The Matt Hagny No-Till Scholarship Foundation
The Matt Hagny No-Till Scholarship Foundation awards an individual each spring with funds to aid in an opportunity to travel and research a topic related to non-tillage farming.
About the Matt Hagny No-Till Scholarship Foundation
Our Purpose Statement
Our mission is to provide experiences, learning and education for students interested in traveling to further their education about no-till farming practices.
We see the world as bigger than us. We seek to follow Matt Hagny’s example, as he was a life-long learner, and a challenger of majority thinking, processes and practices. We strive to assist others on their journey of learning and growing. We recognize the value found in the combination of travel and study.
2022 Scholarship Recipient
Congratulations to Sam Ireland, our 2022 Scholarship recipient. Sam’s interest was in learning more about the benefits of intercropping and relay cropping, as well as the practicality for farmers to adapt these techniques. Check out his findings in the video!
2021 Scholarship Recipient
Congratulations to Jeremy Bunch, winner of the 2021 Scholarship. Jeremy approached us about exploring practices within a diverse low-disturbance no-till cropping system that control weed seed banks and weeds, particularly for the application of controlling annual grass weeds that have shown broad levels of herbicide resistance. Check out his findings in the video!
Make a Donation
All donations go directly to the Matt Hagny No-Till Scholarship Foundation in order to award an individual each year with funds to aid in an opportunity to travel and research a topic related to non-tillage farming. Click the donate button below to make a donation online, or mail your check to Greater Salina Community Foundation P.O. Box 2876, Salina, KS 67402-2876. Be sure to note on the check that it’s for the Matt Hagny No-Till Scholarship and they’ll take care of the rest!
The Matt Hagny No-Till Scholarship Foundation is an endowed fund managed by the Greater Salina Community Foundation, a qualified section 501(c)(3) organization.
Application Process
Application Process
- Applications must be received by September 30th each year.
- The Selection Committee will review all applications by November 30th each year.
- We will announce the scholarship recipient at during Dakota Lakes Research Farm’s annual meeting held in February of every year as well as announcing it here on the site.
Application Deadline
- Applications are open June 1 through September 30th each year.
- Application forms must be submitted by September 30th each year.
Eligibility & Qualifications
- Applicants must work within the farming and rural industries, or are in a position to influence these industries.
- Applicants must be over 18 years of age.
- There are no requirements for academic qualifications, but applicants will demonstrate a passion for the industry they pursue and/or work in.
- Scholarships will not be awarded to further research projects that are already funded by grants or universities.
Post-Requirements
A report must be submitted at the end of study which will be presented on the foundation’s website and must include photos and a 2-3 minute video summarizing the experience.
Amount
The Matt Hagny No-Till Scholarship Foundation, together with a matching donation from Exapta Solutions, Inc. will award a scholar with $1,000 in order to cover travel and expenses related to the study.
Our History
Why we combined No-till and Travel.
Matt Hagny’s career and success is tied closely to no-till farming and his early connections with Dwayne Beck of Dakota Lakes Research Farm, along with his friendship with Keith and Ben Thompson and their trips abroad to study no-till.
Though Matt never worked for Dwayne or studied under him in an official capacity, it’s clear Dwayne’s mentorship of Matt was invaluable.
In Matt’s own words, “My college housemate, Jim told me to go listen to Dwayne Beck at a little presentation he was doing on the SDSU campus (circa ’88 or ’89). I did. What an eye-opener, like a young kitten learning to see and finding ‘a different perspective’ everywhere it looked. I was a shy farm kid, but the group was so tiny (maybe 5 or 6 attendees) that I was able to talk quite a bit with him at the end, and he gave me some ideas on how to try no-till corn on my dad’s farm, and told me about a neighbor of mine who was experimenting with no-till, unbeknownst to me. Dwayne also invited me to look him up at the new research farm (Dakota Lakes) he was setting up near Pierre, SD, which I did that spring. He seemed to know so many things; I could listen to him for hours.”
Matt talked to Beck any chance he could, and often phoned him. There weren’t any no-till meetings or conferences in those days. Even Dakota Lakes’ annual farm tour was around 25 people, total. It now draws several hundred people.
The Thompson and Travel Connection
Matt Hagny’s friendship and partnerships with Keith and Ben Thompson (the ‘Thompson’ of Exapta’s Thompson spoked closing wheel) who farm near Osage City, KS (south of Topeka), and loved tinkering with equipment.
“Our friendship with Matt Hagny began in 1995, on the first bus trip sponsored by No-till on the Plains. We have made many memories with Matt going to field days, on trips abroad to study no-till ideas. In 2002, we joined forces with Exapta, because our ideas and thoughts were aligned with Matt’s.” commented Keith Thompson. “Over the years we have worked alongside Matt to make Exapta the leader in No-till seeding, fulfilling the objective of providing top-notch products and solutions. We are committed to keeping those ideals in place and progressing no-till techniques for the next generation of farmers.”
In addition to seeing what was available in North America in the ’90s & 2000s, Matt also traveled overseas—either on his own dime, or as a hired consultant or speaker on no-till agronomy.
“I usually insisted on seeing the gamut of the seeding equipment, whether I was in Australia or Argentina, Ukraine or Mexico. Friends from all over the world sent me photos and discussions of how their no-till seeding tools were working. Although local customs and seeding equipment looked utterly unique in those places, there were far more commonalities (than differences).”
Make a Donation
All donations go directly to the Matt Hagny No-Till Scholarship Foundation in order to award an individual each year with funds to aid in an opportunity to travel and research a topic related to non-tillage farming.
The Matt Hagny No-Till Scholarship Foundation is an endowed fund managed by the Greater Salina Community Foundation, a qualified section 501(c)(3) organization.