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Vol. 115 | No. 15

o t n s
DECEMBER 2017 Successful Farming magazine serves the diverse business, production, and family information needs of families who make farming
and ranching their business. Our passion is to help you make money, save time, and grow your satisfaction in the farming business.
1 CONTENTS
2
3
4 ACROSS THE
5 EDITOR’S DESK®
6 GLEANINGS
7 AGRICULTURE.COM
STEEL DEALS P. 24
8 Q&A: KEN MASCHHOFF
9
10 FIRST CUT The silver lining to iron
11 prices.
12
13
14 MANAGING YOUR FARM
15
16
17 CONNECTING YOUR FARM
18 YOUR PROFIT
19
20
21 GROW BEYOND AT THE
22
23
24 STEEL DEALS
25
26
27
28
29 MACHINERY INSIDER™
30
31
32
33
34 INTERNATIONAL STEEL
35
36
37
38 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE:
39 THE 12 TOOLS OF
40 CHRISTMAS
41
42 PORK POWERHOUSES®
43 EXPANSION SPELLS MAKE MONEY
44
45
TROUBLE NOW P. 52 Don’t wait
46 to improve your
47 grain marketing.
100TH
48 AGRONOMY INSIDER:
49 ACRE INSIGHT
50 IRRIGATION INSIDER: ANNIVERSARY
GRAIN SORGHUM
OF JOHN DEERE
51
52 SM NEWSLETTER:
53
54
MAKE MONEY NOW
BUYERS’ GUIDE:
HORSEPOWER P.29
55 BIB OVERALLS
The 1918 decision to
56 build the All-Wheel-
57 Drive marks Deere’s
58 HELP HOTLINES entry into tractors.
59
60 FAMILY
61
62
63
64
65
66 CAN THEIR
67 PROBLEM
68 BE SOLVED? EXPANSION SPELLS
69
70
TROUBLE P. 42
71 The last time
72 the annual Pork
73 Powerhouses® list grew
74 by this many sows was
75 ALL AROUND in 2006. Exports need
76 THE FARM® to keep up.

Cover illustration: Matt Strelecki December 2017 | Successful Farming at Agriculture.com 1

“FOR US, IT’S NOT
JUST YEARLONG
SUPPORT —
IT’S LIFELONG
DEDICATION”.
Bethany Drendel Ryan Van Roekel
DuPont Pioneer DuPont Pioneer
Account Manager Kenneth Lund Agronomist
Grower

PIONEER® brand products are provided subject to the terms and conditions of purchase which are part of the labeling and purchase documents.
® TM SM
, , Trademarks and service marks of DuPont, Pioneer or their respective owners. © 2017 PHII. DUPPBR17049_VA_110117_SF
 Derek Reinhart
Pioneer Sales
Professional

Our commitment to growers doesn’t stop when the season ends.

We’re in it for the long haul — providing support, insights and
industry-leading products to help you achieve success, year after year.
ACROSS THE
® EDITORIAL
e d i t o r’ s DESK
#STILL FARMING AT THE END OF
ANOTHER SEASON, SUCCESSFUL FARMING
MAGAZINE IS BLESSED TO HELP YOU DO
WHAT YOU DO BEST.
I
n this year-end issue of Successful Farming magazine, you’ll get a
straight shot of current American agriculture – the good, the bad,
and the ... challenging. In these tough times, there are ways to
buckle down, and we are blessed to be able to help you be success-
ful through any situation.
the good
I n his “Steel Deals” report (pages 24-28), Dave Mowitz highlights
that the glut of some large, low-hour machinery is an opportunity
for some real bargains on iron. Prices on some equipment have bot-
tomed out, it appears. Mowitz, the Executive Editor for Machinery &
Technology, also highlights ways that you can manage your machin-
ery costs during these tight economic times.
the Bad
E xecutive Editor Betsy Freese has been covering the hog industry
for more than two decades, and her exclusive coverage of Pork
Powerhouses® (pages 42-46) shows an expansion in sow numbers that
we haven’t seen in more than a decade.
In 2017, the numbers show almost 250,000 more sows than in 2016.
Not good. It could portend for tough times ahead for the industry.
Her reporting is a must-read throughout our industry and is often
referenced by producers and companies alike.
the challenging
A l Kluis, our “Your Profit” columnist, offers some hope in this low-
price environment we seem to be stuck in. Kluis, who has been in
the grain business for more than 40 years, always turns back to the
charts to spot trends. His analysis (pages 18-20) shows the numbers
reflect a similar situation to 2007 and a rally in 2008 could mirror
what’s in store this time around. Wouldn’t that be great in 2018?
We all know that farming in these tough times can be challeng-
ing and stressful. In Lisa Foust Prater’s article, “Calming the Storm”
(pages 60-61), she highlights ways to identify and to manage stress.
For a listing of help hotlines, see page 58.
Another useful tool, a free online course developed by Michigan
State University, recognizes chronic stress – and finds solutions. Try
the course at msue.msu.edu/managingfarmstress. It could save a life.
As this year comes to a close, set your sights on a prosperous 2018,
because we want you to be #STILLFARMING.
Dave Kurns
Editorial Content Director
david.kurns@meredith.com
Twitter: @davekurns
4 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017
SUCCESSFUL FARMING ®
Successful Farming Magazine, 1716 Locust Street/LS257,
Des Moines, IA 50309-3023 | Email: adminsf@meredith.com
EDITORIAL CONTENT DIRECTOR Dave Kurns
ART & PRODUCTION
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Matt Strelecki
COPY & PRODUCTION MANAGER Janis Gandy
MACHINERY & TECHNOLOGY
EXECUTIVE EDITOR Dave Mowitz
ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY EDITOR Laurie Bedord
CROPS
CROPS TECHNOLOGY EDITOR Gil Gullickson
AGRONOMY & CONSERVATION EDITOR Kacey Birchmier
BUSINESS, MARKETING, & RISK MANAGEMENT
EXECUTIVE EDITOR Betsy Freese
MARKETING EDITOR Mike McGinnis
CONTENT EDITOR Paula Barbour
MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Jodi Henke
FAMILY & FARMSTEAD EDITOR Lisa Foust Prater
VIDEO
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Jason Meeker
PRODUCER, MULTIMEDIA & CUSTOM SOLUTIONS David Ekstrom
DIGITAL
DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGER Jessie Scott
DIGITAL CONTENT EDITOR Natalina Sents
INTERACTIVE SERVICES EDITOR Christine Steinhauser
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CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Gene Johnston, Al Kluis, Dan Looker,
Cheryl Tevis, John Walter
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 l a i g

THE U.S. HAS 522,058

BEGINNING FARMERS
(¼ OF 2.1 MILLION

Between 2015
and 2019, 10% of
farmland (91 million
acres) is expected to
transition to the
next generation.

E 2 0 0 9
B I L LIO N SINC
$17 . 4
HALF OF LARGE-S
CALE BEGINNING F
ARMERS (GROSS CASH FA
————— ARE FOUND IN THE RM INCOME OF $1,0
00,000 OR MORE)
MIDWEST. —————
is the
amount of THE LARGEST NUMBER
land that OF BEGINNING FARMERS
ARE FOUND IN:
owners
have or 1. Texas
IS THE AVERAGE AGE OF 2. Missouri
FARMERS NATIONWIDE.
plan to put 3. California
into wills.
Photography: iStockphoto.com, RomoloTavani, Owen Design llc.
6 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017 Sources: USDA, 2012 Census of Agriculture, Farmland Information Center
 ADVERTORIAL

CLEAN FIELDS BRING

BETTER RETURNS
“Every year you let waterhemp or
marestail go to seed, the next year you’ve
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Atha who grows more than 2,000 acres
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With weeds continually more difficult
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years, and Atha says producers like him
How Much $ Does it Take to Become a Farmer? must cut costs to be profitable. He says
the LibertyLink system is both a tool
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Investing for the future
Beyond weed control, Atha is quick
Vermeer Introduces First Self-Propelled Baler to credit the LibertyLink system for
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“Liberty is the only herbicide that will
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Pork Powerhouses® will outyield any competing soybean.”
Putting a quality crop in the bin begins
before it ever leaves the field. For Atha,
it’s all about investing in his bottom line.
“It’s very difficult for farmers to know
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2017 Ultimate UTV Evaluation find a way to make money, you aren’t
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me, [the LibertyLink system] is one of
those expenses that is a must.”

STAY CONNECTED: © 2017 Bayer CropScience LP, 2 TW Alexander Drive, Research

Triangle Park, NC 27709. Always read and follow label
instructions. Bayer, the Bayer Cross, Liberty, and LibertyLink
Successful Farming @SuccessfulFarm successful_farming are registered trademarks of Bayer. Liberty is not registered for
use in all states. For additional product information, call toll-free
1-866-99-BAYER (1-866-992-2937) or visit our website at
www.CropScience.Bayer.us. CR0916MULTI1B957V00R1
December 2017 | Successful Farming at Agriculture.com 7
 q a THE SUCCESSFUL INTERVIEW
By Betsy Freese, Executive Editor
KEN MASCHHOFF THE PRESIDENT
OF THE NATIONAL PORK PRODUCERS COUNCIL
IS RIGHT IN THE THICK OF THE BACON.
K
en Maschhoff has
built a pork empire
from his family
farm headquarters
outside Carlyle,
Illinois. In the past 20 years,
Maschhoff, 57, has grown
from 8,000 sows to 218,000,
climbing the annual Pork
Powerhouses® ranking of
the largest U.S. producers.
The Maschhoffs – owned by
Ken, brother Dave, 59, and
their wives, Julie and Karen
– is the fourth-largest pork
producer in the nation.
SF: Your sow number has
stayed steady for several
years after decades of rapid
growth. Why?
KM: Our focus is on our
customers [packers] and
making sure we are deliver-
ing the attributes they are
BIO
NAME: Ken Maschhoff
TITLES: President, National Pork
Producers Council; owner, The
Maschhoffs, Carlyle, Illinois.
BACKGROUND: When Maschhoff
was 15, he and his brother,
Dave, each borrowed $3,500
from their grandparents to help
buy 40 acres of ground. Two
years later, they used that
ground to finance another 120
acres. They bought half interest
in their parents’ 135 sows and
expanded the farm to 700 sows.
A decade later, the brothers
bought full interest from their
parents and expanded from 700
to 1,200 sows.
8 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017
looking for. Doing that
in a cost-effective way is
paramount. So, our focus
has been on rightsizing. We
plan to build two new sow
farms in the next year, but
our overall sow numbers
are not growing. We have
some older farms that may
not be the right geographic
fit or the right size unit for
our system.
Today, The Maschhoffs
have determined we have
other places to go with capi-
tal. That doesn’t mean we
are abandoning the pork in-
dustry. We are certainly not.
I have preached for years
that if we have the same
profitability from 175,000
sows that are in the right
geography and delivering
the right return, there is no
reason to have 250,000 sows.
SF: Will you invest in the
pork packing business?
KM: It’s not our goal to
invest bricks and mortar
into packaging, process-
ing, and branding on the
pork side. We believe it’s
time to be very prudent
and cautious with capital
going into the pork sector.
SF: As president of the
National Pork Producers
Council (NPPC), what is top
of mind for you?
KM: I deal with
trade issues ev-
ery day. For
example,
if we
terminate
the free
trade agreement with South
Korea, live hog prices could
fall by 3.8% or $4.71 per ani-
mal. That could likely take
away all of the profitability
of the pork sector in 2018.
It is so imperative that we
don’t lose any ground in our
current FTAs (free trade
agreements). We actually
need more FTAs. The U.S.
is expanding in new sows
and packing plant capac-
ity, so it will need to export
about 33% of its pork.
SF: Has your thinking
changed over the years
about risk?
KM: Absolutely! I really
don’t think most pork
producers look at risk and
evaluate it thoroughly. I
used to be that way 20 years
ago. We looked at our taxes
and said we can either give
45% of this to the govern-
ment or we can reinvest
in our business. Today,
farmers need to think about
doing something else with
that money, like investing
in another business or the
stock market. Maybe it’s
just my age. When I was
30, I was like, ‘Go, go, go.
Nothing’s going to stop
us. We are going to grow.’
I’m more patient now. I do
think that there is going to
be some opportunity on the
pork side in the next few
years. I’m bullish protein
worldwide. But I’m scared
about the growth we’ve
had in the industry know-
ing that one stumble with
Mexico or South Korea on a
trade deal, and we could see
prices in the tank a year or
two from now.
SF: Why stay in the pork
business, given the risks?
KM: People ask me why we
do it. The pork industry
is not sexy. We have had
opportunities to buy golf
courses and wineries. They
are sexy, but the returns
stink. If you want to be in a
business that isn’t sexy, the
profits are usually there.
SF: You are president of
NPPC at an interesting time.
KM: You said that right!
learn more
Agriculture.com/Maschhoff
Photography: Betsy Freese
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2017 Soybean Trait Intentions market research
© 2017 Bayer CropScience LP, 2 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709. Always read and follow label instructions. Bayer, the Bayer Cross, Liberty, LibertyLink,
and the Water Droplet Design are registered trademarks of Bayer. Liberty is not registered for use in all states. Asgrow and Roundup Ready 2 Xtend are registered trademarks
of Monsanto Technology LLC. For additional product information, call toll-free 1-866-99-BAYER (1-866-992-2937) or visit our website at www.CropScience.Bayer.us.
CR1117MULTIPB085S00R0
SHORT-HANDED SONNY PERDUE HEADS INTO THE NEW
YEAR WITH ONLY HALF OF HIS EXECUTIVE TEAM AT WORK.
A
griculture Secretary
Sonny Perdue
started work in
April as President
Trump’s first
nominee to the USDA. The
former Georgia governor
has been short-handed ever
since and could finish his
first year in office before his
executive team is confirmed
by the Senate.
The eight appointees
who serve one step below
Perdue (the deputy secretary
and seven undersecretaries,
each overseeing one of the
USDA’s operating arms) are
the officials who turn ad-
ministration policy into ac-
tion on the ground. Without
the decision-makers, the
pace slows down and there
are fewer chances for farm
groups to exchange ideas
with the USDA or to get a
hint of how impend-
ing initiatives
will affect
producers.
December 2017
“That’s a problem
in and of itself,” says
NFU government
relations director Barbara
Patterson, referring to
the administration’s
slow pace in nominating
undersecretaries who need
Senate approval. “It’s also
a problem at the (agency)
administrator level.”
Senate action on one
nominee for undersecretary,
Bill Northey, to run farm
support, crop insurance, and
land stewardship programs
was blocked in November in
oil-state retaliation against
the ethanol industry. Perdue
wryly says he might wear a
“Free Bill Northey” T-shirt
in protest. Sam Clovis
withdrew his nomination for
undersecretary for research
because of questions about
his work as cochair
of the Trump
campaign but
kept his
job as
the White House’s political
operative at the USDA.
That leaves Perdue with
three senior executives on
the job – Steve Censky,
deputy secretary; Ted
McKinney, undersecretary
for trade; and Gregory
Ibach, undersecretary for
marketing and regulatory
programs – and five
vacancies. Besides Northey’s
post, arguably as powerful
as the deputy secretary,
they cover meat safety, ag
research, public nutrition,
and the Forest Service.
“I’m eager to get Secretary
Perdue a full team at the
Agriculture Department,”
says Senate Ag Chairman
Pat Roberts. “The Senate
Agriculture Committee
has acted swiftly on each
nomination.”
Perdue was Trump’s
final cabinet
nominee, and
there is repeated
muttering about
whether the USDA has the
White House’s attention.
Perdue created
McKinney’s post as the
first step in shaking up the
USDA’s organizational tree.
He met resistance on Capitol
Hill to his elimination of
the undersecretary for rural
development.
Roberts and Senator
Debbie Stabenow, the top
Democrat on Senate Ag,
suggested pointedly that
Perdue should ask Congress
for a statutory change in
Northey’s title and duties.
The Iowan was nominated
as undersecretary for farm
and foreign agricultural
services, which includes part
of McKinney’s portfolio, but
would be undersecretary for
farm production and
conservation under Perdue’s
plan. Until now, conservation
programs have been split
between two under-
secretaries. Northey would
receive sole control.
Illustration: Paul Lange
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UPComing
JANUARY
• 3-5: Beltwide Cotton Conference, San Antonio
• 5-10: Farm Bureau national convention, Nashville
• 12: USDA annual crop report
• 29-31: Farm Credit Council annual meeting, San Antonio
• 31-Feb. 2: Cattle Industry Convention, Phoenix
Farm Bill Time line
Slips Into the New
Year
A lmost as soon as the 2014
farm law took effect,
lawmakers and farm groups said
the next farm bill would make
refinements – mostly on ARC, PLC,
cotton, and dairy – rather than
sweeping changes. Nonetheless,
the House and Senate Agriculture
Committees may find it daunting
to fine-tune the farm bill when
there is no additional money for it.
House Agriculture Chairman
Michael Conaway says the
House could debate the 2018
farm bill as early as January or
February, meaning that farm-state
lawmakers “are going to have
some hard decisions to make”
in coming weeks. Ag lobbyists
are skeptical, saying Congress
rarely makes a flying start when
it convenes for the new year.
The time line for the farm bill
has slipped already. Conaway
and Senate Agriculture Chairman
Pat Roberts spoke optimistically
of moving the bill this year, but
health care, tax cuts, and budget
fights precluded that.
By one estimate, the ag
committees would need $15
billion a year to honor requests
to double ag research spending,
restore cuts in conservation
programs, expand cotton and
dairy supports, realign the county
yields used in determining
ARC subsidies, institute higher
reference prices for PLC
payments, and reallocate base
acres. Some 340 people spoke
at listening sessions around the
country last summer, and “not one
of them asked for less money,”
says Conaway.
Conaway and the top Democrat
on House Ag, Collin Peterson, have
traded ideas for the farm bill. Says
Peterson, “The biggest problem
12 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017
is, we haven’t got any money. The
committee leaders have kept their
work under wraps.”
They want to minimize
the grief and rush it through
without adequate public review,
says economist Vince Smith
of Montana State University, a
farm-program critic. Conaway
says some potential elements
of the farm bill will appear as
stand-alone legislation as a test of
support. House Ag is considered
to be further along in assembling
a farm bill than Senate Ag.
However, Roberts says, “we are
ahead of schedule compared
with previous farm bills, having
completed hearings on each of
the farm bill titles.”
With the farm economy in a
funk, Roberts and Conaway want
to complete work on the 2018
farm bill before current law
expires next fall. One lobbyist says
Conaway will propose cuts in food
stamps to allow for additional
farm spending. “Farm bills are all
about finding the money,” says
economist Joe Glauber.
Wheat Growers
chief takes top
USDA job in Kansas
E ight months after he
was elected president of
the National Association
of Wheat Growers, David
Schemm resigned to
become FSA state director
in Kansas, an appointment
by Agriculture Secretary
Sonny Perdue. A third-gen-
eration wheat farmer from
western Kansas, Schemm
says his priorities at the
farm group were a strong
crop insurance program
and resolution of county-to-
county yield discrepancies
in ARC payments.
Montana grower Gordon
Stoner, who handed the
gavel to Schemm last
March, resumed the role of
president in a transition so
smooth that he spoke on a
pro-NAFTA panel at the
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
the day after Schemm’s
resignation was announced.
Some wheat customers in
Mexico were looking for
alternative suppliers because
of uncertainty over the
new NAFTA, says Stoner,
suggesting the farm sector’s
tagline “Do No Harm”
should become “Do No
More Harm.”
The Wheat Growers will
elect a new president at its
annual meeting, held as part
of the Commodity Classic,
February 27-March 1, in
Anaheim, California.
For third time,
USDA will try to
modernize its
biotech REGs
T he USDA is starting anew
in its decade-long attempt
to update its regulation of biotech
plants. Groups such as the
American Soybean Association
say gene editing and similar
processes should not face the
same regulatory burden as
classical biotechnology that
inserts genetic material from one
This article was produced in collaboration with the Food & Environment
Reporting Network, an independent, nonprofit news organization producing
investigative reporting on food, agriculture, and environmental health.
plant into another.
Just before President Trump
took office in January, USDA
proposed a dramatic change
from its long-standing “Regulate
First, Analyze Later” approach
to a format of assessing new
genetically engineered organisms
and regulating only those that pose
a plant pest or noxious weed risk,
which would include products of
genome editing if need be.
Rather than clearing the way,
biotech and ag groups feared
the USDA proposal would mean
a time-consuming delay while
USDA decided whether a new
GE variety would be regulated.
The Biotechnology Innovation
Organization said there would be
greater uncertainty for developers.
Similarly, the American Seed
Trade Association said the
government should recognize
that “some applications of gene
editing result in plant varieties
that are essentially equivalent to
varieties developed through more
traditional breeding methods” and
don’t need to be regulated.
In 2008, USDA launched its
update of biotech regulations. It
eventually withdrew that effort in
2015 for a new attempt, resulting
in the January proposal. In the
face of complaints about the new
version, USDA said it “will
reengage with stakeholders to
determine the most effective,
science-based approach for
regulating the products of modern
biotechnology while protecting
plant health.”
Photography: Natali_Mis, iStockphoto.com
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 a a i g
By Betsy Freese, Executive Editor YOUR FARM

