Conservation in Action Tour

2027 Dates TBD | Wisconsin

America’s Premier
On-Farm Experience

Join national leaders for farmer-led demonstrations, behind-the-scenes industry stops, and insights to scale conservation agriculture.

See Past Tours

America's Premier On-Farm Experience

Overview

The annual Conservation in Action Tour is a live showcase of practical and profitable conservation management practices and sustainable farming systems. Farmer-led demonstrations provide national leaders from the entire food and agriculture value chain with critical perspectives to harness for program design, outreach, implementation, and accelerating the adoption of conservation practices at scale.

Explore the Tour

Download the 2027 Prospectus

2026 Agenda

We hosted our latest tour June 3-4, 2026 in and around Raleigh, N.C. and enjoyed a post-COVID record of 240 attendees to see 20+ speakers, 10+ progressive farmers, 3 Hall of Fame inductees, a celebrity chef keynote, and so much more. See our 2026 Agenda and Speakers below.

Tuesday, June 2

The Conservation in Action Tour is proud to co-locate with the Field to Market 2026 Annual Meeting and the Farmers for Soil Health State Partner Education Meeting. Programming for both events will run all day on June 2 and during the morning of June 3, allowing participants to attend the full program of the Conservation in Action Tour beginning at 1:30 on June 3.

We're proud to offer special rates to these partner organizations, as well as full-time students and full-time farmers to make America's premier on-farm experience as accessible as possible.

Get out of your Zoom Room and get on-farm with conservation agriculture's leading organizations, technical assistance providers, and farmer perspectives.

6:30 p.m.-9:00 p.m. CTIC Board Meeting and Dinner (members only)

Wednesday, June 3

8:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Bonus Session: The Field to Market 2026 Annual Meeting welcomes CTIC Tour registrants to its Cross-Sector Dialogue, State of the Sector Forum, and networking opportunities before our official start. A special half-day rate (lunch provided) and registration link will be provided in your Tour registration confirmation email.

Pre-Tour Primers and Celebration of Conservation Agriculture

11:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Open registration and badge pickup

12:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. Viridis View Data Workshop (invitation only)
A new conservation practice benchmarking collaborative addresses urgent need to track conservation trends in near real-time.
Learn More

1:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Pre-Tour Primers | Choose Your Own Adventure
Your registration includes access to one of these concurrent, behind-the-scenes industry tours:

SOLD OUT! BASF Center for Sustainable Agriculture: Explore BASF's education and innovation hub with interactive exhibits highlighting sustainable agriculture, fiber, biofuels, conservation, and biodiversity. In addition, tour a large sustainable greenhouse and stroll in the pollinator garden with more than 100 plant species.

Cotton Incorporated: Engage with interactive demonstrations showcasing the latest innovations in cotton production, fiber quality research, and sustainability tools that help growers optimize yield and environmental outcomes — all designed to bridge on-farm practice with market and supply chain insights.

NC State Plant Sciences: See cutting-edge research infrastructure and hear from plant scientists about advances in crop genetics, data-driven trait development, and interdisciplinary work that connects fundamental plant science to real-world farm productivity and sustainability.

1:30 p.m. Buses depart for tours

4:00 p.m. Buses depart from industry tours

4:30 p.m. Buses return to Sheraton Raleigh Hotel

5:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Celebration of Conservation Agriculture and Keynote | Union Hall

Cocktail hour & hors d’oeuvres

Welcome and opening ceremonies

Dinner: Sustainably sourced, locally grown menu items that represent North Carolina agriculture and culture.

Keynote Presentation | Vivian Howard
- Vivian Howard is an award-winning cookbook author, TV personality, chef, restaurateur, and a farm kid from Deep Run, N.C. Her first cookbook, Deep Run Roots: Stories & Recipes from My Corner of the South (2016), is a New York Times bestseller and was named Cookbook of the Year by the International Association of Culinary Professionals.

Closing remarks and continued networking

Thursday, June 4

Conservation in Action Tour | America’s Premier On-Farm Experience

6:30 a.m.-7:30 a.m. Open registration and badge pickup

7:30 a.m. Buses depart for farm tours

8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.

Leggett Farming Partnership

Hear from a generational farm with diverse cropping systems and a mindset that fosters continuous improvement.
Corn, cotton, soybeans, sweet potatoes, tobacco, strawberries, watermelon
Vertically integrated sweet potato packer/shipper

Tidewater Grain Co.

Founder Tommy Wheeler will showcase how it has established itself as the premier grower of heirloom, heritage, and landrace grains in the Southeast. Every part of Tidewater’s rice crop is utilized, from the long-grain, premium rice to the husks as a soil amendment and fertilizer. Broken rice is sold as middlins, and the bran is sold as a feed supplement.

