Day 1

I think the NNTC has broke a new record of 1100 attendees.  I went to sign in and Darrell said here is your 15 year pin, Ed, thank you for your continued support.  I asked him where 15 years went?

I had attended a couple of times when I was selected as NoTill Innovator of the Year in 1999.  I had helped so many farmers convert to the Martin Till system of notill planting corn and soybeans I got nominated and selected.  It was a great honor to receive the award in January 2000 that changed my life forever.

I had just met LuAnn and all of this fell upon me, a great grace from Heaven.  I had floundered through the 90's, helping my children get through high school and get into college.  It was fantastic, wonderful times.  I got my award along side Jon Kinzenbaugh of Kinze Mfg.  It was surreal.

Through my own fault, I suffered a lot of hardship the following years but continued to receive great graces.  Alice Musser gave me a big hug and I said how are you doing Grandma?  She said great. how are you doing Grandpa?  I also said great, we just held our 11th grandchild, Deirdre.  She was a little bit jealous.

What did I learn today?  Number One, the Internet has changed my life for the good.  Number 2, notill is the only reason I am farming and enjoyed the blessings of farming the last umpteen years.  Number 3, we know enough to this day to be dangerous.

I have seen so many familiar faces here at the National NoTillage Conference yet guys my age want me to meet their sons and grandsons!

I have one thing in the back on my mind, Steve Groff told me he got 202 bu out of and 83 day northern hybrid.  That allowed him to shell early and plant another cover crop record early.  I have several pages of notes already.

I have so many ideas spinning in my head but one will stick out for years.  The best crops I saw this year across the US had  years of gypsum applied to it.  It was non GMO corn and soybeans.  When I see a picture of crops now I look for pink leaves in corn versus tall, green corn with brown husks right near it.

How do you do that?  Come to the NNTC and learn how or better yet, put the Farm to Plate conference on your agenda for the first week of December. 2013.

I hope you had a great day like me,


Ed Winkle