GLOBAL LAND
QUALITY
EASILY DEVELOPED LANDS
MODERATE DIFFICULTY LANDS
WASTELANDS AND HIGHLANDS are incredibly productive
but not consuming as much.
They have to be wired into been able to finance their

THE BIG PICTURE FOR AG

the export network. Without
exports, South Korea would
HERE ARE 9 THINGS FARMERS NEED TO collapse as a culture.
KNOW ABOUT THE WORLD. Japan is the world’s most
rapidly aging society with so
debt for terms that are his-
torically unprecedented.
Gen Y, also known as mil-
lennials, with all their craft
beer consumption, has kept

G
many retirees absorbing state us out of recession for the
eopolitical strategist Peter Zeihan helps ag industry resources. The only way it can past three years and prob-
leaders understand how geography, populations, and maintain a modern economy ably will for the next decade.
politics impact markets and economic trends. He is with robotics and exports. When the millennials ma-
recently spoke to an executive summit of Midwest 3. What about populations in ture, they will fix the tax gap
farmers sponsored by Farm Credit Services of the U.S.? in a way that Gen X never
America. Here are nine questions and concerns he addressed. PZ: The baby boomers are could, so there is a light at
1. What in the world is up with our political system? the largest generation in the end of the tunnel – it’s a
PZ: Our two-party political system is currently off-line, and it American his- millennial with a new
will take a decade or more to rectify. The last time something tory, and they have gadget.
like this happened, it took the Great Depression and World made the country The U.S. is the only
War II to change it. However, the U.S. can survive a globally capital-rich. They advanced country
devastating economic policy. Only 8.5% of our GDP came from are investing their near population
exports last year, the lowest in the world. Famines that will be money madly, hoping replacement.
the norm in the rest of the world won’t reach us. The greater to get that extra 1% 4. Ag has a labor
Midwest is the largest chunk of arable land on the planet. The of return before they Peter Zeihan shortage. What is the
greater Mississippi system is the largest transport system in the retire. Then, they will answer?
world. These are things that are immune to politics. Decades of liquidate all the cash and PZ: There is not a lot of
bipartisan effort have failed to screw this up, and it’s not going bonds into T-bills and draw migration from Mexico to
to get screwed up in the next four years. U.S. farmers are going Medicare, Medicaid, and the U.S. anymore. It has
to be OK. The rest of the world, not so much. Social Security. been net negative for eight
2. How do demographics shape economics? The Gen X-ers, the small- years running. Mexican liv-
PZ: India has a consumption-driven economy because young est generation in American ing standards have tripled in
people are buying cars and houses, raising kids, and going to history, will have to fund the last 20 years. Most of the
college. Their incomes don’t match their needs, so they have to the retirement of 75 million people coming for seasonal
borrow. High growth, but high debt. boomer retirees. The good ag work are from Central
South Korea has a lot of workers in their 40s and 50s who news is that Gen X-ers have America. It’s a decreasing
Photography: Provided by Peter Zeihan
14 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017 Maps: ©Zeihan on Politics
(ETEVERYONEONTHESAMEPAGE
You don’t farm alone. Your team includes an agronomist, banker, insurance
AGENT ELDIMAGERYPROVIDERANDMORE8ITHMORETHANCONNECTEDSOFTWARE
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m a n a g i n g YOUR FARM Continued

GLOBAL
STABILITY
STATE FAILURES
DECENTRALIZATION
DEGRADED
STEADY STATE
RISING STAR PZ: China absorbs massive tiable Chinese demand, and
amounts of raw material free and safe international
from around the world and transport. All that is going
pot of people from now on. If you are dependent on imported is dependent on exports for away. There is a massive flip
labor, you are going to have to either find another source or finished goods. If the mari- coming in South America
replace labor with robotics. time supply chain breaks as Brazil crumbles and
5. You mentioned world famine. Why? down, it can’t get raw mate- Argentina rises. What we
PZ: American trade policy since World War II made inter- rial in or exports out. China, are seeing with the political
national maritime shipping both safe and cheap. Remove as a unified entity, is in its craziness right now is just
American strategic overwatch, and that transport reverts to be- final years. The country is the leading edge.
ing expensive and dangerous. As most countries are dependent likely to fall into dictator- 9. Should we trade with
upon international supply chains for inputs like fertilizers and ship. This is already having a Cuba?
pesticides and cannot produce these inputs locally, we’re look- chilling effect on the invest- PZ: Cuba has only 11
ing at nothing less than the breakdown of the global agricul- ment community in China. million people, but it is 11
tural system. Catastrophic, continental-wide famines are in our 8. What about Brazil? million people who, until
very near future. U.S. farmers are the remaining producers in PZ: Brazil isn’t like the now, have been unable to
the world who can deliver the goods to the end market. Midwest. The agricultural access American agricul-
6. Besides the U.S., who has potential to expand in agriculture? land is all in the interior. tural markets, which they
• Australia will expand primarily in wheat and high-end beef. Brazil’s transport costs, based desperately want to do. If
• New Zealand, which has tripled its output of dairy in the last on where you are, are four we were to normalize
25 years, could bring in American dairy techniques and triple to 100 times what they are in relationships with Cuba, the
its output again in the next 25 years. Along with this, the coun- the U.S. The rivers just don’t country would buy abso-
try could expand its beef business. work for them. Also, much lutely everything from you.
• Myanmar has been in dictatorship for 70 years, but it’s open- of the ag land is converted It would come at a small
ing up trade now. It has great land for rice and a river right from tropical savanna. It has cost for the sugar industry,
down the middle of the country. a very low nutrient quality, because Cuban sugar is far
• Argentina has great infrastructure, is self-sufficient in energy, so producers need to fertilize better than our sugar beets.
and has productive land. three times as much as we do Cuba is an upwardly mobile
• France has similar benefits as Argentina. in the U.S. They never have country who loves beef and
Brazil only Outside of these five countries and the an insect kill, so the pesticide pork. If you are into an
makes sense in
a world of cheap U.S., everyone else will be lucky to hold use is extreme. expanding market, Cuba is
capital, insatiable still in ag output. You have to be able to In terms of input, Brazil a large, low-hanging piece
Chinese demand, access energy, have positive demographics, has the highest-cost agri- of fruit.
and free and have infrastructure, and have no internal cultural land in the world.
safe international
transport. All that security issues. Brazil only makes sense in a Learn More
is going away. 7. What about China? world of cheap capital, insa- Agriculture.com/zeihan

16 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017

 c o n n e c t i n g YOUR FARM
By Jessie Scott, Digital Content Manager
that 7.5% of the farms today
produce 80% of output, ac-
cording to USDA numbers
Lusk crunched. (As an ag
economist, Lusk uses data
interpretations to help com-
municate his message.)
“That comes out to
159,000 farms, which
stresses the challenge that
there are so few farms per
person. So how does the av-
erage food consumer in Des
Moines, Chicago, or L.A.
know anything about the
3 COMMUNICATION experiences of those 160,000
farmers?” asks Lusk.
CHALLENGES JAYSON LUSK SHARES
THE CHALLENGES HE SEES IN EFFECTIVELY 2 The inequality and diver-
gence in food preferences
COMMUNICATING WITH THE PUBLIC. of the rich and poor.
The richer a country
I
becomes, the lower percent
f you’ve been to an event sponsored by a commodity of income people spend on
group or ag company in the past five years, you’ve heard food. In the U.S., people
the statistic: The world population will grow to more spend less than 10% of
than 9 billion by 2050. You’ve also heard the rallying call: their income on food, while
Farmers must increase yields and productivity to feed the poorer countries may spend
growing population. 40% to 60% of their income.
While this message may be empowering within agriculture “Yet, it’s the folks on the
circles, Jayson Lusk says it’s time to drop this argument when richer end of the spectrum
connecting with consumers. “When we are communicating who set the frame-
that inside the U.S., it’s to people who don’t see it because our work for food policy
populations aren’t growing,” he says. “The problem is real for issues and influence
low- and middle-income countries, but communicating that to media discussions
people who control the agenda is difficult.” about what’s impor-
This is one point of advice Lusk shared at the Borlaug Cast tant in agriculture,”
Communication Award presentation in October. Lusk is the says Lusk.
winner of this year’s award for his efforts to communicate To dig into the Jayson Lusk
optimistic, proactive messages about agriculture, science, and discrepancy of food
technology, which he has done through his blog (jaysonlusk. preferences between
com), in more than 190 articles in peer-reviewed scientific jour- the rich and poor in the
nals, and in three books. His most recent book, Unnaturally U.S., Lusk conducted a
Delicious: How Science and Technology Are Serving Up Super Food Demand Survey
Foods to Save the World, explains how science and innovation where he asked people
are linked with feeding the growing population. which items are most and
Following are the three key challenges Lusk sees in effec- least important when pur-
tively communicating with the general public as well as some chasing food. When people
potential solutions. are more well off, the rela-
tive importance increases
1 The growing divergence between eaters and growers.
In 1900, there were 75 farms per 1,000 people. By 2010, that
number had dropped to 6.7 farms per 1,000 people.
for naturalness, nutrition,
origin, and novelty. On the
flip side, those with fewer
As a farmer, this may not surprise you. What is surprising is resources are more con-
Illustration: Brian Taylor of Beady Eyes Photography: Provided by Jayson Lusk December 2017 | Successful Farming at Agriculture.com 17
cerned with price, safety,
and taste.
3 The diverging population
trends in high- vs. low-
income countries.
This comes back to Lusk’s
point that high-income
countries have populations
that aren’t growing or may
be declining, while low- and
middle-income countries
have rising populations.
“We certainly need to feed
the world, but it’s going to be
hard for people in rich coun-
tries to feel that urgency,”
explains Lusk.
Instead of focusing on the
growing population, Lusk
recommends focusing on the
values your audience cares
about.
“Communicate in terms of
values of urban consumers,
which may be the environ-
ment, nutrition, and what
you do to preserve nature,”
he says. “Talk about inven-
tions that make food tasty
and better for the environ-
ment.”
In his book, Lusk
shows how technol-
ogy impacts the user
(the farmer) as well
as the end user (the
consumer).
“A lot of technol-
ogy is valuable to
farmers, but people
don’t know them, so it’s hard
for them to see how that
matters,” he says.
For example, an entire
chapter is dedicated to
precision agriculture, explain-
ing the farmer benefits of
higher yields and also the
environmental benefits in
being able to use less
nitrogen. “That type of story
can appeal to a set of values
influencers have,” he says.
YOUR p r o f i t
By Al Kluis

Weekly CBOT Corn 2006 2007 2017

475’ 0 This chart shows the price of nearby
corn futures in 2006, 2007, and
2017. You can see how similar the
2007 and 2017 charts are. At this
time, nearby corn is a little less
425’ 0 than corn prices were in 2006.
The flat 6¢ weekly trading ranges
recently are typical of a market as
it bottoms. You have to go back to
375’ 0 2005 to find a time when you could
not sell a bushel of corn and buy 1
gallon of gasoline. I doubt that corn
will stay this cheap.
325’ 0

300’ 0
Global Soybean Supply
275’ 0 and Demand Report
2007 2017
250’ 0 Global supply 461 684
Global use 340 488
225’ 0 End stocks 54.5 107
Stocks-to-use ratio 16% 21%
200’ 0
(In millions of metric tons)
Jan.’17 Feb.’17 Mar.’17 Apr.’17 May’17 Jun.’17 Jul .’17 Aug.’17 Sep.’17 Oct.’17 Nov.’17 Dec.’17
U.S. Soybean Supply

LONG-TERM PRICE CYCLES

that we are just one weather and Demand Report
problem away from some 2007 2017

TURN HIGHER
major changes in price. U.S. production 2.594 4.425
Take a look at the global U.S. use 2.988 4.326
WILL 2018 TURN OUT LIKE 2008? supply-and-demand num- End stocks .185 .430
bers for corn and soybeans to Stocks-to-use ratio 6% 9%

O
see what’s changed in the last
ne advantage of working in the grain business for over 10 years. Then, look at the
40 years is the ability to identify patterns that develop U.S. corn and bean supply-
at major highs and lows. I look at more than the week- and-demand numbers.
ly and monthly charts. I also look at farmer attitudes
and the attitude that exists in the grain industry. I can Global Corn Supply and
see some correlation between 2017 and 2006. However, the Demand Report
strongest correlation of the charts is between 2017 and 2007. 2007
Recently, many farmers have told me it is impossible to get a Global supply 1,904
weather scare with the new seed technology. Anytime several Global use 1,787
farmers tell me that a rally is impossible, it’s a good signal that End stocks 257
a rally is on the way. When the grain trade and farmers get Stocks-to-use ratio 14%
this bearish, it is just a matter of time until some weather event (In millions of metric tons)
creates an explosive rally.
If you look at the 2007 charts and go back and look at what U.S. Corn Supply and
the news was at that time (and the farmer attitude), the cor- Demand Report
relation with 2007 is even stronger. 2007
I went back and looked at the global and U.S. fundamentals U.S. production 13.168 14.578
in 2007 and compared them with the current global and U.S. U.S. use 12.690 14.435
fundamentals. I worked on these numbers for several days; End stocks 1.797
it’s difficult even for me to comprehend 1,009 million metric Stocks-to-use ratio 14%
tons of supply! From my analysis, I became even more aware U.S. avg. farm price $3.65
of how much global demand has increased. My conclusion is (In billions of bushels)
U.S. avg. farm price $9.75 $9.20
(In billions of bushels)
When I review the global
numbers from 10 years
ago, I see a 43% increase in
production and a 43% in-
2017 crease in usage for both corn
3,211 and soybeans. The global
2,572 weather has been favorable,
638 so production is keeping up
24% with surging demand – but
just barely.
When I review the U.S.
numbers and look at the
changes from 2007 to 2017,
2017 what jumps out at me is
the 70% increase in soybean
production and usage. It’s
2.340 a good thing we have had
16% record soybean yields the
$3.20 last few years. When I look
at the U.S. projected end-

18 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017

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YOUR p r o f i t Continued

This chart shows the price of nearby

soybean futures in 2006, 2007,
and 2017. You can see how similar
the three charts are. At this time,
nearby soybean futures are a little
below where prices were in 2007.
The very narrow 12¢ weekly trading
ranges the last several weeks are
typical of a market as it bottoms. I
am not sure what fundamental will
create the next rally; however, a
monthly close above $10.03 on the
nearby chart will be the start of a
major rally.