Data Management for Supply Chain Transparency

U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol and Cotton Incorporated dig into the data fueled by the Field to Market Fieldprint Platform that drives sustainability outcomes and producer access to premium markets.

Nash Produce

Tour the year-round packer/shipper facility at Nash Produce, which sources sweet potatoes from area farmers, including Leggett Farming Partnership, which is a co-owner of the facility.

Noon:

Lunch program featuring North Carolina State Research Partnership, an 18-station collaboration between North Carolina State University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Upper Coastal Plain Research Station is the oldest of the 18 research stations, and scientists conduct extensive projects on the 440-acre site, including tobacco and peanut breeding, disease and insect management studies, and testing experimental pesticides for field crops such as corn, soybeans, and cotton.
The collaborative also includes the Center for Environmental Farming Systems at Cherry Research Station.

1:30 p.m.

Z3 Agriculture, Zeb Winslow

One of the most progressive row croppers in North Carolina, extensive on-farm trials and the data that come from them help hone his operation.
100% no-till and cover crops on cotton, soybeans, and corn

JHR Grain Farms & Revolution Drones

Utilizing Technology to Validate Regen Ag:
Russell Hedrick is a first-generation farmer, Leopold Conservation Award winner, serial entrepreneur, and dryland corn yield record holder (459.91 bushels per acre in 2022) in Hickory, N.C. He grows 650 acres of non-GMO corn and soybeans, along with barley, oats, triticale, and wheat. His crops thrive amid drought thanks to the soil’s improved capacity to infiltrate and hold moisture, while cycling biological nutrients. He credits soil health practices with reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting nearby streams from sediment runoff.
He has co-founded a handful of farmer-first businesses, most recently Revolution Drones, Regen Mills, Heritage Ground, Farmers Reserve Distillery, Soil Regen, and Southern Seeds and Feeds.

Lassiter Family Farms

Donny Lassiter and the Soil Health Institute will demonstrate how to use visual indicators to measure soil health. Lassiter Family Farms uses cover crops in the fall and winter, and they plant their crops with no-till. Major demand drivers include Ralph Lauren as a destination for the farm’s premium cotton and Major League Baseball as a buyer of the farm’s peanuts.

Comprehensive Agronomy for Nutrient Management

Data, prescriptions, and trusted advisers drive 4R principles that are critical for North Carolina’s Coastal Plain and maximizing ROI. With heavy seasonal rainfall, frequent flooding, and unique soil compositions, producers are required to employ careful and balanced nutrient management across both cropland and livestock operations.

5:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. Closing Reception & CTIC Hall of Fame Inductions

8:00 p.m. Return to the Sheraton

Note: Registration fees are all inclusive of meals and industry tours

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Our 2026 Speakers

Hotel, Venues & Logistics

Hotels

A room block has been negotiated at the Sheraton Raleigh Hotel for $199++. You will receive a link to our hotel portal upon completing your registration.

Hotel rooms are limited, and our room block expires May 5, so don’t delay!

*Please note: Corporate travel platforms will be included in our group, but third-party booking websites do not honor our rate, will not be counted as part of our group, and do not provide us with any ability to help you manage your stay.

Venues

Our opening banquet promises a unique experience at Union Hall in the heart of historic downtown Raleigh. As the site of Raleigh's original Train Depot running from 1890-1940's A fun 1840, the space holds all the charm of the past with the amenities of modern day. It's a short walk from the host hotel, and you'll enjoy a historic venue with a full bar and a first-class dining experience, supported by local farms that feature sustainable production and a menu influenced by our keynote speaker Vivian Howard!

Our closing reception will take place at Rose Hill Estate, a picturesque countryside estate in Nash County, NC, with an 18th-century Manor House. Nestled at the end of a private country lane lined with brilliant crepe myrtle trees, Rose Hill features first-generation cattle producer Madison Costa, who practices rotational grazing on the historic grounds.

Logistics

Leisure

Past Tours

Tour participants and speakers in around around soil pit in field.

Concepts like soil health are examined up-close during the Conservation in Action Tour. Here, attendees walk down into a soil pit to examine crop root depth and soil quality. (2025, South Dakota)

Group standing on farm with silo and bus in background.

