Innovation, profitability, and technology in conservation agriculture will take center stage during the 19th annual Conservation in Action Tour June 3–4 in and around Raleigh, N.C. The event, hosted by the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC), brings farmers, agriculture professionals, and conservation leaders together for hands-on, on-farm learning.

Attendees will take a deep dive into the data and technical assistance driving North Carolina’s diverse rotations and cropping systems that include cotton, soybeans, corn, tobacco, strawberries, sweet potatoes, peanuts, and watermelon.

On June 4, the on-farm experience begins at Leggett Farming Partnership near Nashville, showcasing diverse rotations and cropping systems that produce cotton, soybeans, corn, tobacco, strawberries, sweet potatoes, peanuts, and watermelon. Brent and Sue Leggett, along with their sons, Colin and Carter, are also partners in an integrated sweet potato packing/shipping operation, as well as direct-to-consumer agritourism at Strawberry City, which serves 800 people per day during harvest.

Lunch will be at the Upper Coastal Plain Research Station near Rocky Mount, highlighting North Carolina’s unique research partnership among state agencies and universities and its cutting-edge trials on varieties, disease pressure, crop protection innovation, and production methods.

The afternoon visit to Z3 Agriculture in Scotland Neck features producer Zeb Winslow’s 100% no-till and cover-crop system and his innovative equipment modifications for planting into high-residue covers. One of two finalists for the Sand County Foundation’s 2025 Carolinas Leopold Conservation Award, Winslow collects data from on-farm research plots he designs and has tracked during the past 7 years to dial in his fertility program and varieties.

In addition to our host farmers, other area farmers will be running stations at the two farm stops so attendees can learn from 10+ farmer perspectives and their operations during the full day.
The Conservation in Action Tour is a two-day celebration that kicks off June 3 with optional behind-the-scenes industry tours at BASF, Cotton Incorporated, and NC State Plant Sciences.

That evening, attendees will gather in downtown Raleigh for the Celebration of Conservation Agriculture Banquet, featuring keynote speaker Vivian Howard, a champion for North Carolina’s farming families, agricultural heritage, and food culture.

To register and see the full agenda and speaker line-up, visit ctic.org/tour or contact Elise Koning, Project Director for the Conservation in Action Tour, at koning@ctic.org.