What does it all mean? If

the U.S. corn yield drops by
2 bushels per acre in 2018
(to 173 bushels per acre),
then corn will rally at least
40¢ per bushel. A national
yield of 170 will put a $1 per
bushel on the corn market.
For soybeans, a 1-bushel
reduction in yield will take
futures up $1 per bushel, and
a 2-bushel-per-acre drop will
put $2 on soybean prices.
Look at the long-term chart
and see what happened in
ing stocks at 430 million bushels, I think the USDA is again less, then it signals strong 2008.
underestimating demand. I think that when the final ending demand.
stocks number is printed next year, the ending stocks will be Signal #2. If cash basis levels NOTE: Trading of futures and
closer to 380 million bushels. improve. options has substantial financial
I view these fundamentals as long-term positive. Signal #3. If the charts break risk of loss and is not for
Following are three signals that will indicate a major change out above major resistance. all investors.
of trend. At this time, that would be
Signal #1. If the carrying charge narrows. Watch the carrying a monthly close on nearby
charge in both the corn and soybean markets. At this time, corn above $3.58 and nearby
the carry from December 2017 corn to July 2018 corn is 30¢ soybeans above $10.03. AL KLUIS
per bushel. If that spread starts to narrow to 24¢ or 26¢, then Commodity
that will show good demand. For soybeans, the January 2018 final thoughts Trader

to July 2018 spread is at 27¢. Again, if that narrows to 24¢ or
Successful
Marketing
newsletter
Start making more
money today with a
marketing newsletter
by Successful
Farming® and Al Kluis.
Learn more at
Agriculture.com/deal.
A
t a recent seminar, a Al Kluis has
farmer asked, “How can been trading
grain futures
you be bullish and project
since 1974. Sign
higher prices? We have up for a free
projections for corn ending trial to his
stocks of over 2.3 billion daily morning email and weekly
bushels and soybean ending “Al Kluis Report” by going to
stocks of 420 million bushels. alkluis.com.
Isn’t that a lot of ending
Kluis Commodities
stocks?”
901 - 12 Oaks Center Drive
Yes, those are some large
Suite 907
numbers. However, they are Wayzata, MN 55391
not as big as demand. Look 888/345-2855
at the stocks-to-use ratio. alkluis.com | al@alkluis.com

20 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017

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©2017 Commodity Classic
 C O O L TOOLS
By Dave Mowitz, Executive Editor, Machinery & Technology

TOOL INNOVATIONS

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bonus Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017

 WHEN NITROGEN STAYS
IN THE GROUND,

$21/ACRE
MORE COMES OUT OF IT. *

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m a c h i n e r y
By Tharran Gaines

INNOVATIONS FROM KINZE THE COMPANY

DEBUTS A PROTOTYPE FOR A 60-FOOT SPLIT-ROW PLANTER
PLUS ADDITIONS TO ITS PLANTER AND GRAIN CART LINES.

A
re North American farmers ready for a 60-foot split- “With two 25-bushel
row planter that pivots to a transport width of just tanks, increased seed
12 feet? That’s the question Kinze Manufacturing is capacity means less time
asking farmers. required for refills and The Camso tracks, com-
Like the existing 3600 split-row planter, the pro- higher productivity,” he says, bined with Kinze’s modular
totype features 15-inch split rows and the exclusive push-row noting that the new option cart construction, industrial-
design for better residue flow and wider access for service. is available to order for 2018 grade cylinders, and unload
“As a center pivot model, it also features a narrow 12-foot planting with split-row and speeds up to 750 bushels a
transport design for safer road travel and improved maneu- liquid fertilizer options. minute, provide you with
verability in and out of the field,” says Mike Gryp, Kinze. “It a rugged, durable cart for
is the narrowest transport width in the industry for a 60-foot Grain carts efficient harvest.
split-row planter and, in most cases, eliminates the require-
ment for a road permit.”
Other features include a three-section flex frame and
M oving over the Kinze
grain cart lineup, Gryp
says Kinze is now offering
“The dual-auger grain
carts will also be equipped
with a new joystick to
Kinze’s hydraulic weight transfer system that distributes the industry-leading Camso handle four cart functions,
bulk fill planter’s weight across the full width of the toolbar. brand tracks on the new including tip spout, horizon-
“Best of all, it has the ability to be used for both 30-inch series 1105 and 1305 dual- tal auger on/off, flow gate,
corn planting and 15-inch soybean planting in large fields for auger grain carts. The com- and auger tilt,” Gryp says.
increased productivity due to its 60-foot bar,” Gryp says. pany is also making tracks “This provides a more user-
The 60-foot split-row prototype isn’t the only new product available for the first time friendly, intuitive, ergonom-
from Kinze. The company also released an eight-row 3500 on the 1051 single-auger ic design for easy operation.”
planter with a bulk fill system. According to Gryp, the new grain cart. These tracks offer Again, Camso tracks and
model combines two proven technologies – the Kinze pivot- greater durability, easier the joystick are already avail-
fold frame design with the Kinze bulk fill system – to produce maintenance, and reduced able to order for the 2018
Kinze’s first small frame planter with this option. soil compaction. harvest season.

bonus Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017 Photography: Manufacturer

w e a t h e r
By Gene Johnston
best view available of how
much precipitation has actu-
ally fallen and where, says
Henry Reges, the national
coordinator for CoCoRaHS
based at Colorado State
University (CSU).
The program was borne
out of tragedy, he explains.
“In 1998, we had a flash
flood here in Fort Collins,
Colorado, that killed five
people. That storm dumped
over 14 inches of rain in 24
hours. But 5 miles away, it
was just 2 inches.”
Lessons Learned
T hat, he continues, taught
two lessons. First, there is
tremendous variability in the
precipitation amounts that
fall from showers and thun-
derstorms. Second, having
reports of rainfall amounts is
extremely valuable in antici-
pating outcomes.
CSU meteorologists
used the experience to
launch what would become
CoCoRaHS. They began
signing up precipitation
reporters across Colorado.
“Within a few years, the
RAIN GAUGE WITH A data became so good that
other states wanted to join
BIGGER PURPOSE
JOIN THE COCOR AHS NETWORK AND PUT
in,” Reges explains. Kansas
and Wyoming added
reporters in 2003. By 2009,
YOUR DAILY RAINFALL OBSERVATIONS INTO A CoCoRaHS had precipita-
NATIONWIDE DATABASE. tion observers in all 50 states.
D
Now, it operates in Canada
o you check your rain gauge every day? Then here’s a
feel-good job for you: Be a precipitation reporter for
and several Caribbean na-
tions, too.
a national network called Community Collaborative There’s plenty of room for
Rain, Hail & Snow Network – CoCoRaHS for short. more. “It’s like the resolu-
This network of rain, hail, and snow observers is tion on a camera. The more
now 20,000 strong, and it is the largest such network of daily pixels (dots), the sharper the
precipitation reporters in the country – maybe the world! photo. We’re always looking
Volunteer reporters put up a professional-grade rain gauge, for more observers,” he says.
check it every morning, and file a simple report online at the A dot map on the
CoCoRaHS website (coccorahs.org). Or, they can do it via the CoCoRaHS website shows
CoCoRaHS mobile app. that reporter gaps are most
These reports from across the country give climatologists the visible in the rural Midwest
Photography: Manufacturer December 2017 | Successful Farming at Agriculture.com bonus
and South. “We’d love to
have more farmers,” says
Reges. “They depend on
measuring rainfall every
day, and they make excellent
reporters.”
He says the rainfall
reports – including reports
of zero precipitation – are
used every day by weather
forecasters, the insurance
industry, recreation entities,
and many others.
“Many organizations pull
data from the CoCoRaHS
database every hour to get
the latest reports,” he says.
In cases of extreme
localized storms, the
network could help save
lives, Reges says. One
example is the flooding
rains that hit Colorado in
2013. CoCoRaHS reports
triggered warnings that
ultimately saved lives.
Reges says when you see
forecasts of river stages and
flood levels on the Missouri,
Mississippi, and Ohio rivers
– or most anywhere else –
timely CoCoRaHS data is
probably at work.
Reporters do this on a
volunteer basis and are not
how to order the
rAin gauge
T he official rain gauge
distributor for CoCoRaHS is
Weather Your Way
(weatheryourway.com). The
company provides a wide range
of weather and precipitation-
measuring tools, including the
4-inch-diameter gauge
recommended for reporters. It
measures up to 11½ inches of
precipitation to the .001 of an
inch. It sells to observers at a
discounted price of $30.50.
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w e a t h e r Continued

Henry Reges shows the largest If you can’t do it every day

documented hailstone ever
recorded – nearly 2 pounds and
8 inches in diameter
recovered in South Dakota in
July 2010.
paid, except for the good
feeling of being part of a
nationwide effort. They are
asked to purchase a high-
precision rain gauge (see
companion story on the pre-
vious page), check it every
morning around 7 a.m., and
file their observation online.
(vacation, for example), there
is a provision for making a
multiday report.
“The website will talk you
through how to sign up,”
says Reges. “It will even help
you find one of our 250 state
and regional coordinators
who can help.
“We love farmers, and we
really, really need their
help!” he says.
Learn More
cocorahs.org

dust bowl ii?

C ould droughty conditions that spurred the Dust Bowl ever happen
again?
Daryl Ritchison thinks it could. “It’s not a matter of if; it’s a matter
of when it will happen,” says the interim director of the North Dakota
Agricultural Weather Network. During the 2017 growing season, North
Dakota struggled through droughty conditions ranging from moderate
drought in eastern areas to extreme drought in the southwestern part of
the state.
The good news is, even if it does, farming practices are much better
today and can help protect the soil under droughty conditions, he says.
The second wettest North Dakota summer on record occurred in 1928.
Nearly the exact oppposite occurred in 1929. “In the spring of 1929, it just
stopped raining,” Ritchison says. “At that time, it was the second driest
year on record. There was no crop.”
Matters improved, particularly in 1930 through 1933. “It was not
phenomenally dry in eastern North Dakota,” he says. Each year, though,
had a rainfall deficit.”
Then came 1934. “It was really dry,” says Ritchison. The National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration proclaimed it the driest year of
the 20th century.
Surprisingly, this was followed up by a wet 1935 in North Dakota. “In
fact, there was a surplus of water conditions. That’s how wet it was in
1935,” says Ritchison.
Unfortunately, drought returned in 1936 in North Dakota and didn’t level
off until 1939, when more normal rainfall occurred.
All this helped fuel an exit of topsoil from the state, too. Typical is the
36 original inches of eastern North Dakota’s Red River Valley topsoil
that’s now down to 18 inches. That’s partly due to a combination of 1930s
drought combined with the excessive tillage of that era.
“Farmers back then were trained to pulverize the soil for good seed
germination,” he says. “It amazes me to think of all the soil that North
Dakota lost back then day after day with 10 to 20 mph winds.”
Fortunately, farming practices are better these days. More and more
farmers are practicing techniques like no-till and cover crops to protect
the soil. “Good soil practices can protect the soil in dry years,” he says.
bonus Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017
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 c r o p s
By Gene Johnston

More on Boron

K elly Nelson has done

several experiments
with the micronutrient boron,
and he says it shows promise in
enhancing corn yields.
“Boron is important for
reproductive functions in corn,”
he says. “Ear-leaf tissue tests
have indicated boron deficiency is
common in the Midwest.”
His research has applied
a combination of boron and
fungicide in-season. While it
increases tissue boron, it did not
increase yields in this research. 
“A soil application of boron
over 12 site-years of research on
fine-textured soils testing low in
boron indicates a 5-bushel-per-
acre increase. I’d recommend
soil testing and applying boron
accordingly,” he says. 
Diagnosing boron deficiency
at tasseling is too late to realize
a yield benefit from a foliar
application of boron, he says.

smaller in low- and medium-

Fungicides do the job in curbing
disease in corn (top) vs. the result
when they’re not applied (bottom) in
University of Missouri trials.
yield environments.
Other factors such as
weather, fertility status,
and the ability of a hybrid
to handle stress may be
limiting factors in low-yield

HOW TO PUSH HIGH YIELDS HIGHER

RESEARCH SAYS TASSELING-STAGE APPLICATIONS OF FUNGICIDES
environments. 
Crop-production factors
interact with each other. A
AND FERTILIZER WORK BEST WHERE ENVIRONMENT ALREADY high-yield environment may
FAVORS BIG CORN YIELDS. experience greater opportu-
nities for disease, but yield

F
increases are observed in the
ew researchers have studied in-season foliar applications probability of success for absence of disease also.
of fungicides and fertilizers as intently as Kelly Nelson, increasing yield from a
a University of Missouri agronomist at the Greenley
Research Center in Novelty, Missouri.
Nelson recently answered four questions about foliar
foliar fungicide is greater in
a high-yield environment
(180 bushels per acre and up).
2 When is the best time to
apply a fungicide to corn to
get an economic return?
fungicides and fertilizers for corn. Headline fungicide increased Nelson: Our most consistent
yields 6 to 9 bushels per acre yield increases have occurred

1When do foliar treatments pay off, and why?

Nelson: Our 54 site-year hybrid comparisons show that the
compared with the control.
The response was much
with a strobilurin fungicide,
such as Headline, at VT

bonus Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017 Photography: University of Missouri

 L A S S
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 c r o p s Continued

deficiencies. In these cases,

Fungicides and fertilizers have
been applied near tasseling stage
by airplane or helicopter in Kelly
Nelson’s research.
(tasseling). We can’t predict at tasseling what the weather will A 1- to 3-gallon-per-acre
do the rest of the season. However, the yield potential of the rate of Nitamin did not
crop can be assessed, and the probability of an economical
return is favorable if all other high-yield factors are there, such
as nutrients, high-yielding hybrid, plant population, and other
impact yield in low- or
medium-yield environ-
ments. If there is yellowing
management factors. from a nitrogen shortage,
we haven’t seen a yield
a rescue application of N is
recommended.
In a high-yield environ-
ment, 1 gallon per acre of
Nitamin increased yield
6 bushels per acre and, in
some cases, up to 15 bushels
per acre compared with no
treatment.
While significant, the
economic benefit will
depend on the relative
crop prices and the cost of
Nitamin in your location.
In contrast, grain yields
were reduced 7 to 10 bushels
per acre with Nitamin ap-
plied at 3 gallons per acre
at our Novelty, Missouri,
farm. This is probably due to
increased plant injury at that
higher level.
4 Is there synergy in applying
fungicide and fertilizer
together?
Nelson: Our research
indicates there is a promising

3 What are your results with foliar fertilizer applications?

Nelson: We’ve done research with Nitamin, a commercial
saturated polymer solution with slowly available nitrogen (N)
increase with Nitamin.
The amount of nitrogen
supplied (a few pounds per
synergistic benefit of
Headline with 1 gallon per
acre of Nitamin in high-
from urea, as a fungicide additive. acre) can’t overcome severe yield environments.

Corn-on-corn’s Nitrogen pounds per acre, either, Kent says. nodulation. Still, N applications have benefitted
sweet spot Corn-on-corn needs more N because there is soybean return on investment (ROI).

T hose of you who struggle with

hardscrabble clay or rock-pocked soils
would die for the deep, rich black soils oozing
with 4% to 5% organic matter at the Beck’s
Hybrids Practical Farm Research site near
Colfax, Iowa. Corn planted in these soils can take
advantage of generous nitrogen (N) applications.
Still, there’s a limit. Beck’s research found the
optimal N rate for corn-on-corn is around 215
pounds per acre on this farm, says Wade Kent, a
field agronomist for Beck’s Hybrids.
Corn with N applications of 125 pounds
per acre showed the telltale sign of leaf firing
that signals N deficiency. But there isn’t
an economic edge for rates as high as 250
typically a yield lag compared with corn
following soybeans of 10% to 15%. Although
there have been management strategies where
the yield discrepancy narrows between 5% and
8%, corn-on-corn does need more N, says Kent.
That’s particularly true as corn yields steadily
increase each year at the clip of around 1½ to 2
bushels per year.
Soybeans, too
S urprisingly, soybeans need N, too.
Soybeans require 4 to 5 pounds of N per
bushel of soybeans, says Chad Kalaher, a field
agronomist for Beck’s Hybrids.
Soybeans manufacture much N via
Beck’s researchers added 30 pounds per acre
of UAN on soybeans in a two-year trial. Stage
and the per-acre ROI of the fertilizer application
were as follows:
• Preplant incorporated: $43.07
• V6 (sixth trifoliate) sidedressing: $29.05
• Broadcast application between R3 and R4
stages (podding): $24.15
On average, this tallied into about a $32-per-
acre return from the N applications.
Opinion holds that adding N fertilizer will
make soybeans lazy and not nodulate. Kalaher
says that hasn’t surfaced in Beck’s Hybrids tests.
“Applying nitrogen to soybeans is one way to
break through yield barriers,” he says.

bonus Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017

 m a c h i n e r y
By Tharran Gaines

springs and high-capacity

shock absorbers, while the
MobilTrac system has been
redesigned by moving the
hardbar farther forward,
providing a longer wheel-
base and more stability.
The steel hardbar acts
as a front axle, attaching
to the forward point of the
roller frame and providing
up to 11° of oscillation to
improve ride and to mini-
mize compaction.
The pivoting carrier at-
tached to the roller frame
is now designed with the
Tri–Bogie suspension.
The midwheels provide
unmatched suspension and
track-to-ground contact,
improving performance and

NEXT-GENERATION TRACK TRACTORS

CHALLENGER UNVEILS THE NEW MT700 SERIES.
comfort.
Finally, a new two-point
cab suspension system with
increased suspension at

T
the rear absorbs vibration
he new styling is certainly the most obvious change the AccuDrive system allows through the rear axle.
on Challenger’s next-generation MT700 series track full output at 1,700 rpm,”
tractors. Look beneath the new sheet metal and Keeney adds. high-tech cab
you’ll find a tractor that’s practically new from the
ground up. The MT700 was designed using AGCO’s ride comfort L ast but not least, you
will appreciate the new
AccuEngineering platform and features a new hood and
grille, as well as a new engine, transmission, undercarriage,
and hydraulics.
Y ou will also notice a sig-
nificant difference in the
ride comfort, he says.
spacious, comfortable cab
that offers more interior
space. New features include
Three available models from 380 to 431 hp., powered by “The Challenger MT700 a 10.4-inch touch screen
AGCO Power 9.8-liter diesel engines equipped with concen- series is the first two-track AccuTerminal that allows
tric air systems, replace the previous 355- to 405-hp. MT700E machine with the MaxxRide you to manage all tractor
series. Gone, too, is the Caterpillar 16/4 powershift transmis- integrated comfort system settings and adjustments,
sion. It’s been replaced by an AccuDrive powertrain that that incorporates three plus monitor and control
features the smooth, seamless speed control of the Challenger stages of suspension and ISOBUS 11783-compatible
Accu-VT continuously variable transmission. oscillating midwheels that implements, camera func-
“It’s the same transmission that is used in the Challenger precisely contour to the tions, field documentation,
1000 series wheeled tractors,” explains Josh Keeney, AGCO, ground over terraces and variable-rate applications,
noting that the only difference is the way it powers the track uneven surfaces. You not guidance and wireless data
system. “It also uses the same state-of-the-art technology to only will experience greater transfer, and the headland
produce a high-torque, low-speed operating approach. This ride quality in the field, management system.
allows the Challenger MT700 series tractors to run in the but also will appreciate Other amenities include a
maximum torque range, while delivering low fuel consump- the improved comfort and color-coded keypad for
tion to help increase productivity and reduce costs.” handling at higher road concise control of tractor
The upgraded hydraulic system also offers greater flow at speeds,” he says. functions and a new LED
lower engine rpm to further reduce fuel cost, while meeting As Keeney explains, the light package on the outside
the demands of today’s larger planters and implements. “Now, primary suspension has been that adds more lights at the
instead of running at full throttle to meet the hydraulic needs, redesigned with rugged coil rear of the tractor.

