Local conservation ag expert featured in No-Till Farmer magazine

Mar 6, 2012

Monte Bottoms at a recent workgroup planning meeting in Five Points.
Monte Bottoms at a recent workgroup planning meeting in Five Points.
A longstanding member of the UC Conservation Agriculture Systems Initiative, Monte Bottens, is featured with his father in the March 2012 issue of No-Till Farmer magazine.

Monte and Bob Bottens are a father-son no-till team in Cambridge, Ill. The article outlines their 16-year effort to grow corn and soybeans using conservation agriculture practices. The Bottens were honored with this year’s ‘Responsible Nutrient Management Practitioner’ Award at the 2012 National No-till Farmer Conference in St. Louis, Mo.

Monte Bottens is also president and founder of California Ag Solutions of Madera, Calif., a company that specializes in providing science-based crop production consulting, products and systems information for a range of Central Valley cropping systems including tomatoes, dairy silage, cotton, almonds, alfalfa, and recently, dairy nutrition quality.

Bottens is currently a part of CASI's Executive Group.



Another article in the same issue of No-Till Farmer presents a provocative and intriguing business model that recognizes the long-term value of high-quality soils, said Jeff Mitchell, UC Cooperative Extension cropping systems specialist. A group of farmers and investors launched Fall Line Farms at the 2012 annual National No-till Farmer Conference held in February in St. Louis, Mo.

Fall Line Farms seeks to expand no-till systems and increase awareness of the value of soil quality. The new company is offering to become capital partners for no-tillers who don't have the resources to buy farmland. It will consider prospects in any geographical area in the U.S. and may also offer advice on equipment, technology and agronomy to lessees.

One of the company's founders, Clay Mitchellis, is a 38-year-old farmer in northeast Iowa and holds a degree in biomedical engineering from Harvard University. He is known worldwide for his innovative farming systems and cutting edge agricultural practices and technologies.   

The articles in PDF format are linked below.