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In this episode of Crop Chats, we visit Nick Stokman’s farm near Strathroy, Ontario, where he’s been fine-tuning his no-till system on heavy clay soils for over 30 years. With a practical mindset and deep curiosity, Nick shares lessons learned across decades of experimentation—from managing residue and customizing drills for bio strip-till to making cover crops work in narrow windows.

This conversation explores the real tradeoffs of no-till on challenging soils, how to prioritize long-term soil biology, and the role of patience, drainage, and observation in building a resilient system. If you’re considering a shift to reduced tillage—or want to learn from someone who’s been in the trenches for decades—this episode offers grounded, candid insight from one of Ontario’s long-time soil stewards.

Topics covered:

• No-till on heavy clay: managing moisture, compaction, and emergence
• The evolution of Nick’s cover crop system
• Custom equipment hacks for bio strip-till
• Learning from failure and trusting slow progress
• What he’d never go back to—and why
• Advice for new no-tillers

🎧 New episodes dropping weekly throughout the planting season.

Crop Chats is a collaborative video and podcast series between the Ontario Soil Network and Ian McDonald (OMAFA). Watch the full video on YouTube or listen on your favourite podcast platform.

🌱 Watch the full series on YouTube: youtube.com/@SoilNetwork
🌾 Discover more from OMAFA: youtube.com/@ONfieldcrops/videos

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Let’s keep growing—together. See you next time!