Photography: Manufacturer December 2017 | Successful Farming at Agriculture.com bonus

 f a r m MANAGEMENT
By Raylene Nickel

the master graziers. If their

mutual experiences have
been positive, an apprentice
may begin working into the
management/ownership of
the master grazier’s opera-
tion. Or, the apprentice may
pursue such an opportunity
with another dairy producer
planning on retiring.
“The DGA is trying to cre-
ate this community of skilled
people who want to get into
dairying,” says Tomandl.
“We bring them into contact
with retiring dairy producers
who want to see their dairy
stay a dairy and an indepen-
dent business.”
Working in a similar
vein, David Baker, farm

A MIND-SET FOR TRANSITION FOLLOW THESE

STEPS TO STREAMLINE THE PROCESS WHEN PASSING DOWN THE FARM.
transition specialist with
Iowa State University
Extension and Outreach,
tries to help retiring farm-

W
ers find a good match in a
hen there’s no relative with the skills or desire to • Build a workable process. prospective successor.
take over the farm, finding a successor from out- “Develop a management sys- For starters, he points
side the family is an option. Preparing yourself tem that can be transferred them to the database
mentally for such a move could be an important to someone else and establish maintained by the Iowa
first step toward a successful transition. the economic profitability State University Beginning
“Think about who your real successor is,” says Joe Tomandl, that allows a transition,” says Farmer Center. The center
a grass-based dairy producer from Medford, Wisconsin, Tomandl. maintains a list of beginning
and executive director of the National Dairy Grazing “Each of us hoping farmers looking for farms
Apprenticeship (DGA). “The transfer of a farm resulting from to transfer the farm to a and retiring farmers offer-
a succession plan transfers assets along with management. younger operator needs ing farm-start opportunities
Rather than focusing on the building of an estate for heirs, to have a viable farm to to beginners.
such a plan focuses, instead, on replacing yourself with a new transfer,” he says. “It has to “The young people on the
farmer and a new farming operation. support a family needing to list far outnumber the estab-
“It requires a fundamental mind-set for transitioning the make payments and cover lished farmers,” he says.
farm,” he says. “It means you’re willing to forgo a quick, top- family living costs.” Similar matching pro-
dollar sale of your assets in order to help make the transition • Search for potential grams operate in about 20
possible for a younger farmer. It’s as much a mind-set as it is a successors. The DGA has other states. Additional
skill set that makes this possible.” developed a step-by-step resources are offered by
Developing a mind-set for transition might be furthered by process of dairy farm tran- the International Farm
considering these insights and steps. sition. Candidates apply to Transition Network.
• Decide what makes you feel successful. “For farmers who have the program and are avail- • Screen promising candidates.
a successful transition, financial gain is not their only criteria able for approved master Established farmers and
for success,” says Tomandl. “They take pride in transitioning dairy graziers to interview beginners using these match-
skills and a business, along with a lifestyle.” and hire. ing databases can typically
• See transition as a real possibility. “Get a vision for the process, Along with taking find contact information
and start planning eight to 10 years in advance,” says Tomandl. educational courses, the for participants on the list.
“Plan for your starting point for transition and plan how you apprentices work for two Additional information can
will exit your operation.” years as paid employees of often be accessed.

bonus Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017 Illustration: Matt Wood

 Interviews between the individuals to make final decisions,” he says. “For vision for transition in mind can help
conducted by telephone or in person the second five-year period, the partners you enter into the process and move
comprise the next step. During these in- make joint decisions; they have to reach through it successfully. “You have to
terviews, getting a reading of the young a point of agreement between each other. have a mind-set that this is the thing you
person’s attitude can help you decide During the third five-year period, the want to do and this is the time for it to
whether or not to move forward to the entering generation makes decisions, happen,” says Tomandl. “It’s not the clos-
next step in exploring a possible working with the retiring generation available for ing chapter of your life; it’s just a couple
relationship. consultation. Working out this gradual of pages in the book.”
“Communication is critical,” says transition in management allows the
Baker. “Think about how your choice of young person to participate in decision LEARN MORE
words affects the other person. Choose making while, at the same time, protect- • dga-national.org
words that encourage the other person ing the farm’s assets.” • extension.iastate.edu/bfc
to respond in a positive manner. Really From start to finish, holding your • farmtransition.org
listen to each other.”
Listen for common interests and
shared values. Try to discern the younger
person’s degree of sincerity, commitment,
and sense of reality. “While some young
people are very aware of the demands of
an agricultural life, others are sometimes
naïve,” says Baker. “They believe their
parents had a good and easy life on the
farm, and they will be able to duplicate
that. But four years of college and the
prospect of owning land does not make
you a farmer. It takes commitment.”
Watch for a can-do spirit in the
younger candidate. “Does it seem like
that young person will bring a positive
attitude to a business that can be kind
of rough?” asks Baker. “When it comes
to difficulty, does it seem like he or she
won’t take no for an answer?”
• Plan for a trial period. “For matches of
beginners and retiring farmers that we
help put together, we encourage the es-
tablishment of a trial period of a year or
two,” he says. “That lets them share time
or work together while they make sure
they’re the right match for each other.”
Before beginning the trial period,
agree upon an exit plan in the event
your working relationship has problems.
The mutually agreed-upon exit strategy
should permit either party to call an end
to the arrangement without emotional
backlash.
The trial period could allow for the
retiring farmer to mentor the beginner.
• Prepare a phased-in transition for man- Westfield’s WCX belt conveyors are designed for gentle handling,
agement. “After both retiring and begin- but built strong to last long. The WCX Series has a full line up of belt
ning farmers decide to move forward conveyors, low profile field loaders, long swing-away conveyors, and
with the transition of the management drive over pits.
of the farm, we encourage the use of
what we call the 5-10-15 plan – even for
father-son teams,” says Baker.
“For the first five years of this arrange- 866.467.7207 | grainaugers.com
ment, the retiring generation is allowed

December 2017 | Successful Farming bonus

m a c h i n e r y
By Tharran Gaines
HARVEST EDITION PICKUPS
PICKUP LINE IS DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR FARMERS.
R
am trucks, once
part of the Dodge
brand, have long
held a place on
North American
farms, particularly since the
introduction of the Hemi
and Cummins turbo-diesel
engines. However, Ram has
raised the stakes on its 2018
models with a new line of
Harvest Edition pickups
designed specifically for
American farmers.
Ram also continues to
expand its Ram Certified
Agriculture Dealership
program, which equips
dealers to address the needs
of farmers and ranchers
in their local communi-
ties with special offers and
services.
According to Mike
Manley, head of Jeep & Ram
brands – FCA Global, the
Harvest Edition will be avail-
able across the Ram 1500,
2500, and 3500 lineups, in all
four-door quad, crew, and
Mega Cab configurations, all
bonus Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017
RAM’S NEW
box lengths, and all power
trains, including 5.7-liter
Hemi V-8, 6.4-liter Hemi
V-8, and 6.7-liter Cummins
turbo diesel. However, many
new features added for the
agricultural market are only
available on the Harvest
Edition. They include two
new color options: Case IH
red and New Holland blue.
“The Ram Harvest
Edition marks the first time
that any pickup dealers will
be able to stock trucks that
exactly match the colors of
two of the most popular lines
of farm equipment in the
nation,” says Manley, explain-
ing that the option came
about through the common
ancestry shared by CNH
Industrial and Fiat Chrysler.
designed for
farmwork
A s Manley explains,
Harvest Edition trucks
are loaded with features
that are designed for
farmwork. Among them is
a ride-height increase of 1
inch, for 9 inches of ground
clearance with the standard
on/off-road tires on all
Ram 1500 Harvest Edition
models. Also included in the
farm-life essentials are black
tubular side steps, a durable
spray-in bedliner, foldout
bumper step, mud flaps,
and rubber floor mats. Skid
plates and tow hooks are
also included on 4×4s, while
heated seats are optional.
Ram Heavy Duty 2500 and
3500 models also come with
on/off-road tires and add a
cargo-view camera.
“Because Ram knows
farmers are tech savvy, the
Harvest Edition also comes
standard with an 8.4-inch
Uconnect 4C touch screen
radio with navigation, 4G
Wi-Fi, Apple Car Play, and
Android Auto,” he adds.
“This gives buyers seamless
connectivity, fingertip access
to smartphone map mirror-
ing, and up-to-the minute
weather maps and forecasts
customizable to any location
in the nation.”
Exterior features include
a chrome Wave Mesh
cross-hair grille, bright
front and rear bumpers, 17-
inch chrome wheels (1500
models, 18-inch polished
aluminum on Heavy Duty
models), chrome mirrors,
chrome door handles, and
chrome-tipped dual ex-
hausts (V-8 1500 models).
In addition to Case Red
and New Holland Blue,
Harvest Edition Ram trucks
are available in bright white
and brilliant black mono-
tone and two-tone with
bright silver color scheme.
Ram 1500 Harvest
Edition MSRP starts at
$39,910, plus a $1,395
destination charge. Ram
Heavy Duty models start at
$46,235. Although the
Harvest Edition pickups
were just unveiled at farm
shows this past August, they
are available at Ram
dealerships.
Photography: Manufacturer
 Restricted Use Pesticide

TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR WEEDS when you apply

XtendiMax® herbicide with VaporGrip® Technology—
the low-volatility straight-goods dicamba formulation
that provides control of more than 200 weeds.

Learn more at XtendiMaxApplicationRequirements.com

An integral component of the:

XtendiMax® herbicide with VaporGrip® Technology is a restricted use pesticide for retail sale to and use only by Certified Applicators or persons under their direct supervision.
ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW DIRECTIONS FOR USE ON PESTICIDE LABELING. See the Products Use Notice for “Xtend Your Weed Control” advertisement for XtendiMax® herbicide with
VaporGrip® Technology printed in this publication. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2017 Monsanto Company. All Rights Reserved. MDIC-17064 SF-DEC
 a g r i TOURISM
By Karen Bernick

Rob and Christy were sur-

prised that many visitors had
limited knowledge about
agriculture, so they looked
for ways to teach. They filled
a sandbox with shelled corn
for kids to play in, and they
made posters with corn facts.
They set up a farrowing dis-
play with a sow and piglets.
The idea of starting an ag-
Photography: Ian Adams

ritourism enterprise sprung

from interactions with those
early pumpkin customers.
“We wanted to create a space
where people could learn

FARM FUN AND EDUCATION THE NUMBER OF U.S.

FARMS OFFERING AGRITOURISM SERVICES IS GROWING, BUT FEW
about farming and to have
fun while they were here,”
Christy says.
OFFER AS MANY ACTIVITIES AS LEEDS FARM. New attractions were
initially based on what was

R
already at the farm. The
ob and Christy Leeds of Ostrander, Ohio, know a They also planted pumpkins Leedses put up a tent filled
thing or two about teaching kids and adults about and began selling them out with straw bales for forts and
agriculture. Both have day jobs as Extension educators front after a bumper crop climbing, and they offered
with Ohio State University. Christy guides 4-H and produced more than they hayrides around their pond.
youth development programs for Union County, while could use. Eventually they replaced the
Rob helps farmers in Delaware County learn about farm man- “We noticed that when cattle with more kid-friendly
agement, direct marketing, and conservation. Yet, it’s during people stopped to get their goats and built an elaborate
the couple’s time off when ag learning is closest to home. pumpkins, they often asked goat walk and feeding area.
In 1994, Rob and Christy bought an 80-acre farm as a way to if they could stay awhile, and They brought in a pair
reconnect with farm roots and to raise their family in the coun- if they could go through the of donkeys and created a
try. They started with beef cows in a turn-of-the-century barn. barn,” Rob says. granary to explain grain

What are my control options for

Some areas of the eastern Midwest are seeing a steady
increase in first-year corn damage due to a behavioral
variant of the western corn rootworm (WCR). Although
WCR larvae feed on corn roots, adults of this “rotation-
resistant” variant have evolved to lay eggs in soybeans
and other non-host crops. The result is that even farmers
who have taken precautions to rotate crops end up, the
following season, with hatching WCR variant larvae that
feed-on and damage corn roots. To date, the WCR variant
has been documented in the northern half of Illinois and
western Indiana.
Farmers with fields at risk for corn rootworm (CRW)
have options to help control this pest in the coming
season and 2019. First consider planting a non-host crop
like Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® soybeans. If the field is
to be in corn, switch to SmartStax® technology, a dual-
mode-of-action trait for above and below ground insect
protection. Ask your local seed dealer about SmartStax®
RIB Complete® corn blend or SmartStax® corn.
Planting a non-CRW traited corn product is a
viable option if the management plan includes a soil-
applied insecticide.

Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® soybeans contains genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate and dicamba. Glyphosate will kill crops that are not tolerant
to glyphosate. Dicamba will kill crops that are not tolerant to dicamba. Glufosinate will kill crops that are not tolerant to glufosinate. Contact your Consult your local seed dealer for
Monsanto dealer or refer to Monsanto’s Technology Use Guide for recommended weed control programs.
B.t. products may not yet be registered in all states. Check with your Monsanto representative for the registration status in your state. your best CRW control options
IMPORTANT IRM INFORMATION: RIB Complete® corn blend products do not require the planting of a structured refuge except in the Cotton-Growing
Area where corn earworm is a significant pest. SmartStax® RIB Complete® corn blend is not allowed to be sold for planting in the Cotton-Growing
Area. See the IRM/Grower Guide for additional information. Always read and follow IRMrequirements.
ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. RIB Complete®, Roundup Ready 2 Xtend®, Roundup Ready®, Roundup® and SmartStax®
are trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC. ©2017 Monsanto Company All Rights Reserved. traits8049c3-P214CHR1
 Don’t leave the foundation
of your yield defenseless against
corn rootworm.

Individual results may vary. Always read and follow IRM, grain marketing and all other stewardship

the Trait Stewardship Responsibilities Notice to Farmers printed in this publication.

©2017 Monsanto Company All Rights Reserved. smtstx7670c1-P214AR1
 Trait and Stewardship Responsibilities
Notice to Farmers
Monsanto Company is a member of
Excellence Through Stewardship ® (ETS).
Monsanto products are commercialized in
accordance with ETS Product Launch Stewardship
Guidance, and in compliance with Monsanto’s
Policy for Commercialization of Biotechnology-
Derived Plant Products in Commodity Crops. This
product has been approved for import into key export
markets with functioning regulatory systems. Any
crop or material produced from this product can
only be exported to, or used, processed or sold in
countries where all necessary regulatory approvals
have been granted. It is a violation of national and
international law to move material containing
biotech traits across boundaries into nations where
import is not permitted. Growers should talk to
their grain handler or product purchaser to confirm
their buying position for this product. Excellence
Through Stewardship® is a registered trademark of
Excellence Through Stewardship.
B.t. products may not yet be registered in all states.
Check with your Monsanto representative for the
registration status in your state.
IMPORTANT IRM INFORMATION: RIB Complete®
corn blend products do not require the planting of
a structured refuge except in the Cotton-Growing
Area where corn earworm is a significant pest.
SmartStax® RIB Complete ® corn blend is not
allowed to be sold for planting in the Cotton-
Growing Area. See the IRM/Grower Guide for
additional information. Always read and follow
IRM requirements.
Individual results may vary, and performance
may vary from location to location and from year to
year. This result may not be an indicator of results
you may obtain as local growing, soil and weather
conditions may vary. Growers should evaluate data
from multiple locations and years whenever possible.
ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL
DIRECTIONS. Roundup Ready technology contains
genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate, an active
ingredient in Roundup® brand agricultural herbicides.
Agricultural herbicides containing glyphosate will
kill crops that are not tolerant to glyphosate.
DroughtGard®, RIB Complete and Design®, RIB
Complete®, Roundup Ready 2 Technology and
Design®, Roundup Ready®, Roundup®, SmartStax®
and VT Double PRO® are trademarks of Monsanto
Technology LLC. LibertyLink® and the Water Droplet
Design® is a registered trademark of Bayer. Herculex®
is a registered trademark of Dow AgroSciences
LLC. Respect the Refuge and Corn Design® and
Respect the Refuge® are registered trademarks
of National Corn Growers Association. All other
trademarks are the property of their respective
owners. ©2017 Monsanto Company All Rights
Reserved. crntrt7681c1-P214SR1
a g r i TOURISM
production and a bee exhibit to explain
pollination.
“We keep adding information,”
Christy says.
Fun in the Back 40
A s the crowds began overflowing the
main farmstead, the Leedses expand-
ed their Back 40 Barnyard, an activity
area for entertaining kids and adults
alike. A single admission fee covers all
the Back 40 Barnyard activities, which
now include a larger, permanent straw
barn; a Pumpkin Jump with two giant
orange rubber pillows to test trampoline
skills; a 40-foot “mountain” with culvert
pipe tunnel slides; racing slides; an as-
sortment of human gerbil wheels made
from plastic tubes; mini ziplines; and a
track for red and green pedal carts big
enough for adults to ride.
“We encourage adults and kids to play
together,” says Christy.
Guests can also hop aboard the
Banana Bus, a rolling string of yellow
barrels pulled by a riding mower, or pick
their favorite oinker to win at the pig-
racing arena.
In 2005, the Leedses built a 400-foot
zipline to send thrill seekers soaring
above the farm’s valley meadow. The
zipline, which is certified as part of the
American Association of Challenge
Course Technologies, draws big crowds.
“Sometimes you have to wait an hour to
ride,” says son Isaac, 22, who attends Ohio
State in agricultural systems management
and hopes to eventually run the farm.
Beyond serving folks who flock to the
farm on weekends during September and
October, Leeds Farm also hosts group
events by appointment. These include
school tours, fund-raisers, weddings,
parties, family reunions, and corporate
events. Special events have included a
harvest festival for families with children
with autism, a salute to military families,
a tractor show, a pumpkin-carving exhi-
bition, and a witch-theme fund-raiser for
breast cancer awareness.
In 2004, the Leedses refurbished
their big white barn’s hayloft for serv-
ing food and hosting special events
such as weddings. A few years later,
they added the North Barn as a second
lunch spot and activity center during
the busy season and a party venue for
bonus Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017
Continued
up to 400 guests from May to August.
In addition, there are several smaller
pavilions for gatherings.
popular pumpkins
M ost of the pumpkins sold at the farm
are grown on a 7-acre field at their
farm or another 20-acre patch at Rob’s
home farm near Milford Center, Ohio.
The Leedses refrain from offering you-
pick-it selling because their pumpkin
crop is rotated between fields and some
are not nearby the farmstead. In addition
to traditional jack-o-lantern pumpkins,
the Leedses grow blue, white, pie, mini,
and fairytale pumpkins and a variety of
squash and gourds. Visitors can purchase
pumpkins and other produce inside a
small shed that serves as the farm store.
Questions frequently pop up about
whether or not the pumpkins are raised
organically. “Because pumpkins are
prone to diseases and damage from
pests, it isn’t feasible for us to grow them
organically,” says Rob who welcomes
the questions. “We explain that farmers
always try to minimize inputs because of
the expense,” he says. “They scout and
spray only when there is an issue.”
Leeds Farm employs a seasonal staff of
60, including retired farmers who oper-
ate the hay wagons, longtime employees
who run the store, and students.
“We stress customer service and hard
work,” says Christy, who plans formal
orientation sessions to teach farm basics,
safety precautions, and how to run the
various activities.
Managing an agritourism farm can
sometimes feel like living in a public
park, the Leedses admit. “You have to
have a passion for farming and telling
agriculture’s story, plus working with
people,” says Christy.
Although the farm is open to the pub-
lic only in the fall, there is work all year
with crops, livestock, facilities, planning
new activities, hiring and training staff,
arranging events, and marketing.
Hard work is part of the fun. The
Leeds family appreciates living on a farm
that gives other families a chance to learn
about agriculture while enjoying a fun
and memorable outing in the country.
Learn more
leedsfarm.com
 c o m m o d i t y Commodity Classic
MAIN STAGE
SCHEDULE
CLASSIC By Zoe Zuidema
(All Times Pacific)
Tuesday, February 27
Al Kluis, commodity expert
12:15 - and Successful Farming
1 p.m. columnist: “Positioning for
Profit in 2018”