Attendees hear from Tony Sunseri, South Dakota NRCS State Conservationist, at Larson Farms. (2025, South Dakota)

South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden speaks to attendees during lunch. (2025, South Dakota)

Networking is an essential part of the Conservation in Action Tour. Here, attendees enjoy conversation before the annual Celebration of Conservation Agriculture banquet in Sioux Falls. (2025, South Dakota)

Cattle graze at Larson Farm, a featured stop. (2025, South Dakota)

At each tour station, speakers focus on one aspect of conservation agriculture, such as soil health, water quality, livestock integration, or programs that benefit producers. (2022, Missouri)

Tour host and producer Ellis Bell speaks to Conservation in Action Tour attendees on his farm. (2024, Arkansas)

Drone shot of group in alley between corn fields.

At each tour stop, attendees have the opportunity to interact with speakers in small groups, seeing conservation up-close. (2022, Missouri)

Speaker and attendees around farm equipment.

South Dakota producer Kurt Stiefvater (R), Upper Midwest Regional winner of the American Soybean Association 2025 Conservation Legacy Award, describes how he uses his equipment in his conservation system. (2025, South Dakota)

Our partners are vital to CTIC's success, as well as the success of the Conservation in Action Tour. (2024, Arkansas)

CTIC Executive Director Ryan Heiniger speaks during the Celebration of Conservation Agriculture Banquet in Sioux Falls, S.D. (2025, South Dakota)

Man speaks to group gathered at the edge of a field.

Producer Ryan Larson describes his operation to Conservation in Action Tour attendees. (2025, South Dakota)

Attendees gather in a farm shop to hear from a speaker. (2024, Arkansas)

Networking opportunities like the pre-banquet social offer opportunities to learn from other attendees and discover CTIC and partner programs and platforms, such as the Conservation Connector. (2025, South Dakota)

Woman listens to speaker in the midst of a crowd.

The Conservation in Action Tour brings together professionals from many sectors of the industry, including production, agribusiness, government, and media. (2025, South Dakota)

A farmer panel discussion is one of the highlights during lunch. This panel includes Brian Chatham, Ducks Unlimited; Carrie Vollmer-Sanders, Field to Market; and Brian Hefty, Hefty Seed Company. The panel was moderated by Mike Lessiter, Lessiter Media. (2025, South Dakota)

Man kneeling in field with corn residue.

An attendee examines the corn residue at producer Kurt Stiefvater's farm. (2025, South Dakota)

With the Conservation in Action Tour, you'll be on-farm to see soil pits and demonstrations up-close and discuss the future of soil health, water quality, and much more. (2024, Arkansas)

Real Talk with Farmers panel: State of our Soils

Learn about Past Tours in our Archive

FAQ

What makes CIA different from other farm tours?

Yes, we’ll probably have a soil pit and an equipment demo, but the overwhelming value is understanding the “why” behind the “what” farmers do. With multiple farm stops and additional producer perspectives woven into the 30+ field talks and presentations, you’ll get a broader understanding of what motivates farmers, how they measure profitability, and how they overcome perceived and real challenges to implementing or expanding management practices at scale. The Tour also incorporates farm-adjacent VIP tours to see how value chains support producers in demand creation, logistics, risk management, research, and advisory services. Did we mention the food? Our opening banquet and keynote presentation is a kickoff to a two-day celebration of conservation agriculture, complete with a locally sourced, sustainably produced menu that you won’t forget.

Who attends?

Sustainability professionals from the food and agriculture value chain, farmers, ranchers, researchers, farm advisers, implementing organizations, policymakers, and the retail channel create a multidisciplinary community with a shared mission of supporting producers in their transition to sustainable agriculture systems. Attendees are immersed in expertise at every touch point and gain insights from sectors that might not be part of their regular work. Ample networking opportunities range from formal banquets to bus rides with new acquaintances and old friends. About 4 in 10 attendees in 2025 had attended previous CIA Tours, and 87% said they are considering attending again. See our prospectus for a complete breakdown of attendee titles, sectors, and participating companies.

Why North Carolina?

The Tour rotates every year to examine different production systems and illustrate how producers in different geographies have unique challenges and opportunities to maintain sustainable practices. We’ve seen sugarcane harvesting in Florida, aerial seeding demonstrations in Illinois, wheat processing in Michigan, and livestock grazing in Idaho, as well as large Midwest operations that feature diverse rotations, cover crops, and conservation tillage. We’ve visited farms in watersheds as big as the Chesapeake Bay and the Mississippi Delta and as small, but no less important, as the Indian Creek (Illinois) Watershed. This, in part, is what gives the Tour its track record of being a national platform with a dedicated repeat audience from many different sectors of agriculture. You’ll see innovative farming that bolsters communities, embraces unique ecosystems, and drives productive and profitable production systems.

Learn about past tours