Drilling for success Farmers will have opportunity to examine equipment designed for conservation tillage

Building on the success of last year’s low-till/no-till drill demo in Franklin County, organizers are planning a similar event near Pullman, Wash., on Sept. 15.

“Last year’s event was extremely well attended, and we heard from a number of producers that they’d like to have a similar event in Whitman County,” explained Andrea Cox, conservation coordinator for the Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG). “The variety of drills that we are expecting to have should provide a wide range of options for producers to examine and see in action.”

 The event will be held at Clark Farms from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with a panel discussion on the benefits and challenges of low-till/no-till practices. Lunch and refreshments will be provided, and there is no cost to attend. Registration is required by Tuesday, Sept. 8. Growers can register at palousecd.org/post/no-till-drill-demo-day-09-15-26. 

Working with Cox to organize the event are the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s state office, Pacific Northwest Direct Seed Association, and the following Washington conservation districts: Palouse, Whitman, Rock Lake, and Pine Creek. The event will be sponsored by the Bank of Eastern Oregon, AgWest Farm Credit, North Pine Ag Equipment, Almota Elevator, and B2B LLC/Booker2Bid.com.

While details are still being worked out, organizers hope to have four or five machines, including:

• A Cross Slot drill.
• A John Deere N543F provided by Papé.
• A Case 550T provided by Jones Truck and Implement.
• A drill provided by St. John Hardware.
• An AGPRO drill.

Wheat grower and long-time no-till practitioner Neil Appel has been lending his experience to organizers. He explained that being able to see a drill in action and speak with company representatives is very useful when a producer is considering implementing no-till or low-till practices or for producers who want to upgrade their equipment.

“The most difficult decision in farming is to figure out what to seed, when to seed, and how deep to seed,” he explained. “There’s no perfect drill for every situation. As farmers, we look at our residue on the ground and how do we deal with it? The idea behind it is to break up the straw, so you can get seeds through it. This would be a great opportunity for people to ask questions to their heart’s desire.”

Ian Clark, whose farm will be hosting the event, said even if a drill works in other locations, that’s no guarantee it will work in the Palouse.

“That’s one big reason we are happy to host this event. Rather than have to buy a whole new drill to test it, it is pretty nice to see it in conditions that we know are slightly challenging,” he explained. Clark’s family uses mostly minimum tillage practices on their farm.