Agricultural Executive Panel:

1:15 -
“The Infrastructure for New
2 p.m.
Technology”
Learning Center Session
with Kris Ehler of Ehler
Brothers Company and
2:15 -
JR Bollinger, farmer from
3:15 p.m.
Sikeston, Missouri: “Power
to the Plant: Set Record
Yields for Your Farm”

GROW BEYOND AT THE 2018 The Hefty Brothers:

COMMODITY CLASSIC
3:30 - “Soybean Weed Control:
4:30 p.m. Dicamba, Liberty & Why You
FIND BIG IDEAS AT Can’t Skip the Pre”
THE NATION’S LARGEST FARMER-LED, FARMER-FOCUSED
Wednesday, February 28
CONVENTION AND TRADE SHOW.

E
Learning Center Session:
11:30 a.m.
xplore emerging innovations and from The Hefty Brothers’ keynote “Harnessing the Power of
- 12:25
Digital to Solve Agriculture’s
groundbreaking products that presentation on keeping fields weed-free p.m.
Most Complex Challenges”
may change the way you farm and clean for less money in 2018. Later,
at the 2018 Commodity Classic they’ll share “What Your Fertilizer Dave Mowitz, Successful
in Anaheim, California. From Dealer Won’t Tell You” and help you 12:30 - Farming executive editor:
1:15 p.m. “Key Design Features in
February 27 to March 1, you can be understand soil and plant tissue tests. Top Farm Shops”
among thousands of leading farmers from Successful Farming magazine editors
across the nation who share your passion will host multiple sessions, with Ray Bohacz, SF Engine Man:
1:30 - “Maximize Farm Profit
for agriculture. advice from Al Kluis, columnist and 2:15 p.m. by Minimizing Machinery
Created by farmers, for farmers, commodity marketing expert; Dave Failures”
the event hosts educational sessions Mowitz, executive editor of machinery
and presentations to help you get the and technology; and SF Engine Man Al Kluis, commodity expert
2:30 - and Successful Farming
answers, information, and inspiration Ray Bohacz. 3:15 p.m. columnist: “Successful
you’re looking for. The Commodity Kluis will take the stage twice: first to Marketing”
Classic Trade Show offers a showcase look back at 2017 markets and present
The Hefty Brothers:
of hundreds of booths from the nation’s his corn and soybean price outlook 3:30 -
“What Your Fertilizer Dealer
top farmers and ag companies. You’ll for 2018, and then to go over putting 4:30 p.m.
Won’t Tell You”
get a firsthand look at the latest together a successful marketing plan
equipment, converse with leading for your crops. Mowitz will offer some Thursday, March 1
agribusiness companies, and grow your key design features of farm shops and 8:45 - Commodity Classic Cooking
own knowledge. The trade show is tips on shop design – plus renovation 9:45 a.m. Demonstration
also home to the Commodity Classic recommendations for your own shop.
Learning Center Session:
Main Stage, where speakers share more In an exciting return to the Main 10:00 - “Take Action on Pesticide
insights via educational sessions. Stage, Marji Guyler-Alaniz will share 10:45 Resistance: Management
The Commodity Classic Main Stage, her story of inspiration and passion for a.m. Strategies for 2018 and
presented by Successful Farming®, will FarmHer, and will tell of the strong Beyond”
feature panel discussions, ag showcases, and innovative women she has met Marji Guyler-Alaniz, founder
10:45 -
and expert speakers including radio and throughout her journey. 11:30 a.m.
of FarmHer: “Shining a Light
TV hosts The Hefty Brothers; Marji In Anaheim, you’ll gain the insight, on Women in Agriculture”
Guyler-Alaniz, founder of FarmHer; education, and innovation you need to
live updates from
and editors from Successful Farming grow beyond and prepare for success.
Commodity Classic
magazine. Main Stage sessions start With hands-on experience, new
Agriculture.com
on Tuesday afternoon and continue technology, and thought-provoking
/SuccessfulFarmingUSA
throughout the show. speakers, Commodity Classic will help
@SuccessfulFarm
Get some down-to-earth advice you “Grow Beyond” in 2018.

Photography: Commodity Classic December 2017 | Successful Farming at Agriculture.com 21

IT’S THE SYSTEM THAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE.
XTEND YOUR WEED CONTROL + XTEND YOUR YIELD

Get industry-leading weed control with up to 14 days of soil activity on

small-seeded broadleaf weeds* and featuring VaporGrip® Technology
for a significant reduction in volatility potential.
See your seed or ag chem dealer or visit RoundupReadyXtend.com/MyField
*On certain small-seeded broadleaf weeds. Results may vary, depending on rainfall and soil type. Always use dicamba with traditional residual herbicides in pre-emergence and postemergence applications that have different,
effective sites of action, along with other Diversified Weed Management Practices including the use of glyphosate. XtendiMax® herbicide with VaporGrip® Technology and in crop use may not be approved in all states.
XtendiMax® herbicide with VaporGrip® Technology is a restricted use pesticide for retail sale to and use only by Certified Applicators or persons under their direct supervision.
ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS AND ALL STEWARDSHIP PRACTICES. See the Products Use Notice for “This Is My Field” advertisement for Roundup Ready® Xtend Crop System
printed in this publication. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2017 Monsanto Company. All Rights Reserved. MDIC-17064 SF-DEC
+
Low-Volatility Dicamba
Restricted Use Pesticide
 THE
SILVER
LINING
TO
IRON
PRICES BY DAVE MOWITZ
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
MACHINERY & TECHNOLOGY

ince the summer of 2014, the value of low-hour, late- an ample fleet of late-model,

S model, and large machinery has been on a downward

spiral. A recent analysis of the dealer asking prices for
such items as combines, high-horsepower tractors,
grain carts, and tillage implements, however, finds
that trend has bottomed out. The 2018 price projec-
tion figures on the next page bear testimony to this fact.
These projections are based on recent dealer asking prices. The
values were compared with similar price analyses featured in the
magazine the last several years. The general bottoming out of dealer
large machinery being sold at
historically low prices. Prices
like these haven’t existed
since the mid-1980s (relative
to inflation) and likely won’t
be seen again in decades.
The good news doesn’t
end there. The late-model
machinery you buy today
prices brings to an end a growing gap that has occurred over the last could hold its value into the
four years between the relative value of equipment vs. new stock. near future and possibly
appreciate in value. “We
certainly have seen this
in 2014. happen in the past, such as
This is a bad news/good news situation. what happened to combines
The bad news is that the value of equipment in the mid-1990s,” says Tim
is less than in the past, and this has slashed your Meyer of Steffes Group.
borrowing leverage at the bank. Iron opportunities don’t
The good news is that the marketplace offers end here. Dealers are
Dave Mowitz, executive editor, covers
offering low-interest
machinery, shops, irrigation, and financing, extended
maintenance topics for Successful warranties, and the
Farming magazine; hosts the Successful opportunity to lease late-
Farming Show (on RFD-TV), and is editor
of the Ageless Iron Almanac. Email model, large iron, which
Dave.Mowitz@meredith.com. means even more savings.

24 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017

 3 to 5 years old, 30 to 34 feet wide 4 years old, 500 to 520 hp.

Case IH $36,900 average price Comments: Inventories Case IH $208,200 average price
330 of late-model disks have 500
$32,000 to $51,000 range $150,000 to $276,500 range
undergone a correction
John Deere $48,900 average price in the past year with John Deere $254,700 average price
2623 significantly fewer imple- 9510R
$28,500 to $62,500 range ments available. You can $205,000 to $315,500 range
$39,500 average price expect a run-up in their Comments: 4WD tractors have been the best
Landoll
values just prior to spring bargain available in late-model large iron in
6230 $32,000 to $51,100 range 2018. The way a disk is recent years. Their inventories were significantly
$37,500 average price equipped, particularly with trimmed in 2017, putting upward pressure on
Sunflower
finishing attachments, has their asking price.
1435 $32,500 to $44,900 range a big influence on its ask-
ing price.

Case IH $185,000 average price Comments: There are still

significant inventories of Case IH $259,900 average price
Magnum $139,000 to $216,800 range
high-horsepower FWDs 8230 $171,500 to $359,000 range
John Deere $225,200 average price available on dealers’ lots,
particularly those built John Deere $269,500 average price
8320 $179,500 to $285,000 range in 2013 and 2014. This is S680 $189,000 to $400,500 range
$174,500 average price going to exert downward
New Holland
pressure on their ask- $243,750 average price
T8.330 $140,500 to $283,000 range Gleaner
ing prices. As a result,
S78 $201,000 to $289,000 range
$190,500 average price values on these tractors
Massey
will be soft for the coming Comments: While supplies of late-model Class
Ferguson $170,000 to $215,000 range year, offering horsepower 7 combines have diminished greatly in the past
bargains. year, availability of Class 8 harvesters is still
ample. This is going to put downward pressure
on their values since dealers are needing to get
rid of inventories to encourage sales in new
$34,750 average price Comments: Supplies of combines.
Brent
1082 late-model grain carts in
$29,500 to $45,000 range
this size range have de-
J&M $41,600 average price creased. This is particular-
1151 ly true of J&M and Kinze
$36,000 to $44,500 range used inventories. You can
$59,900 average price expect asking prices on 3 to 4 years old, 90- to 100-foot booms,
Kinze
late-model grain carts to 1,000- to 1,200-gallon tanks
1100 $48,500 to $77,500 range remain at their current
$43,500 average price levels until next summer AgChem $193,500 average price
Unverferth
when, just prior to har- RG1100
1110 $39,900 to $68,000 range $145,000 to $247,600 range
vest, they may experience
a price rally. $183,100 average price
Case IH
Patriot 3330 $170,100 to $225,500 range

$220,500 average price

John Deere
John Deere $32,500 average price Comments: The number 4830 $195,000 to $269,500 range
569 of late-model, large used
$20,900 to $51,000 range
round balers has increased Comments: Supplies of late-model, self-propelled
New Holland $33,100 average price greatly, which is putting sprayers on dealers’ lots have been greatly re-
Roll-Bale 560 $24,500 to $42,900 range downward pressure on duced. As a result, low-hour sprayers are bringing
their asking prices. This higher prices on lots and at auction sales. Expect
$31,000 average price situation offers a great op- price increases if there is a price rally on corn or
Vermeer
portunity to get a bargain soybeans prior to and during planting.
605N $22,500 to $39,000 range on balers.

Photography: GLYPH and mkirarslan of iStockphoto.com December 2017 | Successful Farming Agriculture.com 25
 MANAGING MACHINERY COSTS
K
eeping machinery costs contained within the financial
corral best suited to the size of your operation is an
ongoing juggling match, to say the least. “This is
always going to be a hassle for producers,” says Allen
Graner, a longtime North Dakota Farm Business
Management (FBM) instructor.
Working with FBM participants over several decades, Graner
has heard firsthand these questions: Should I trade tractors now
or hold off? Should I upgrade combines? Should I downsize my
equipment? Should I run longer days in the field?
“Managing machinery costs is just as important as managing
any other input cost,” Graner says. “Over the last few years,
we’ve seen increases in machinery costs and general overhead
costs, and the biggest culprit seems to be a lot of upgrading in
order to access better technology. It comes with a price, though.”
According to the 2016 FBM report for the south-central
“depreciation tends to account
for the largest share of the
machinery-cost category.” – Jory Hansen
26 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017
region of North Dakota, FBM participants’ machinery costs
comprised 21% to 23% of total direct and overhead costs.
A fine-tuned analysis of the records by breaking down the
costs according to producers’ profitability shows a marked
difference in machinery costs between low- and high-profit
producers. “In 2016, the low-profit corn producers in our
region had machinery costs of $124.70 per acre, and their total
cost per acre was $521.12,” says FBM instructor Jory Hansen.
“The high-profit producers had a machinery cost of $70.04 per
acre and a total cost of $366.77 per acre. They spent $54 less per
acre on machinery inputs than the low-profit participants.”
The records show a similar disparity between low- and
high-profit producers of soybeans. The low-profit soybean
growers had a machinery cost of $87.66 per acre, with a total
cost of $340.33 per acre. The high-profit soybean producers, on
the other hand, had a machinery cost of $57.93 per acre and a
total cost of $262 per acre.
The profitability of the high-profit producers
tends to result from higher yields overall and
lower input costs, in general. These producers
tend to contain costs at every level, including
each of the input categories comprising their
machinery costs. “Machinery costs are made
up of expenditures for fuel, repair, machinery
leases, and custom hire,” Hansen says. “The
big thing would be depreciation. Depreciation
tends to account for the largest share of the
machinery-cost category.”
The North Dakota FBM record-keeping system uses
FINPACK software and its method of allocating depreciation.
“When a producer purchases a new piece of equipment, we
add it to the balance list of equipment; we depreciate the whole
machinery line by 9% every year,” Hansen says.
Expenses are allocated to depreciation of equipment by crop,
using the work units FINPACK assigns to various crops. Each
crop’s typical mechanical needs for production, harvesting, and
handling determine the work units assigned to the crop. Like
depreciation, total costs for fuel and repairs are also assigned in
proportion to each crop’s designated work units.
No one standard for all farms
It’s no surprise, of course, that there’s no standard carved
in stone for managing overall machinery costs. It is, at best, a
balancing act. Following are six questions the FBM records
and instructors suggest might point to reduced costs.
1
Is my equipment of an efficient size? “The size of the
equipment needs to match the size of the operation,” says
Hansen. “Covering more acres could reduce the cost of
owning a machine. Trading to a smaller model that will still
do the required job may reduce equipment cost.”
2
Am I overequipped? “When crop prices were good, we
saw producers buying a lot of machinery,” says Hansen.
“One example is the self-propelled sprayer that we
formerly saw owned primarily by custom applicators. We’ve
Photography: David Ekstrom
recently seen some producers job,” says Hansen.

3
trading down to a smaller
model.”
Graner, too, suggests
reviewing equipment lines
for pieces that might not be
needed. He says, “A single
operator might ask, ‘Do I
need three big tractors and
two combines when I’m only
one person?’ ”
Taking a hard look
Is it time to trade?
Just because a piece
of equipment is paid
for doesn’t mean it costs less
to operate. Sooner or later
comes the day when it must
be replaced. Monitoring
its trade-in value may help
determine the cost-effective-
ness of trading. Hansen. “Just by maintaining the newer equipment that you
“Every year that you have, you can reduce costs over time.”

at your line of tillage
implements could lead to
a further streamlining of
equipment inventories.
Yet, goals and family
needs play a role, too,
in maintaining lines of
have a machine, its value
gets closer to zero,” says
Hansen. “When you lose
too much in trade-in value,
you face higher replacement
costs, and that increases
machinery costs.”
5
Should I consider leasing equipment or hiring custom field-
work? Either leasing or custom farming can reduce debt,
but they do increase direct costs. A lease can also lower
payments and money required up front to acquire machinery.
Compared with the 10% to 20% down payment required on an
installment loan, leasing generally requires only the first two
monthly payments to begin.

