Brookfield, Wis. — Lessiter Media’s No-Till Farmer and Farm Equipment editors were recognized by the American Society of Business Press Editors with regional awards in the association’s 2024 Azbee Awards of Excellence and have been announced as national finalists for the program as well.
Honoring the best in B2B media, the Azbee Awards recognize outstanding work by business, trade, association and professional publications across 61 categories in 5 divisions representing the U.S.
No-Till Farmer and Managing Editor Michaela Paukner received a silver award in the feature series category for the 2023 No-Till Farmer Conservation Ag Operator Fellowship series. The series is also a finalist in the national competition.
The 4-part series followed Iowa no-tiller Loran Steinlage, who served as the publication’s Ag Operator Fellow in 2023, for an entire growing season. The four articles in this series are the product of seven in-person interviews with Steinlage; 10 public webinar discussions (each 1-1.5 hours long) about his farming practices; and hours of phone calls about his ongoing efforts to spread the message of no-till to a broader audience. The first article of the print series, published in the April 2023 issue of No-Till Farmer, introduced the audience to Steinlage's farming methods and flexible mindset toward farming, which is a unique attribute in a very traditional profession. The second article, published in the August 2024 issue, focused on technical details of setting up a no-till planter, which is considered the single most important piece of equipment when no-tilling. The third article, published in the November 2023 issue, discussed Steinlage's role as a champion of farmer-to-farmer education and his mission to carry out the vision of his mentor, who died unexpectedly in May 2023. The final article in the series, published in the February 2024 issue, addressed harvest and Steinlage's changing roles on the farm as he ages. The February issue also used a custom illustration of Steinlage's farm as a two-page cover to highlight the culmination of the series.
The Conservation Ag Operator Fellowship feature series exemplifies No-Till Farmer's mission to deliver real-world solutions to readers. It also created a mutually beneficial and ongoing relationship between editorial staff and Steinlage, who continues to serve as an adviser to the publication.
Farm Equipment editors received a gold award for its special section submission of the Shortline Legends hall of fame coverage from the September 2023 issue. The coverage was also named a finalist in the national competition.
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