Dear JosB, You can make Christmas shopping for your friends and family a little easier and free up more time to spend together this holiday season with copies of From Maverick to Mainstream: A History of No-Till Farming, which can purchased be here. From Maverick to Mainstream has been a culmination of all my years alongside no-till. As I reviewed 46 years worth of No-Till Farmer archives, I’d remember having been on one farm in 1974 then another farm in 1988. A lifetime of memories interviewing farmers and photographing no-till made it nearly impossible to cap this book’s page count… Fortunately, I was able to finally pick the most valuable parts of no-till's storied past and chronicle these moments within 416 fascinating pages filled with 775 full-color images and charts — some never before published! See for yourself by previewing the first 21 pages of the book here. Here are a few of my favorite chapters that I think you will enjoy the most. Out of all 56 chapters, these 5 are worth the $47.95 price of the book alone. → Most of the ‘Big Guys’ Spent Their Time Bad-Mouthing No-Till: Read about the early struggles for Case, John Deere, International Harvester and Massey Ferguson to adapt to what was thought to be a fad as Allis-Chalmers became the first company to produce a commercially available no-till planter. → Plowing is a Practice from the Past: The demise of the moldboard, the negatives of plowing and more... This quirky chapter takes a “stab” at conventional tilling styles still being utilized today. → No-Till Acres Jumped Dramatically Once Roundup Arrived: This chapter looks back at the journey with glyphosate and Roundup. Read about Roundup Ready crops like soybeans, corn, alfalfa, and cotton. Along with Roundup’s competitor, Paraquat, and the companies involved along the way. → Nothing’s More Critical than Managing No-Till Residue: In this chapter, learn the importance of properly distributing straw and chaff and how growers have monetized the value of corn residue. Discover new ideas in the section on “Three ‘Wild and Crazy’ Ideas for Tackling No-Till Residue.” → No-Tillers Well Ahead of the Pack When It Comes to Covering Up: This chapter takes a deep dive into our archives to examine the history and benefits of cover crops. Discover research started over 45 years ago and how we’ve highlighted the many reasons cover crops are essential to soil health and costly mistakes to avoid when it comes to cover cropping no-till fields. When you hold this 416-page, hardcover book in your hands, you’ll see that this volume is much more than just a history book. It covers the people and their no-till trials and successes. The folks who I proudly feature in this book include agronomists, equipment developers and brave farmers. In the book’s foreword, which you can read here, John S. Young, son of Harry Young — the first American farmer to try no-tilling — pays tribute to his father’s legacy. Another pioneer I feature, and Harry’s inspiration, is George McKibben. An agronomist with the University of Illinois, George planted some of the earliest no-till plots in the states. Still, no-till wouldn’t be where it is today without the people who developed specialized no-till equipment like Howard Martin, the founder of Martin Industries. You’ll be inspired by their stories along with many others who have left their unique stamp on no-till history. I'm overwhelmingly blessed to have been able to meet the pioneers of no-till, and help expand the no-till farming practice. I can't thank these people, the readers of No-Till Farmer, or the attendees of the National No-Till Conference enough for their contributions to no-tilling. Click here to learn more and purchase a copy of From Maverick to Mainstream: A History of No-Till Farming. Or give us a call at (800) 277-1570. I will be happy to personally sign your copies, just let me know during check out! Have a wonderful holiday season, Frank Lessiter
Editor, No-Till Farmer P.S. As a special gift from No-Till Farmer, I'll enclose a free Collector’s Edition of Volume One, Number One of No-Till Farmer magazine published in 1972. From historical advertisements to intriguing articles, this blast from the past is truly a rare piece of no-till history. Discover what the hot topics were back in the 70s and what information is STILL relevant nearly 50 years later! No-till farming and No-Till Farmer have come a long way since then, but this premiere issue is what started it all – helping push forward and spread the message of conservation tillage.
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