4 6
equipment. As an example,
Hansen points to the labor
needs of his own family
of beef producers, six
partners all employed off
the farm. Time is a precious
commodity. “You have to
think about the amount of
time you have to do a given
Is it the time to hold
on to equipment?
While trading one
piece of equipment may be
cost-effective, holding on
to another may be a better
choice. “If you bought a trac-
tor in 2012, it’s costing less in
depreciation every year,” says
Am I managing fuel and repair costs to the max? The
FBM records for south-central North Dakota show that
the high-profit producers of corn and soybeans have
somewhat lower fuel costs than the low-profit producers. They
also have significantly lower repair costs.
This is one rule of thumb Graner offers for overall cost
containment: “Always try to maximize all working assets,
whether it’s machinery or breeding cattle,” he says.
– By Raylene Nickel

PUT A SHARP PENCIL

TO YOUR STEEL FLEET
epercussions of the free fall in the values of large, late-model market value to forced liquidation value. “There are a lot of people who do

R machinery in the past four years also affects your borrow-

ing power at the bank. This could lead to disagreements with
your banker about how to value your fleet. For this reason, you
should hit the internet this winter to “prove up” your fleet’s value.
“The first thing you have to do is identify what you are valuing,” says
Larry Perdue, an accredited senior appraiser with the American Society
of Appraisers (ASA). “Unlike the Kelley Blue Book, which lets you add in
all the options on a car and obtain a value, the price listed for a tractor is
usually the base price. So you have to add in all the options it may have like
wheel weights, electronics, extra lights, additional hydraulic spools, and
transmission options. Those add to the original cost and the retained value.”
Other situations in which equipment appraisal can be valuable include
insurance coverage, financial planning, state and gift taxes, partnership
dissolutions, litigation, and divorces.
Perdue will be the first to admit that professional appraisals by an ASA-
certified appraiser cost a fair amount of money. The first appraisal and
inventory will also be more expensive than any updates. The important
thing to know is whether you’re comparing apples to apples or fair
appraisals, and there are a number of ways you can get what we call an
‘unresearched value,’ ” Perdue says. “When certified appraisers give an
appraisal, they actually assume the liability with the bank, IRS, or whatever
other agency is involved to ensure that the equipment is worth what they
say it was worth.”
The other option is to establish the current value of your equipment
by going to the internet and researching recent auction sales. Sites such
as tractorhouse.com, rbauction.com, and ironsearch.com allow you to
search for recently sold equipment by make, model, year, and location. You
can further qualify comparisons by selecting auctioned equipment that
has hours and accessories (weight packages, duals, tracks, transmission
options, or precision ag equipment) that are similar to your machinery.
Another source of equipment values based on dealer sales of used
machinery is offered at Iron Solutions (ironsolutions.com), which also
operates the Iron Search website mentioned before. Equipment dealership
and banks have used this location to obtain up-to-date valuations. Choose
to purchase Iron Solution’s Iron Guides or order a custom appraisal.
– By Dave Mowitz, Executive Editor, Machinery & Technology

28 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017

I continue to plant Beck’s because
they are very competitive with their
prices and I don’t have to sacrifice
yield as a result. They offer the
complete package and they
look out for our bottom
line, even during these
tough times.

Jim Probst | Sigel, IL

BecksHybrids.com
 l i f e IN AG
By David Ekstrom, Producer, Multimedia & Custom Solutions

Bonus Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017

Reflecting on the sale

Farmers eagerly await the results of a tractor sale at an

auction in Carman, Illinois.

Behind the Camera

While shooting at this auction, I wanted to show a
different perspective of the crowd. In framing this image, I
focused on the reflection in the mirror instead of the mirror
itself to ensure the focus was sharp. I enjoy this composition
because the reflection in the mirror gives an intimate feel to
the image, as opposed to the usual wide shot. The great
thing about photography is that sometimes the little details
turn an ordinary image into something extraordinary.

December 2017 | Successful Farming at Agriculture.com Bonus

 f a r m POLICY
By Gil Gullickson, Crops Technology Editor

Soybeans are a huge enter the Canadian market

export crop for U.S. selling ultra-filtered milk,
farmers, with $14.2
billion worth of soybeans a milk protein concentrate
being exported in 2016 that works well for mak-
to China. ing cheese. This dodges
tariffs that Canada applies
to other U.S. dairy prod-
ucts. Impacted are 75 dairy
farmers selling milk to
Grassland Dairy who had
their contracts cancelled
earlier this year.
To be fair, both Senator
Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
and Speaker Paul Ryan
say they didn’t have the
votes to pass TPP in 2016,
says Ray Starling, special
assistant to the president
for agriculture, trade, and

HOW TO HIT THE AG TRADE SWEET SPOT

TPP IS DEAD, NAFTA IS UNDER RENEGOTIATION. WHAT NOW?
food assistance. “Thus, it’s
impossible to compare the
current trade picture to a
multilateral trade agree-

D
ment that had no chance of
uring last year’s election, bashing trade agreements Canadian Trade becoming law.
was as irresistible to presidential candidates as a pile of Troubles “We have to access new
pork chops is to a pack of puppies.
Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and Senator
Bernie Sanders (I-VT) all bashed the Trans Pacific
H owever, Representative
Collin Peterson (DFL-
MN) thinks the Trump
markets,” Starling says. He
adds that questions must
be answered in trade deals
Partnership (TPP) trade agreement during last year’s presiden- administration has a point. about items such as disputes
tial campaign. Once in office, President Trump killed the TPP “This issue has evolved over biotechnology, intellec-
and is now taking steps to renegotiate the North American since I first came in the tual property, and phytos-
Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). House (in 1991),” he says. anitary issues.
Earlier this year, farm group leaders and U.S. representa- “We had a softwood lumber “We have to make sure
tives and senators addressed the North American Agricultural agreement, and it got un- they are based on scientific
Journalists meeting on trade matters. done. It is not working. So, I standards,” he says.
“Farmers Union is in line with the Trump administration support the softwood lumber TPP left a good founda-
with TPP,” says Zach Clark, government relations representa- (argument) in what they are tion in place for bilateral
tive with the National Farmers Union. talking about. trade agreement with
Changes to NAFTA, though, make NFU nervous, says “I don’t think they under- countries in the TPP, says
Clark, as does trade rhetoric by the Trump administration, in stand what is being done in Mike Conaway (R-TX), who
general. Disputes can escalate into a costly trade war between dairy,” he continues. “Some heads the House Agriculture
the U.S. and leading customers like China, Mexico, and people are just waking up Committee.
Canada, he says. to NAFTA. We allowed
Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) says President Trump’s U.S. the Canadians to keep their
Trade representative, Robert Lighthizer, has experience nego- (dairy) supply-management By the numbers

47%
tiating trade bills. system in NAFTA, and we
“He knows most trade bills are overcriticized and oversold,” allow them to export to us.
says Roberts. “There is a sweet spot there.” That is what we agreed to.”
Roberts is apprehensive, though, about the Trump adminis- He notes that Grassland
The amount of total U.S.
tration’s lumber and dairy trade disputes with Canada. Dairy Products, a agricultural exports that
“I think that’s asking for trouble, as opposed to whatever ac- Greenwood, Wisconsin, went to China, Canada, and
complishment they might want to accomplish,” says Roberts. firm, found a loophole to Mexico in fiscal year 2016.

bonus Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017 Photography: Gil Gullickson

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All trademarks are the property of 360 Yield Center, its affiliates and/or licensors. ©2018 360 Yield Center. All rights reserved.
 Y I E L D QUEST
By Gil Gullickson, Crops Technology Editor
subpar yields drag down
the rest of the farm. On the
other hand, the cost of snap-
ping such a field in shape to
glean higher yields might
not be worth the cost.
Examples include sodic
and saline soils. Sodic soils
impact about 10% of North
Dakota’s agricultural land.
Meanwhile, 1.2 million
acres in the Red River
Valley of North Dakota and
Minnesota are classified as
saline.
Saline soils are high in
salts derived from ancient
sedimentary rocks. Heavy
rainfall prompts these salts
to rise to the surface, due to a
rising water table.
Salts that cause salin-
ity don’t plague sodic soils.
Instead, these soils have high
amounts of sodium relative
to calcium and magnesium
on their exchange sites.
Cover crops and a main crop of barley
helped Terry Wehlander reclaim fields When this happens, swell-
pocked with saline soils. ing and dispersion cause
disorder of clay and organic
matter. These soils then have
HOW TO SNAP SLACKER low productivity and poor
soil health.
SOILS INTO SHAPE COVER CROPS
AND SALT-TOLERANT CROPS CAN HELP MANAGE
Both soil conditions have
been aggravated by two de-
cades of rampant rainfall in
SODIC AND SALINE SOILS. the 1990s and 2000s in areas
like eastern North Dakota.
F
Salts and sodium have
armers huddled around Keith Anderson, a North likely always existed in these
Dakota National Resources Conservation Service soil soils, says Tom DeSutter, an
survey leader, who stood in a soil pit at a North Dakota NDSU soil scientist. The
State University (NDSU) soil health field day. Anderson native prairie grasses kept
dissected the various layers of a high-clay sodic soil. this in check, though, by
When moist, these soils form a greasy mix that can sink a properly cycling water and
tractor up to its proverbial axles. When dry, these soils harden nutrients.
like concrete and can nix a crop’s ability to absorb water and “Then annual crops came
nutrients due to reduced water infiltration. along and made it worse,”
After some silent seconds, one farmer finally asked what DeSutter says.
they all were thinking: “So, what do you do with this crap?” “With sodic soils, you
are pretty limited in what
Problem fields you can do,” says Chandra
M aybe you’ve had a problem field like this – one that just
never measures up to the rest of your farm. On one hand,
Langseth, an NDSU
Extension agent in Richland
bonus Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017
County in southeastern
North Dakota.
Tiling doesn’t help. Cases
have existed where tile spac-
ings as tight as 20 feet didn’t
help sodic soils. “These soils
never drained well to begin
with,” says DeSutter.
Sodic soils also tend to be
interspersed in fields among
better soils.
“This causes trafficabil-
ity issues,” says DeSutter.
“Those pockets cause you
to spend two to three hours
getting unstuck.”
NDSU trials with alfalfa
used as a nurse crop plus
soil amendments like
gypsum can improve soil
water movement. Gypsum
provides calcium and helps
maintain the soils’ electrical
conductivity (EC) above the
level needed for flocculation.
This allows for good water
movement and root growth,
says DeSutter.
Soil amendments can
be expensive. If all else
fails, alfalfa can work as a
main crop for several years.
Sunflowers – another deep-
rooted crop – are another
option, says Langseth.
saline soils
T he news is better for
saline soils. Before you
begin to remedy them,
though, a soil check with
an EC meter can reveal if
the soil is saline. The higher
the EC, the higher the salt
content. Most labs define a
soil as saline if the EC has a
reading of 4 decisiemens per
meter (the metric used in
determining EC) or more.
Some crops, though, are
more sensitive to salt. “For
rotations with soybeans, an
EC of 2 is where we need to
manage the soil to keep
Photography: Gil Gullickson
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 Y I E L D QUEST Continued

left: Cover crops can help boost

water infiltration on saline soils,
says NDSU’s Abbey Wick.
right: Sodic soils like these have
poor water permeability says
NDSU’s Tom DeSutter.

competitive with corn and

salts in check,” says Abbey
Wick, an NDSU Extension
soil health specialist. “You
need to shift your brain from
production to remediation
for those saline parts of the
field where crops fail year
after year.”
Managing these soils is
akin to wicking up water via
a dry sponge.
“The more that water
goes to the surface, the more
salinity you have,” says
Frank Casey, an NDSU soil
physicist.
Tiling can help. So can
cover crops. “In some cases
where cover crops are not
planted, the soil can be pure
white,” says Langseth.
Still, it’s difficult to sort
through the plethora of
many different cover crop
combinations out there.
Confused? Don’t be.
Effectiveness exists in
simplicity, says Wick. In
southeastern North Dakota,
Wick and area farmers have
managed salinity with a
cover crop mix of 40 pounds
per acre of barley, 2 pounds
per acre of radishes and 40
pounds pounds per acre of
cereal rye.
“Each one serves a pur-
pose,” she says. “Barley is the
most salt-tolerant cover crop
we have. Radishes can open
up the soil for drainage, and
cereal rye will overwinter to
use moisture in the spring-
time when these areas are
typically wet.”
To make this mix eco-
nomical, Wick advises plant-
ing it only on localized salt
patches, since this crop will
not be harvested.
No-till also is an option,
since it boosts soil aggrega-
tion. This helps improve
water infiltration that pushes
salts down in the soil.
That’s been the direction
Terry Wehlander, who farms
with his brother Kevin,
cousin Steve, and uncle Don
near Milnor, North Dakota,
have taken on saline soils.
“The deeper we worked
the ground, the worse the
salts got,” he says. The no-till
they’ve used in the past five
years has helped.
bring on barley
N o-till hasn’t been enough,
though. The Wehlanders
chose salt-tolerant barley as
a cash crop to remedy those
soils and snap them in shape
for row crops again.
“We hadn’t raised barley
in 21 years,” he says. “We
figured if we broke even on
that field, we were getting
better soil health.”
One knock against barley
is that it’s not economically
soybeans. Much depends,
though, on yields and
whether it makes the malt-
ing barley grade.
When they planted the
barley in 2014, yields ranged
from 65 to 100 bushels per
acre. A plus on the 100-bush-
el field was that it made
malting grade, with a price
of $5.25 per bushel.
Expenses were minimal,
with the biggest adjustment
occurring with fertil-
ity. Barley needs adequate
nitrogen (N) for good yields.
However, excess N can
trigger excessive protein
and small kernel size that
can cause brewers to reject
barley for malting. Excess
N also leads to lodging and
boosts severity of head blight
and severity in certain years,
note NDSU soil scientists.
The Wehlanders had
good results with applying a
starter fertilizer at planting
before topdressing 20 gallons
per acre of 28% N.
After barley, they seeded
a cover crop before going
back to corn the next year.
be patient
P roblem soils like these
will never bust the bins
like a deep, rich silt loam
soil. In the cases of soils like
saline ones, though, steps ex-
ist for you to manage them.
It just takes time.
“It’s often a 10-year
process,” says Casey. “The
soil doesn’t fix itself over-
night.”

bonus Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017

 F e n C i n g
By Raylene Nickel

Portable mesh fencing suits all

classes of livestock. Fence heights
and sizes of mesh openings vary.

FENCING TIPS AND IDEAS ALMOST ANY ANIMAL CAN BE TRAINED

TO HEED ELECTRIC FENCE. HERE ARE TIPS ON HOW TO DO IT.

T
he type of fence you build for your animals will be North Dakota. His retail animal behavior.
most effective if you’ve first considered the nature of business formerly offered a 1. Imprinting. When
your animals and the size of area to be fenced. The size contract fencing service for animals learn respect for a
and location of the enclosure determine the pressure all classes of livestock. fence at a very young age,
the fence will receive from animals. Consider, too, the Sheep confined to a rela- they tend to carry this obe-
labor and skill available for installation. tively small area might best dience into adulthood. For
For many applications, electric fencing, in particular, of- be contained by physical- instance, even a minimal
fers flexibility of design and construction. Properly designed barrier fencing. Sorting electric fence built from two
electric fencing can effectively restrain many types of animal alleys or small enclosures, well-energized polywires
– from bison to geese and rabbits. While not a good choice for too, are high-pressure areas can imprint baby goats so
deer and elk, electric fencing works well for pigs, cattle, and also best suited to physical- effectively that, even as
horses. With effective design and animal training, electric fenc- barrier fencing. adults, they will respect
ing can even work for sheep and goats. Fencing that creates a two-wire electric fencing
After animals are trained, electric fencing presents a psy- physical barrier is con- systems. Effective first les-
chological barrier rather than a physical one. While deciding structed of fixed materials sons are the key and depend
whether the area to be fenced requires fixed materials or lends such as wooden planks, on proper wire height rela-
itself to electric construction, determine how the size and use metal livestock panels, tive to the baby goat and a
of the enclosure will affect animal behavior. sucker rod, welded wire, or powerful energizer.
For instance, sheep grazing good pasture in a large acreage high-tensile mesh wire well 2. Escaping. Any weakness
may be restrained by electric fencing because they behave supported with line posts in the fence that permits or
differently from sheep confined in a small area where they set in the ground. encourages animals to escape
are fed hay. trains an escaping behavior
“Sheep, in particular, tend to walk a fence looking for a way Behavior Issues into the animal. Once an
out, and if there’s a dip in the ground, for instance, creating a
10- to 12-inch gap between the ground and the fence, they’ll
slip beneath the wire there,” says David Lautt of Lautt’s Feed
I f you choose to install an
electric fence, first consider
that its effectiveness will be
animal finds a way out of an
enclosure, it tends to repeat-
edly return to the weak spot,
and Supply, a livestock fencing and supply outlet in Harvey, influenced by two aspects of seeking a way out.

Photography: Tony Giammarino, Betsy Freese December 2017 | Successful Farming at Agriculture.com bonus
 Take care of your corn.

