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Kaisers of Singing Frogs Farm in Sebastopol, CA recognized as CASI 2017 Farmer Innovators!
View the CASI six-part documentary
The video above is the first episode of a six-part documentary series from Conservation Agriculture Cropping Systems Innovation (CASI). In the videos, farmers, UC researchers and industry leaders explain how no-till and minimum-till agriculture, and overhead precision irrigation, can lead to higher irrigation efficiency, increased profitability and greater resource conservation. Find links to all segments at the table of contents.
Conservation agriculture news
Mitchell interviewed on Tom Willey's "Down on the farm" KFCF 88.1 FM radio program
July 5, 2024
CASI's Jeff Mitchell was a "three-peater" July 5th on Tom Willey's "Down on the farm" radio program on KFCF's 88.1 FM station on July 5, 2024. He shared information from the recently published article, No-tillage, surface...
CASI's Mitchell on MyAgLife podcast, June 28, 2024
CASI's Mitchell on MyAgLife podcast June 28, 2024
July 1, 2024
Jeff Mitchell, CASI member and Professor and Cropping Systems Cooperative Extension Specialist in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of California, Davis, appeared in...
CASI’s Mitchell announces long-term NRI Project publication in Cal Ag on Don York’s KMJ580 AM morning “Ag Report” radio program, May 23, June 4, and June 6, 2024
In an effort to extend information on CASI's twenty-year conservation agriculture study that has been conducted at the University field station in Five Points, CA and that has been recently published in the journal, California Agriculture, Jeff Mitchell...
20-year summary of soil health research in Five Points, CA published in California Agriculture!
May 17, 2024
Findings from twenty years of soil health research in Five Points, CA have been published in the University of California's California Agriculture peer-reviewed journal's May 1, 2024...
Fresno State MS student shares his research work on strip-tillage!
Robert Willmott not only recently wrapped up his MS thesis research at Fresno State, but he also works full-time as the Farm Manager for his college's student ag farm, is married, and has two small children as well! A full plate, to say the...
CASI hosts the Soil Health Institute's US Regenerative Ag Cotton Program leaders - April 11 and 12, 2024
April 12, 2024
The UC ANR CASI Center hosted five members of the Soil Health Institute's US Regenerative Ag Cotton Program in the San Joaquin Valley on April 11th and 12th, 2024. The Soil Health Institute (SHI) is a non-profit...
Documentary video on no-tillage in California being prepared
Documentary video on no-tillage in California being prepared
July 1, 2023
A video documentary featuring five of the CA and AZ farmers who have been part of the USDA NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant project, "No-till network for California,"...
Soil health monitoring conducted at SJV reduced disturbance and cover cropped fields!
Soil health monitoring conducted at SJV reduced disturbance and cover cropped fields!
As part of the USDA NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant, Creating a no-till network in California, extensive baseline soil sampling has now been done at several...
Strip-till cover crop tomato crop trialed in Huron, CA, February 2, 2022
Strip-till cover crop tomato crop trialed in Huron, CA, February 2, 2022
A unique - dare we say - "never before attempted in the region," effort to precede strip-tilled tomatoes with a mowed vigorous winter cover crop was conducted in one of the...
CASI's Mitchell visits Yuma, AZ no-tiller, Dr. Henri Carter MD, June 17, 2023!
June 17, 2023
CASI's Mitchell visits Low Desert no-tiller, Dr. Henri Carter MD, June 17, 2023!
Jeff Mitchell paid a very early morning visit in Yuma, AZ to the farm of retired surgeon and now no-till farmer, Dr. Henri Carter MD on Saturday, June...
CASI events
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Conservation agriculture at work
No-till tomato transplanting directly into cotton crop residue.
Conservation tillage innovators
Michael McRee - 2017
Michael McRee of Chowchilla, CA receives 2017 CASI Farmer Innovator recognition
Gary Martin - 2012
Gary Martin - 2012 Conservation Tillage Farmer Innovator Award
Steve Gruenwald - 2016
2016 Conservation Agriculture Technical Support Innovator Award recipient is Steve Gruenwald.
Ladi Asgill - 2016
The recipient of the Farmer Support Innovator Award for 2016 is Ladi Asgill.
Mike Winemiller - 2016
The recipient of the Conservation Agriculture Systems Innovation Center’s Farmer Technical Support Innovator Award for 2016 is Mike Winemiller.
