The Lawrence County Soil Conservation District rents out a No-Till Drill to local farmers.  However, most people do not know how to properly calibrate this piece of equipment.  Improper calibration and depth settings lead to poor stands and lost profits. 

A series of things have been done to help farmers accurately calibrate the drill. 

• The Lawrence County ANR Agent worked Dr. Jimmy Henning, UK Forage Specialist, and the ANR Extension agents from Boyd, Elliott, Greenup and Carter Counties to conduct a no-till drill clinic to educate farmers and landowners on the usage of no till seeding equipment.  

The clinic started with a short introduction of seeding tips and tricks.  Attendees then moved around the building as Dr. Henning described distinguishing features and calibration techniques of each of the six drills on display. Local Conservation District Secretaries and Department of Fish and Wildlife representatives were also on hand to describe the checkout procedures for their respective drills. 

Farmers shared their own experiences and insights, creating a collaborative learning environment where everyone benefited from each other's knowledge.  The evening concluded with a calibration demonstration of the Great Plains drill by the Carter County ANR Agent.  A Great Plains drill is available for checkout to local farmers from both the Carter and Elliott County Soil Conservation Districts.  While a 3 point hitch designed drill is available in Lawrence County.

• Since January 2023 ----- people have checked out the drill from the Lawrence County Soil Conservation District. 
• The clinic allowed approximately 100 farmers to see multiple brands of no-till seed drills before using them in the field.   They were able to ask questions about usage, learn how to calibrate the drill, and set the seed depth. Farmers also received a handbook of relevant UK forage publications to guide them in the future.   

Initial evaluations the night of the clinic showed that the event was incredibly valuable and that producers feel more confident going into the planting season. One participant said, “As a newbie to farming (and a young woman), I feel like each piece of equipment was explained in terms that I could understand.”  The farmer who oversees the no-till drill for Carter County said that clinic has helped him answer renter’s questions.   Survey results concluded that 99 percent gained knowledge of forage production and best management practices for species and pasture renovation.  78 percent plan to rent a no-till drill in the future.

Additionally, “The Farmer’s Pride” a Kentucky Farm Community newspaper with about 16,000 bi-weekly readers featured an article about the clinic on the front page.  Dr. Henning also used numerous photos he took during the setup for the clinic for an article on “Understanding Forage Seeders To Maximize Establishment Success” for the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association’s “Cow Country News” magazine. 

A follow-up survey ten months after the clinic showed the following results:

• 26% had purchased a no-till drill. 
• 47% have rented a no-till drill. 
• 37% plan to purchase or rent a no-till drill in the future.  
• 83% said they definitely felt more confident in their ability to calibrate and use the equipment after attending the clinic.  
• 71% said they were pleased with their grass stand establishment.  (The other 29% were still waiting to see at the time of the survey.)
• 81% thought that the use of a no-till drill had improved their farm’s productivity.   

The success of this work lies not just in the immediate knowledge gained though, but in the seeds of change sown within each participant. As these seeds take root and flourish, our local farms will grow and prosper too.