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acre. That’s exactly what the BASF corn portfolio was built to do: from weed
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 F e n C i n g
And it’ll
take care
of you.
Some individuals within any group of
animals tend to persistently find ways
to get outside of the fence, particularly
in the case of electric fences. These
troublemakers lure other animals out-
side the fence, and that trains the whole
group in the art of escaping.
“The only way to solve that problem
is to get rid of those individuals or to
confine them in a fence constructed of
materials creating a physical barrier,”
says Lautt.
Designing Electric Fences
W hen designing electric fencing,
consider that multiple wires and
line posts set at a relatively close spac-
ing strengthen an animal’s perception
that the electric fence, indeed, presents
something of a physical barrier.
The size and
location of
the enclosure
determine the
pressure the fence
will receive from
animals.
December 2017 | Successful Farming at Agriculture.com bonus
Continued
Imprinting animals at a young age
to learn respect for an electric
fence carries over into adulthood.
When multiple wires are used, Lautt
suggests first setting the bottom wire at
a level that discourages an animal from
going underneath. Next, set the top wire
at the face level of the target species to be
contained. Set the middle wires at spac-
ings relative to the size of the animal.
“On a five-wire sheep fence that’s
3 feet high, space the wires 6 inches
apart,” he says. “For rabbits and poultry,
you might space the wires 2 to 3 inches
apart.”
Animals well trained to electric fenc-
ing may require only one wire.
Materials
• High-tensile wire. This wire’s relatively
thick 12.5-gauge dimension conducts
electricity effectively. It also offers
strength, making it a good choice for pe-
rimeter fencing because it resists break-
ing. On the downside, the thickness of
the wire can make it hard to handle.
High-tensile wire requires strong
corner and end bracing. The bracing is
best built in an H design using 6-inch-
diameter wooden 8-foot posts set 3½
feet in the ground.
Line posts for high-tensile electric
fencing should also be of strong con-
struction, such as steel T-posts or wood
posts of 3 inches to 5 inches in diameter.
Cost: High-tensile wire costs 2½¢ a
 F e n C i n g Continued

The type of fencing you choose

depends on your animals’ nature as
well as the area to be enclosed.

foot; treated wood line posts, $4 to $10 each; 5½-foot steel posts, brand, diameter, and electri- tall grass or weeds, which
$5.30 each; treated corner posts, $16.50 each. cal conductivity; 2¢ to 5¢ a impede electrical current
• Galvanized 14-gauge wire. This lighter wire is relatively foot for ⅛-inch polywire, when touching the wire.
easy to work with and can be hand-stretched from single up to 14¢ a foot for ¼-inch Install with one or more
corner posts. Wood posts or steel T-posts can serve as corner polywire. ground rods.
braces. For relatively short fence spans, 1-inch or larger plas- • Polywire netting. This Cost: Varies by manu-
tic pound-in posts can also serve as corners or end posts. This portable mesh fencing facturer and joule output.
wire will break or stretch if larger animals, such as cattle or suits all classes of livestock, Plug-in 110-volt energizers
horses, hit it with speed. particularly sheep and goats. providing .30 joules and
Light step-in line posts of diverse designs can work with Mesh squares range from 3½ sized for a 20-acre system
14-gauge wire. Plastic posts require no insulators. Metal-rod to 7 inches. Netting comes may cost $85; a plug-in
step-in posts are particularly durable, and the screw-on insula- in rolls with built-in step-in model providing .50 joules
tors offer infinite adjustments in wire height. posts. Height varies from 28 and sized for a 50-acre
Cost: Wire, 3¢ a foot; step-in posts, $2 to $2.50 each. inches to 48 inches. system may cost $115. Solar
• Polywire. While conducting electricity is slightly less effec- Cost: $1.50 a foot for energizers sized for smaller
tive than metal wire, light and flexible single-strand polywire 48-inch-tall netting with 3½- systems may cost from $100
offers ease of installation for temporary fencing for domesti- inch spacings; $1.20 a foot to $200.
cated livestock. for 48-inch-tall netting with • Voltage meters. Handheld
Wider and more 7-inch openings. digital voltage meters tell
Polywire visible polytape • Energizers. These are you the strength of the
is an alternative available in plug-in, electrical current in the
netting is a choice for horses. battery-powered, and solar wires. Low readings indicate
portable mesh Handheld reels models. A fencing sup- electrical shorts or poorly
fencing that permit ease of un- plier can help you match performing design compo-
suits all classes rolling and rolling energizer size to the design nents in the fence.
up the wire. Any of your fencing system. “For cattle, I like to see
of livestock, type of step-in, Purchasing an energizer a reading of 3 kilovolts or
particularly insulated line of more-than-sufficient higher,” says Lautt. “A read-
sheep and goats. posts will support power helps ensure conduc- ing of 3.5 to 4 kilovolts is bet-
the polywire. tivity even under less-than- ter for sheep, for instance.”
Cost: Varies by ideal conditions such as Cost: $100.

bonus Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017

 m a c h i n e r y
By Dave Mowitz, Executive Editor, Machinery & Technology INSIDER ™

100TH ANNIVERSARY OF
JOHN DEERE HORSEPOWER
THE 1918 DECISION TO BUILD THE ALL-WHEEL-
DRIVE MARKS DEERE’S ENTRY INTO TRACTORS.

I
n 1912, John Deere faced a huge challenge. While the
company was highly successful producing implements and
resided as the number one manufacturer of plows in the
world, it lacked a tractor to complete its product lineup.
The pressure from dealers to include a tractor was con-
siderable. All of Deere’s major competitors offered tractors.
Heeding these words, the Deere board of directors agreed
in March 1912 to develop a tractor. In the next couple of years,
Deere engineers toiled on a three-wheeled tractor plow. This John Deere’s All-Wheel-Drive boasted an impressive list of advanced
failed to gain traction. In stepped Joseph Dain, a board mem- (for its time) engineering features including:
• All-wheel drive. Heavy drive chains transferred power to each of the
ber who had sold his company, Dain Manufacturing, to Deere. tractor’s three wheels to produce outstanding traction in the field.
An innovative tinkerer, Dain convinced the board he had a • A friction-drive transmission. This allowed shifting from low to high
concept for a breakthrough tractor. speed while the tractor was moving.
During the next four years, Dain and his engineering team • A high-speed four-cylinder engine. This offered such advances as
forced lubrication.
worked on a three-wheeled design based on state-of-the-art To top that off, the tractor was highly styled, reflecting the trend of
engineering. Dain’s effort bore fruit, and on November 19, modeling tractors after automobiles.

Photography: Wisconsin Historical Society; Manufacturers December 2017 | Successful Farming at Agriculture.com 29
m a c h i n e r y INSIDER™ Continued

1917, Deere’s board voted to “manufacture 100 tractors of the

Dain type” for sale. The “Dain type” would be later labeled
the All-Wheel-Drive. With its manufacture, Deere entered the
tractor market in 1918. It did so with one of the most advanced
tractors of its time. (See sidebar on the previous page.)
Unfortunately, the All-Wheel-Drive had an Achilles’ heel
in its price. Farmers used to horses and mules found the All-
Wheel-Drive’s hefty $1,200 asking price hard to justify. Also,
during its introduction, the general economy was suffering a
recession. As a result, maybe only 90 All-Wheel-Drives were
built, and few were sold. Frustrated, Deere management
sought a tractor alternative to meet their dealers’ horsepower
needs. The solution was found in the Waterloo Gasoline most popular Deere Tractors of all time
Engine Company, which was up for sale at the time.
Deere’s board didn’t hesitate in purchasing the company
and, in doing so, ac-
O f the 694 models John Deere built in the last 100 years, the
following versions claim the top spots in sales. To be fair, some of
these models’ long production cycles contributed heavily to them being
quired the Waterloo Boy named the most popular based on sale figures.
tractor in 1918. To its #1 Model A: 313,232 built from 1934 to 1953
credit, the Waterloo Boy #2 Model B: 309,921 built from 1935 to 1952
was a simple, rugged, #3 Model 2240: 239,310 built from 1976 to 1982
and, more importantly, #4 Model 2040: 239,182 built from 1976 to 1982
cheap tractor to build. #5 Model 4020: 195,791 built from 1964 to 1972
The purchase also came #6 Model D: 161,038 built from 1924 to 1953
with a manufacturing #7 Model 2640: 153,034 built from 1976 to 1983
plant in Waterloo, Iowa, #8 Model 1020: 142,608 built from 1965 to 1973
The Waterloo Boy established John that was ready to turn #9 Model 2150: 128,532 built from 1983 to 1986
Deere in the tractor market leading to
the development of the model D, which out tractors. #10 Model 2350: 128,527 built from 1983 to 1986
remained in production 29 years. For the next six years,
John Deere aggressively
marketed the Waterloo Boy while refining its design. However,
the Waterloo Boy couldn’t compete with Henry Ford’s assem- company as a market con- In 1952, came the first
bly tractor, the Fordson, which, at one time, was selling for less tender and inspired a tractor numbered Deeres, the models
than $400 – considerably less than the Waterloo Boy. culture in the firm. 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80. They
Using prototype plans obtained with the acquisition of the In 1934, Deere introduced would be replaced by the
Waterloo Boy, Deere engineers fashioned a tractor that was not to its dealers a tractor as 20 series in 1956 and the 30
only more compact but also more powerful. Capable of pulling modern as anything on the series in 1958.
a three-bottom plow, this tractor employed a rugged two-cylin- market. At 23½ hp., the By the late 1950s, farmers
der engine that could burn any low-cost distillate fuel. model A offered high-crop wanted more responsive and
Impressed with its engineers’ efforts, the Deere board ap- clearance (due to a one-piece powerful engines. The only
proved the manufacturing of what was designated the model transmission) as well as a solution was to drop the two-
D, and it hit the market in 1924. For the next 29 years, Deere readily offered adjustable cylinder platform.
dealers would sell over 161,000 D’s. This helped established the rear-wheel tread. Both inno- In its place came entirely
vations were industry firsts. new models featuring beefy
The massive interest of the four-cylinder engines that
A led to the introduction of offered a high horsepower-
Subscribe to the a smaller tractor, the model to-weight ratio.
Ageless Iron B. So popular were these two Introduced in 1961, this
almanac tractors that when both were new generation of power, led
Read the complete John Deere retired, over 620,000 versions by the models 1010, 2010,
story, tap into similar tractor
of each had been sold. 3010, and 4010, would define
histories plus restoration tips,
collector stories, antique tractor Spurred on by this sales Deere horsepower for the
values, and more in every issue success, Deere engineers future while firmly placing
of Ageless Iron Almanac. A one- continued to innovate two- the company as the number
year subscription is just $20. cylinder designs with a series one horsepower manufac-
To order, call 855/218-8153. of lettered models. turer in the world.

30 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017

Continue to next page

I
HELP CAN BE HARD TO FIND,
UNLESS YOU NEED GOOD
.
Firestone Ag tires are backed
by the most superior warranty
in the industry, and a strong
dealer network as well. Trained
tire professionals deliver the
service and expertise you need
to keep farming until the last
row is planted.
FIRESTONEAG.COM
#FARMHARD
S e r v i c e TEAM
By Ray Bohacz
NOISE, VIBRATION, AND HARSHNESS
THEY CAN REVEAL MUCH ABOUT MACHINERY OPERATION.
W
ithin the engineering
community, there is a
discipline called NVH. It
stands for noise, vibra-
tion, and harshness. Like
a farmer who can survey a field to
determine a good stand, an experienced
engineer can listen to or feel an engine
or machine and glean either the absence
or propensity for NVH.
A real-world example of two different
levels of NVH is when you hear a cheap
electric drill run in comparison to a high-
quality unit that has efficient bearings
instead of bushings. They both turn the
drill bit, but the difference in NVH is
apparent. The poor-quality drill is rough
sounding, noisy, and seems labored; the
low NVH example is smooth, quiet, and
appears more powerful.
When comparing machines, tools,
or engines for purchase, a low level of
NVH usually comes with a price tag. It
is costly, in relative terms, to quell the
three devils of NVH. It is important to
note that in most instances, NVH can
determine life expectancy.
For example, let’s say you are looking
at a fan system on a dryer as an invest-
ment. Listen to and feel the motor, if
possible. Does it shake excessively or
feel coarse? Is it noisier than you think
it should be? Does the fan turn smooth-
ly and in a circular arc, or does it seem
to be out of balance and loud? These
factors can be a valid predictor of the
reliability of that dryer.
When purchasing equipment, your
hands and ears need to check for NVH,
and then you can make an intelligent
comparison between brands or models.
The effect that NVH has on a ma-
chine, especially an engine, is logarith-
mic. In other words, the frequency of
the order of vibration that is causing
the noise and harshness exponentially
impacts wear. Just as a soil’s pH is not
linear in its acidity or alkalinity and
its impact on nutrient tie-up and plant
32 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017
uptake, so is the detriment of NVH.
Your hands and ears are important
diagnostic tools when working on ma-
chines and can foretell a future problem.
It is a mind-set you need to cultivate.
(Go to Agriculture.com/radio and listen
to podcast #1 about the thought process
needed in the shop.)
With rare exception, a machine, a
component, and an engine announce
their poor health through NVH. Touch
and listen to engines and the like when
they are operating to determine their
condition.
For example, feel around the engine
when running. Place your hand on the
alternator, any pump, and the engine
itself. Do this from day one with a new
purchase. This way you have a mental
and tactile history of what the engine or
component sounds like when all is well.
It is very difficult to identify a minute
degradation if you have no record. This
same logic can be applied to a pump on
a sprayer, a vacuum unit on a planter,
the drive mechanism of a combine, or
a motor on a center pivot. They all are
willing to divulge their health if you
listen and feel.
A very good investment is a me-
chanic’s stethoscope. It will allow you
audible access to components that can-
not be heard otherwise. A quick listen,
especially if you have another of the
same component for comparison, will
reveal an abundance of information. If
you have electric drive meters on your
planter, run them in the shop and listen
for any anomalies. The same holds true
for listening to circuits such as hydraulic
and those going to a sprayer tip. They
all talk, albeit in their own language.
It costs nothing to listen and feel
your engines. Pay attention for a
change in components for vibration
and the general smoothness by touch.
When is comes to engines and ma-
chines, the most beautiful sound is that
of smooth silence!
 DEDICATED}

Follow us on Twitter @Bayer4CropsUS

©2017 Bayer CropScience LP, 2 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709. Always read and follow label instructions. Bayer and the Bayer Cross are
registered trademarks of Bayer. For additional product information, call toll-free 1-866-99-BAYER (1-866-992-2937) or visit our website at www.CropScience.Bayer.us
CO0917MULTI1C423V00R0 C-28864-2
w o r l d w i d e IRON
By Dave Mowitz, Executive Editor, Machinery & Technology

INTERNATIONAL STEEL THE U.S.

IS NO. 1 IN SALES OF FARM MACHINERY DESPITE
A SLUMP IN COMMODITY PRICES.

I
n March 2015, I was covering a Ritchie Bros. auction
outside of Chicago, Illinois. On occasion, the auctioneer
calling the sale would mention where the buyer for a piece
of equipment was located. I particularly remember that
when it came to the sale of large construction equipment,
he would mention it was heading overseas.
International sales of large construction or forestry equip-
ment as well as semitrailer trucks are not unusual. I recall Rick
Vacha of Ritchie Bros. saying that over 100 used semitrailer
trucks were sold to one buyer in the Middle East during one of
his company’s massive auctions in Miami.
I had assumed, however, that used farm machinery mostly
stayed in the U.S., occasionally crossing the border into
neighboring Canada or Mexico. So, I was surprised to hear the
auctioneer say that several of the Case IH Quadtracs sold that
day were heading overseas.

export leader in farm machinery

T he fact that used machinery from the U.S. is heading over-

seas is a reflection of the country’s prowess in the world of
farm iron. The U.S. is No. 1 in the sale of new machinery sales
worldwide, shipping out just short of $10 billion in 2015, ac-
cording to the Department of Commerce’s International Trade
Administration. Sales of farm machinery worldwide were
projected to reach $122.9 billion in 2017.
Export figures of new equipment seen in the illustration
(shown right) are based on the latest assessment released by the
International Trade Administration. These figures don’t in-
clude the sales of irrigation
equipment (particularly What Iron Is Hot
center pivot sprinklers),
Tractors, implements
grain storage buildings CANADA for grain and oilseed
(especially bins), and preci- production
sion agriculture technol- MEXICO
Tractor and engine
ogy. The U.S. is the world parts, engines

leader in production of all AUSTRALIA

that type of equipment.
Although the sales of
farm machinery have been
in a slump since 2014 be-
cause of lower commodity
prices worldwide, items like
low- and medium-horse-
power tractors and sprayers
have seen increases. U.S.
exports to China, Russia,
and the Ukraine have flour-
ished, as well.
34 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017
Implements for grain
and oilseed production
Implements for grain
GERMANY
and oilseed production
Tractor and engine
BRAZIL
parts, engines
Low- and medium-hp.
CHILE
tractors
Mowers and power
SE EUROPE
equipment, sprayers
Implements for grain
POLAND
and oilseed production
UKRAINE
Implements for grain
and oilseed production U.S. Sales of New Machinery
Illustration: switchpipipi, iStockphoto.com

The Next
Generation
at Bayer
A new initiative with 4-H and other agriculture
organizations aims to spark interest in science
careers among young people.
HERE WILL the
next generation of in-
novative agricultural
scientists come from?
Maybe as near as
your own neighbor-
hood 4-H club.
A new collaboration between
Bayer and the National 4-H Coun-
cil will give 4-H members across
the country a chance to explore
agricultural and food science.
The program, called Science
Matters, will get off the ground
over the next few months. More
than 3,000 county-wide 4-H
programs (with 6 million club
members!) will hear about oppor-
tunities in STEM (science, tech-
nology, engineering and math)
learning activities.
It’s part of a long-term Bayer ini-
tiative to promote science-based
careers. For instance, an elemen-
tary school program, Making
Science Make Sense, gives younger
kids hands-on exposure that they
otherwise might not receive.
An FFA program also supports
science activities.
Science is critical to meeting our
future food needs, says Darren
©2017 Bayer CropScience LP, 2 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709. Always read and follow label instructions. Bayer, the Bayer Cross
and Stratego are trademarks of Bayer. Stratego YLD is not registered in all states. Headline is a trademark of a Syngenta Group Company. For additional
product information call toll-free 1-866-99-BAYER (1-866-992-2937) or visit our website at www.CropScience.Bayer.us
ADVERTORIAL
Wallis, director of North America
communications for Bayer. With
global population expected to reach
10 billion people by 2050 (from
7 billion today), food production
must increase by 70 percent.
“We must introduce both farm
and non-farm youngsters to ca-
reers in food science,” he says.
Sweet Spot
Science Matters will engage kids in
the 4-H sweet spot: 8 to 18 years
old. Wallis says it will be a win-win
situation for all participants.
“Bayer’s passion is for innovative
new products for crops, animals and
people, and we’re always thinking
about our workforce for tomorrow,”
he says. “We need the brightest
minds available for all of agriculture.
“4-H is a natural partner, as it
reaches kids everywhere – urban,
suburban and rural.”
National 4-H Council CEO
Jennifer Sirangelo agrees, noting
the millions of 4-H members who
live in every county in America.
It’s been proven, she adds, that 4-H
Photo: National 4-H Council
members are twice as likely to enter
STEM careers as other youngsters.
“My dream is that Science Mat-
ters will put a spark in 4-H mem-
bers to step up and find innovative
solutions to local issues, rather than
wait for someone else to do it,” she
says. “We want to empower them.”
Details about Science Matters
will roll out to select 4-H offices
soon. Local Bayer employees will
work with 4-H members on a
variety of projects, including issues
such as soil health, water quality or
pollinator habitat. 4-H clubs will
have an opportunity to tour Bayer
facilities, engage with scientists
and even participate in research
projects.
“If you can create a positive
experience with science, then
a youngster’s natural curiosity
takes over,” Wallis says. “It can
lead to the newest innovation.
As an alumnus myself, I know
that the 4-H experience can lead
to a great career.”
w o r l d w i d e IRON Continued

Several tractors from a fleet of Case IH Quadtracs used iron. “The U.S. is best
(sold at a Ritchie Bros. sale outside of Chicago) known for making large
went overseas. This indicates how much overseas
buyers want Midwest iron.
machinery suited for large
farms growing grains,” he
say. “Commodity values are
just as depressed in other
countries as they are here.”
Other factors affecting
sales include the strong value
of the U.S. dollar and added
import taxes. “Increasingly,
countries are adding more
regulations on imports,
which makes exporting chal-
lenging,” says Mitchell.

