18th Annual Conservation in Action Tour Features Unique Planting-Season Farm Tours on the Great Plains

Feb 13, 2025

Early bird registration now open for Sioux Falls, S.D., event on May 6-7

Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) has opened registration for its 18th annual Conservation in Action Tour, a two-day celebration that includes behind-the-scenes ag industry stops and farm tours showcasing exceptional conservation agriculture, May 6-7, 2025, in Sioux Falls, S.D.

This unique planting-season tour will include multiple farm stops so attendees can get new perspectives on how management practices in the fall and early spring help optimize crop production for a cropping year. Attendees will get real-world insights on challenges producers face and the solutions they need to help drive the next generation of program design, strategic partnerships, engagement tactics and implementation guidelines. Ag industry stops will feature upstream and downstream value chain partners to understand how they are supporting producers.

With a record attendance of 270 attendees from 20 states, the Tour has a track record of national attention from many different sectors of agriculture. Producers, advisers, agribusiness representatives, elected officials, policymakers, researchers, and conservation agriculture agencies from the national, state and local levels experience innovative farming that makes a difference on crop production and communities.

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Video: Veteran Farmers: A Legacy of Service in Rural America

Veterans Day is a time to honor the men and women who have selflessly protected our freedoms and values. And for some, the transition from military service to civilian life brings them back to the farm.

At Farm Bureau, we believe it’s important to not only celebrate veterans but also those who continue to make a difference in agriculture and their community. We've partnered with Farm Credit to establish the Veteran Farmer Award of Excellence to shine a light on those who have continued to go above and beyond to serve their communities.

This year, we recognize retired Colonel Joe Ricker as the inaugural Veteran Farmer Award of Excellence winner. Joe served over 30 years in the Army before retiring from the Pentagon and completing tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Since leaving the Army, his commitment to excellence in farming and enriching the lives of veterans has blossomed in a myriad of ways in both his local community of Wilkinson, Indiana, and across the country. Joe grows apples and raises bees on his farm in Indiana. Joe founded “Veterans IN Farming,” an organization, now with more than 1,100 members, dedicated to providing veterans in Indiana with the tools and training to succeed in agriculture.

The American Farm Bureau Federation is an independent, non-governmental, voluntary organization, comprised of and directed by farm and ranch families who engage in all types of food, fuel and fiber production.