No-Till Farmer Finds Custom Spraying Deal Too Good to Pass Up

Egypt Farms' Joe Hottel leverages a custom spraying offer to manage weed control across 7,000 acres of no-till crops.

Apr. 18, 2026 at 7:37am

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A high-end, photorealistic studio still-life photograph featuring a collection of polished, geometric farm equipment objects arranged elegantly on a clean, monochromatic seamless background, conceptually representing the precision and technology involved in modern no-till weed control.Precision farm equipment symbolizes the technological advancements enabling efficient weed control on large-scale no-till operations.Burkittsville Today

Joe Hottel, the operator of Egypt Farms in Burkittsville, Maryland, was offered a custom spraying deal last winter that he couldn't refuse. Normally, Hottel's seven-person farming crew handles most of the weed spraying on their 7,000 acres of no-till crops across Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. But with a busy season of full-season soybeans, post-emergence corn herbicides, and hay all happening at once, the custom spraying offer from Southern States was too good to pass up.

Why it matters

As no-till acreage continues to grow, finding efficient and cost-effective weed control solutions is crucial for farmers like Hottel who manage large, diverse crop rotations. This custom spraying deal allowed Egypt Farms to outsource a major operational challenge during their busiest time of year, freeing up the crew to focus on other critical tasks.

The details

The custom spraying deal included a self-propelled RoGator sprayer with an operator, as well as a nurse truck with a driver and helper. Southern States also used a Spra-Coupe sprayer on some fields, while Egypt Farms provided a tanker filled with water. Hottel's operation includes 2,000 acres of corn, 2,800 acres of full-season soybeans, 1,400 acres of wheat, 1,000 acres of double-cropped soybeans, 800 acres of hay, and 4,000 acres of cover crops spread across 225 fields ranging from 3 to 170 acres.

  • The spraying season started last spring with Roundup and Tilt applied to a few no-till wheat fields.
  • Hottel negotiated the custom spraying deal last winter.

The players

Joe Hottel

The operator of Egypt Farms in Burkittsville, Maryland, managing 7,000 acres of no-till crops.

Southern States

The agricultural cooperative that provided the custom spraying deal to Egypt Farms, including a self-propelled RoGator sprayer, a nurse truck, and operators.

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What they’re saying

“They made us a deal that was so good for spraying that we couldn't have done it ourselves for that price.”

— Joe Hottel, Operator, Egypt Farms

What’s next

Hottel plans to continue leveraging the custom spraying deal with Southern States to manage weed control across his diverse no-till operation during the busy spring and summer seasons.

The takeaway

This case highlights how innovative partnerships between farmers and agricultural service providers can help overcome operational challenges and optimize weed control on large-scale no-till farms, especially during peak seasons when in-house resources are stretched thin.