Michael Crowell - 2011
A 2011 CT Farmer Innovator Award goes to Michael Crowell of Bar Vee Dairy in Turlock, Calif. This award acknowledges the outstanding and pioneering work he has done to develop and expand no-till dairy forage production systems not only at his dairy, but also throughout the Turlock region, and also recognizes the very generous contributions he has made to achieving the goals of California’s Conservation Cropping Systems Workgroup.
Mike Vereschagin - 2016
Mike Vereschagin, a fourth-generation Glenn County farmer, is a 2016 CT Innovator of the Year.
Charlie Rominger - 2015
On Wednesday, December 2nd of 2015, our CASI Conservation Tillage Farmer Innovator recognition was posthumously awarded to Charlie Rominger in a very moving and memorable ceremony that took place at the home of Charlie’s brother, Bruce Rominger and his wife, Robyn, just north of Winters, CA. About ten members of the Rominger family and over forty others who had known Charlie were in attendance.
Darrell and Trevor Cordova - 2014
The recipients of the California Conservation Agriculture Farmer Innovator Awards for 2014 are Darrell and Trevor Cordova of Denair, CA. They are recognized for their tenacious dedication to improved performance no-tillage and precision irrigation systems at their farm in the foothills in eastern Stanislaus County.
Ralph Cesena, Sr. - 2013
The 2013 CT Industry Award recipient is Ralph Cesena, Sr., president of Cesena Distributing of Stockton, Calif.
Ron Harben - 2013
Ron Harben is one of our founding and most stalwart workgroup members. He has made truly exceptional contributions and exhibited phenomenal dedication to conservation agriculture in California.
Danny Ramos - 2013
Danny Ramos is the manager for The Morningstar Company’s Lucero Farms Central San Joaquin Valley crop production activities. He is responsible for the company’s farming operations and is also the one who develops efficient production paradigms for crop productivity and quality for the largest processing tomato production company in the world. The tremendous initiatives that he has instituted within Morningstar during the past few years in terms of implementing a whole host of conservation tillage practices for tomatoes, corn and cover crops are nothing short of phenomenal and abundantly qualify him for our Workgroup’s 2013 Conservation Tillage Farmer Innovator Award.
Fritz Durst - 2011
A 2011 CT Farmer Innovator Award recipient is Fritz Durst, the owner of Tule Farms in the Dunnigan Hills in Yolo County.
Steve Fortner and Fred Leavitt - 2011
The CT Farmer Innovator awards for 2011 go to Steve Fortner and Fred Leavitt of Sun Pacific Farming in Exeter, Calif. Together, they have developed and successfully refined state-of-the-art tomato production systems that employ strip-tillage with winter cover crops.
John Diener - 2010
John Diener, the owner of Red Rock Ranch in Five Points, Calif., was named the 2010 CT Innovator by the Conservation Tillage and Cropping Systems Workgroup. He has been an articulate spokesperson for Central Valley agriculture over the years, and a demonstrated leader in a variety of civic, research and policy arenas.
Alano Sano and Jesse Sanchez - 2009
Alan Sano is the co-owner of Sano Farm, a 4,000-acre farm in western Fresno County. Jesse Sanchez is the farm manager. Together, they have developed revolutionary tomato production systems that are based on conservation tillage, the inclusion of off-season cover crops, and highly efficient and innovative management.
Sano and Sanchez have made advances in CT systems for a crop that previously has not had reduced till practices available. The essence of their innovative CT system involves permanent, 60-inch tomato beds, subsurface drip irrigation, winter cover crops (when water allocations have been sufficient to allow their growth), strip-tillage in the tomato transplant line, and minimal postharvest tillage.
Dino Giacomazzi - 2008
Giacomazzi epitomizes the intent of this prestigious CT workgroup award and he continues, and indeed enhances, our tradition of acknowledging truly outstanding innovation and achievement.
Tony Turkovich - 2007
In addition to the very extensive research that has been conducted at Button & Turkovich Ranch, Tony has been very generous with his time and farm equipment that he has contributed to the Sustainable Agriculture Farming Systems (SAFS) Project on the UC Davis campus.
Jim Couto - 2007
Jim Couto has excelled in developing innovative conservation tillage approaches for his farm and has become a true leader in the entire arena of CT in California’s Central Valley.
Tom Barcellos - 2006
Tom Barcellos readily acknowledges that there is a learning curve associated with transitioning to CT and that yields cannot be categorically guaranteed to be higher or equal to standard-till systems every single season. On balance, however, his experience and success with cutting out tillage operations have enabled him to continue to pursue a range of innovative CT practices quite successfully.
Bob Prys - 2005
Bob Prys is AgroManager for Borba Farms in Riverdale and has been extremely active and innovative in conservation tillage system development, evaluation and refinement for many years.