community

In this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by Calmer Corn Heads, we're discussing healthy soils and diverse organisms with Dennis Chessman, the team leader for the NRCS Soil Health Division in Lexington, Ky.

By John Dobberstein posted on September 13, 2018 | Posted in Soil Health

In this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by Calmer Corn Heads, we're discussing healthy soils and diverse organisms with Dennis Chessman, the team leader for the NRCS Soil Health Division in Lexington, Ky.

From the Desk of John Dobberstein

No-Tilling, Cover Crops Not Window Dressing — They’re the Solution

By John Dobberstein posted on September 13, 2018 | Posted in Soil Health

I came across an article this week that seems to mirror the challenges we’re having today with implementing conservation practices in the semi-arid Great Plains, and the concern I’ve had that our agricultural leaders are not on the same page about this.

No-Tillers Stay Flexible to Get the Most from Cereal Rye

A new cover crop seeding rig, an ATV sprayer and a lot of patience helped this Ohio family improve tough soils and stabilize yields with no-till and cereal rye.

By John Dobberstein posted on August 14, 2018 | Posted in Seeding Practices

When Nathan Wilson first considered no-tilling corn and soybeans he was worried it might not work well. He had seen some poor stands and weed control problems on other farms and field days. But it turned out Nathan just needed to set foot on the right farm to see the possibilities.

[Podcast] Tips and Strategies for Getting More Success with Aerially Seeded Cover Crops

In this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by Calmer Corn Heads, we welcome Damon Reabe, aerial cover crop applicator and co-owner of Dairyland Aviation from Waupun, Wis., to explain the necessary steps to ensure a successful cover crop stand, including the best timing of application and what soils have the greatest success rate.

By John Dobberstein posted on July 26, 2018 | Posted in Soil Health

In this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by Calmer Corn Heads, we welcome Damon Reabe, aerial cover crop applicator and co-owner of Dairyland Aviation from Waupun, Wis., to explain the necessary steps to ensure a successful cover crop stand, including the best timing of application and what soils have the greatest success rate.

Embracing the No-Till ‘Greenhouse’ Effect

From interseeding to relay cropping to ‘engineering by inventory,’ Loran Steinlage is building a profitable, divergent no-till operation

By John Dobberstein posted on July 24, 2018 | Posted in Seeding Practices, Grazing

Several years ago, a trip with friends to look at greenhouses led Loran Steinlage to a Mennonite farm. It was there that he started looking at his farming practices a little differently.

Feeding Off No-Till, Cover Crop Profitability

Tiffany Cattle Co. separates itself from the herd with a focus on grazing cover crops to improve soil health economically.

By John Dobberstein posted on July 23, 2018 | Posted in Seeding Practices, Soil Health

When Shawn and Shane Tiffany took over the former Black Diamond feed yard in 2007 it wasn’t in terrible shape, mostly because of manure applications that kept organic matter in the soil. But after going to a cover crop field day 8 years ago, the brothers didn’t want to just settle.

Transitioning to No-Till, Cover Crops in the ‘Dust Bowl’

Nick Vos is pushing to overcome moisture challenges on his farm in southwestern Kansas by no-tilling and using covers to recycle available nutrients and keep his sandy soils protected.

By John Dobberstein posted on June 9, 2018 | Posted in Seeding Practices

After starting out with strip-till in 2014, Vos has gone to 100% no-till on the vast majority of acres and says he’s addressed erosion and nutrient issues and seeing some relief in irrigation costs.

Articles by John Dobberstein

Crop Insurance Confusion with Cover Crops May Fade Away

Piecing Together a No-Till System from the Ground Up

‘Boutique’ Farm Yields Big-Time No-Till Savings and Success

[Podcast] It’s All About Carbon: Building a Thriving Soil Biological Community

No-Tilling, Cover Crops Not Window Dressing — They’re the Solution

No-Tillers Stay Flexible to Get the Most from Cereal Rye

[Podcast] Tips and Strategies for Getting More Success with Aerially Seeded Cover Crops

Embracing the No-Till ‘Greenhouse’ Effect

Feeding Off No-Till, Cover Crop Profitability

Transitioning to No-Till, Cover Crops in the ‘Dust Bowl’

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