straining for iron

S till, Mitchell believes, the

world is straining for
modern farm machinery,
Of those three countries, Ukraine saw the biggest growth in the 1980s “when few and the U.S. makes the
in new machinery purchases, as sales skyrocketed 204% the people were in that business highest quality and most ad-
first half of 2016 with tillage and planting equipment in hot and margins were much vanced equipment around.
demand. healthier,” Mitchell points He is particularly
In the future, “Trends suggest that the market growth po- out. “My uncle could make impressed with the potential
tential (for used equipment) lies mainly in developing regions 30% margins back then. for sales of used machinery
such as China, India, and Brazil,” according to Catriona Rigley Today, everyone seems to into Argentina (“one of
of Research and Markets Co. That firm predicts the global be in business, and the gains largest rice-growing
farm equipment market to grow at around 10% over the next are tight.” countries in the world”) and
decade to reach approximately $368 billion by 2025. The Asia- Mitchell notes that de- the Ukraine (“a vast base of
Oceania area (China, India, Indonesia, etc.) is also predicted to pressed commodity prices some of the richest farmland
dominate the market for farm iron. are hurting overseas sales of in the world”).

corn belt’s reputation for used iron

A lthough little information is available regarding interna-

tional sales of used equipment, the U.S. enjoys a reputation
of being home to high-quality large machinery. Machinery
Similar used tractors on different
continents – But similar auction prices

from the Corn

Belt, in particular,
T he international trade in farm machinery has resulted in similar
models of equipment sold on different continents, as is the case with
John Deere model 7700s. What happens when such tractors are sold used
is highly sought on auction? You may be surprised to discover, in at least one example, how
“The potential after when foreign close final bids on the sale of 7700s were in Europe vs. North America.
for sales in buyers are looking In all four cases, the 2014 model year 7700s were sold at events held
the Ukraine to invest in used by Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, the world’s largest auctioneer of heavy
equipment, says equipment and trucks. The following sales took place last summer:
is huge. But Doug Mitchell of • Italy: 5,600 hours, single tires – $17,400
the political JD Equipment Inc. • Germany: 6,250 hours, single tires – $15,011
situation based in London, • Alberta: 4,705 hours, single tires, with loader – $28,692
and tight Ohio. • Missouri: 3,520 hours, single tires, with loader – $22,500
Mitchell’s uncle, The higher bids given for the tractors in Alberta and Missouri can be
money supply Don Mitchell accounted for in the fact that they sold with loaders.
are hurting (the founder of The equalizer in all these sales could be the internet since buyers and
exports.” JD Equipment), sellers today are given easy access to past sale prices, regardless of
began exporting location, believes Rick Vacha of Ritchie Bros. “The world is much smaller
– Doug Mitchell
used equipment today, due to the internet, when it comes to trading machinery,” he says.

36 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017 Photography: Dave Mowitz

 e n g i n e MAN
By Ray Bohacz

An oscilloscope goes beyond one-time

readings like those given by a volt-ohm
meter. Instead, it reveals what is occurring
at every moment in the device it’s reading.

SCOPE IT OUT! WHY EVERY FARM SHOP SHOULD HAVE AN

OSCILLOSCOPE TO REVEAL THE EXACT CAUSE OF A MALFUNCTION.

I
don’t think I have ever been to a farm shop that didn’t have vertical Y axis represents how the voltage responded
at least one digital volt-ohm meter (DVOM). Yet, I don’t voltage. A scope will have as a function of time. It can
believe I’ve ever spotted an oscilloscope in a farm shop. Still, scales and ranges to meet be thought of like a heart
an oscilloscope is every bit as valuable in tracking down the needs of what is being EKG of the circuit. By the
problems as a DVOM. measured. way, an EKG machine is just
Pieces of modern equipment are full of electronics, and their An easy way to under- a modified oscilloscope.
operation and repair require an oscilloscope. Unfortunately, a stand the difference between
great many service technicians don’t employ an oscilloscope. a scope and a volt-ohm Why you need an
Without it, they often rely on a parts-changing strategy to fix meter is to consider a yield oscilloscope
a problem. This ends up being very costly and can sideline a
critical piece of equipment during the height of the season.
That’s why you need to become proactive and learn how to
monitor in a combine.
You are harvesting corn
and glance over at the moni-
A n oscilloscope pattern will
show you the response or
output of a circuit, which is
work with the high-tech equipment you farm with. tor and it reads 392 bushels. critical in order to diagnose
That is a snapshot of what advanced electronics on
Oscilloscope basics is going into the hopper at machinery.

A volt-ohm meter has the ability to read voltage (electrical

pressure), ohms (resistance), and amperage (current flow).
When a measurement is taken with a DVOM (an analog
that moment. When you are
done with the field and look
at the yield map, you will see
meter tool), it is reading the maximum electrical input. For that the harvest varied as you
example, if you connect the meter to read volts, it will take the went along.
highest reading at that moment and display it. The DVOM is the yield
In contrast, an oscilloscope displays only voltage. Many monitor for that moment;
modern digitized oscilloscopes can display amperage, but they the oscilloscope is the yield
do not measure ohms. Instead of a reading, it plots a drawing map, showing how different
of the circuit’s response as a function of voltage over time. areas of the field produced.
This is done on a screen that uses an X-Y axis. The horizon- An oscilloscope draws a
tal X axis represents time, which is read in milliseconds. The picture (on the X-Y axes) of
Just recently, Lee Sudman,
a farmer in Indiana, con-
tacted me with a problem he
was having with his Deere
combine. It was generating
a code for overspeed of the
turbocharger. This reduced
engine power. In this appli-
cation, a sensor is used with
a trigger on the turbocharger
shaft that measures the rpm.
An oscilloscope does this

Photography: Manufacturer December 2017 | Successful Farming at Agriculture.com bonus

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 FAMOUS
NIES STOP BEING
CORN?
 e n g i n e MAN Continued
A simple
oscilloscope
system, such as
this U-Scope Master
Kit-1, is more
than adequate for
tackling many of the
diagnostic chores
you tend to in your
farm shop.
by counting how many interruptions of the electronic signal along with an inexpensive
occur over a specified time period. signal generator. This
It is a two-wire sensor, so that means it produces a sine device has the ability to
wave. A common protocol for this type of sensor is that the create different types of
output needs to be at least 0.8 volt on each side of the zero output signals that can then
crossing (where the polarity changes) or 1.6 volts peak to peak. be read with the scope. You
If you were to check the output with a voltmeter, you may can get a simple scope for
find that it meets operating specifications. But on an oscil- less than $100 and begin
loscope, it would be revealed that the signal is not clean or it your self-instruction.
may be skewed, bouncing back and forth at the zero crossing. As an aside, once you get
The electronic engine controller (ECU) could then read this good with the signal genera-
as higher shaft speed and flag a trouble code. This will be tor, you can actually use it as
impossible to identify without a scope. a diagnostic tool by tempo-
In other applications, a three-wire Hall-effect switch can rarily sending its output into
be employed. With this design, the output is a square wave or an ECU as an input. This
digital signal. It is imperative that the rise time of the signal test would take the sensor
is at least 80% square or the output will be misinterpreted or in question out of the circuit
rejected by the controller. without buying a sensor to
A volt-ohm meter will only read the peak output, which
could be fine. But the skewed rise time means that the engine
or equipment will not perform properly and may not even
run. You will never find this problem with a volt-ohm meter.
RAY BOHACZ
choosing an oscilloscope The SF Engine Man
T here are many different oscilloscopes on the market with
just as varied a learning curve. One scope that I recently
learned about that is perfect for the farm shop is the U-Scope
Ray Bohacz has engine grease and
field dirt under his fingernails from
a life spent repairing vehicles and
Master Kit-1. It retails for $399. running a farm in New Jersey with
his wife, Charlotte. His how-to articles
When shopping for an oscilloscope, all you need is a single-
also appear in Diesel Power, Engine
channel unit. That means it can only read or display one Professional, Hemmings Motor
circuit at a time. There are multichannel designs available on News, and Speedway Illustrated
the market, but they are not required for the farm. magazines. Contact Bohacz via email at
I strongly urge you to invest in a simple scope of choice SFEngineman@Agriculture.com.
bonus Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017
use as a test protocol.
Even if you don’t invest
in an inexpensive oscillo-
scope, you should do a little
homework. Get to know
the sensors on your equip-
ment. If you have a modern
planter with electronic
meters and some style of
monitoring system, it will
employ sensors. The same
goes for all of the other
equipment on the farm.
By recognizing the sen-
sor types, where they are
located, and having a gen-
eral level of familiarity, you
can identify the problem
quickly and with confidence
when an issue comes up.
The biggest time waster
when diagnosing a modern
electronic-control system is
a lack of knowledge about
its components.
A few days spent playing
with the scope and signal
generator will allow you to
make seemingly impossible
diagnostics a simple, effi-
cient, and inexpensive task.
The modern farm is full
of sensors and outputs on
every piece of equipment.
You need the proper tools to
keep running hard and to be
your most profitable. The
oscilloscope is that tool when
it comes to electronics.
Living the

o n r
®
By Linda High LIFE

Jean Wilson of Berryville, Virginia,

built this home from a 1800’s log
house that John High dismantled.

SAVING BARNS ONE he’d always hated destroy-

ing. Starting with an 1880’s
bottom,” he says.
One barn, a log structure,

PIECE AT A TIME
JOHN HIGH HAS A MISSION TO KEEP
vintage bank barn built into
a hillside, he began taking
old structures apart, board
taken down by High will
be set up at Valley Forge
National Historic Park.
OLD BARNS OUT OF LANDFILLS. by board, saving the floor- Other barns have traveled as
ing, siding, windows, doors, far as California.

A
roofing, beams, joists, hard-
t the crack of dawn each weekday, my husband, ware, and even the contents
John High, climbs into his trusty old pickup truck
and drives from our home in Lancaster County,
Pennsylvania, to sites hours away to take apart barns
– from lightning rods to pig
troughs.
“I save everything. There’s
piece by piece, saving them from landfills, bulldozers, value in every piece,” he says.
burn piles, and burial. For barns that will be
High is The Barn Saver, and his work is a calling he does reset elsewhere, he carefully
not take lightly. “I want to save every barn I possibly can,” he preserves the integrity of
says. “Whenever I see one being bulldozed, I feel sad that I the buildings by drawing
didn’t get to it in time. Our forefathers worked very hard to blueprints and using them to
build these barns, and it’s a tragedy that they are being thrown number each piece of wood.
into landfills.” High strives to lessen the
High says that in these tough economic times, people are environmental effects of de-
getting back to their roots – and that includes barns. “Building construction. Using mostly
a home from a barn frame is not only unique and beautiful, crowbars, hammers, and his
but also, in general, it’s cheaper than new construction,” he hands, he saves barns with
says. “Plus, it’s built to last.” old-fashioned elbow grease
rather than with a wrecking
The Barn Saver ball and bulldozer.
new life
W ayne Yonce of Franklin,
North Carolina,
purchased several barns
from High and reset them
in his home state. Some
are being used on work-
ing farms, while others are
summer homes. One barn is
used as an arts center in the
Highland mountains.
“It seems appropriate that
the barn is part of the struc-
ture, because barn building
in those days was an art,”
says Yonce. Visitors enter
the arts center property
through a vintage covered
bridge that also came from

In 1990, High left his job at an excavating company –where he

bulldozed old houses and barns to make room for develop-
ments – and began The Barn Saver, rescuing the buildings
“I take them down in
the opposite direction from
which they were built, top to
The Barn Saver.
High’s biggest project is
ahead. The Barn Saver has

LCL-2 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017 Photography: Sandy Bressler

 John High left a job at an excavat-
ing company to start The Barn
Saver Project in Pennsylvania.
Not all barns are rebuilt.
“It’s amazing how many dif-
ferent people use materials
from my jobs,” High says.
He’s donated barn mate-
rial to school plays, churches,
Scout groups, and other
community organizations.
Barn Saver Groups
B arn saver groups are
popping up across the
country, as are timber fram-
ers and restoration special-
ists. Old wood has gained
been slated to dismantle the famed Star Barn of Harrisburg, a new appreciation among
Pennsylvania, taking the Civil War-era structure apart and home builders.
tagging the pieces so it can be rebuilt in an Agrarian Center Dale Lehmer, owner
where children and families will learn about America’s farm- of Antique Woods and
ing past. Colonial Restoration in
“It’s a good feeling to know I’m preserving part of our heri- Gouverneur, New York, has
tage,” High says. worked with recycled build-
ing materials for 30 years.
“Older woods provide a
tighter grain, meaning harder
wood,” Lehmer says. “It’s a
quality that can’t be found
today. This is wood that cap-
tures the imagination.”
All told, more than 400
old barns and houses (and
their contents) have been
dismantled and rebuilt or
reused by The Barn Saver.
“It’s rewarding work,”
High says. “As the old saying
goes, ‘They don’t build ’em
like they used to.’ ”
Learn More
barnsaver.com
vintagewoods.com
18thcent.com
hometowncarpentry.com
 ®
L i v i n g THE COUNTRY LIFE
By Maggie Jennett

Stan. “This way we know if

the fiber is good enough for
clothes. If it isn’t, we know
who to breed them to in
order to improve the fiber of
their offspring.”
After being sheared,
the fiber from each alpaca
is stored in separate bags
so the Bauers know who
produced the fiber, and it
can be labeled correctly on
the tag of the final product.
From there, the fleece has to
be sorted by hand to pull out
any unusable pieces. This
process is done mainly by
Janetta. After this, the fleece
can go to the mill to be spun
into yarn. The Bauers use a
mill in Minnesota for yarn

ALPACA ADVENTURE THE BAUERS SPIN

BEAUTIFUL FIBER FROM THEIR FAVORITE ANIMALS.
and rovings, and a mill in
South Dakota for their 100%
alpaca color blends.
Janetta still loves spinning.

O
She uses the rovings and
n a picturesque acreage, Melody and her baby, Adagio, The process starts in the color blends at home to spin.
quietly graze on a luscious green pasture. This mother- spring when the alpacas are “The finer the thread I
and-son pair are part of a herd of 13 alpacas owned by sheared. It takes approxi- spin, the longer it takes,”
Stan and Janetta Bauer. The couple’s acreage, known mately seven minutes to fully says Janetta, “The finest
as der Bauernhof Farms, is located just off Illinois shear an alpaca. Everything thread I do, called fingering,
Highway 9 near Bloomington. sheared off of the alpacas is takes about five hours to
The alpaca adventure started when Janetta took a yarn- categorized into either firsts, make a spindle.”
spinning class and fell in love. The Bauers first tried their seconds, or thirds, with each
luck with sheep, but it wasn’t the perfect fit they were hoping category going toward a dif- A Labor of Love
for. Then, a friend mentioned getting alpacas, and they never
looked back. Stan and Janetta purchased two alpacas in hopes
of spinning their fleece, also known as fiber, into something
ferent product.
Firsts come from the area
on the back and sides of the
I t takes about three months
to receive the finished yarn
back from the mills. Once
great. Now, 12 years later, they are doing just that. alpaca. These are the highest returned, there is a staff
Today, Stan and Janetta produce and process around 200 quality and will be used for of five part-time knitters,
pounds of alpaca fiber each year. In addition to their own yarn. Seconds come from plus Janetta, who create the
fleeces, they also source fleeces from the Synergy Alpaca the legs and neck of the finished products. Some of
Alliance, an association of small alpaca farms focused on alpaca. Seconds fall between the yarn is left for purchase
breeding animals that produce high-quality fiber for the high and low quality and for those who wish to knit
fashion industry. are used for felt. Thirds, their own.
The Bauers sell their products at their annual trunk show, which come from the belly “We like alpaca fiber
during Alpaca Farm Days, and through a couple of retail area of the alpaca, are the because it has no lanolin, so
stores in Door County, Wisconsin. Products currently available lowest quality and go into it doesn’t have to be washed
include ponchos, sweaters, hats, socks, buttons, scarfs, jewelry, mulch or bird nesting. with chemicals, which
and yarn. All have a tag with their brand, “5milE” (Five Miles makes it more environmen-
East). This tag brings a distinctive aspect to the products, Fiber Science tally friendly,” says Stan.
because it features those who’ve been a part of each stage in
the production of the item – from the name of the alpaca that
provided the fiber to the knitter who completed the piece.
“W e send a test fiber to
a lab to assist us with
our breeding process,” says
“It’s incredibly soft,” says
Janetta as she strokes
6-month-old Adagio.

LCL-4 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017 Photography: Maggie Jennett

 c r o p s
By Raylene Nickel
No-till and cover crops not only boost
soil tilth but also help boost vital soil
carbon accumulations up to 1 ton per
acre annually.
HOW TO HARVEST CARBON
FROM THE AIR SOIL STEWARDS CAN IMPACT A
CHANGING CLIMATE BY REBUILDING SOIL TO SEQUESTER
CARBON FROM THE ATMOSPHERE.
C
arbon is as precious as gold to
plants. Working with water and
sunlight, carbon makes plants
grow. Plants assimilate carbon
in the form of carbon dioxide,
extracting it from the air to make roots,
shoots, and leaves. With the help of soil
microbes, the plants then transfer the
carbon to the soil through roots and
decomposing residue.
The stable storage of this carbon be-
low ground not only builds soil organic
matter and improves future crops but
also, like a pressure valve, relieves the
atmospheric carbon buildup.
Carbon benefits
T he benefits of this plant-driven har-
vesting of carbon from the air extend
far beyond the farm and ranch gate.
“If we were able to increase the carbon
in the soils of the world by sequestering
3.6 gigaton of carbon per year [1 gigaton
equals 1 billion tons], we could offset or
negate the additional effects of climate
change that will be caused by future
increases in carbon dioxide released by the
fossil fuel use of a growing world popula-
Photography: USDA Agricultural Research Service
GET WITH THE
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tion,” says Rattan Lal. Lal directs the
Carbon Management and Sequestration
Center at Ohio State University.
“It is this assumption that was the
basis of the 4 per Thousand program
initiated at the Climate Summit in
Paris in December 2015,” he says. “The
strategy of this program is to sequester
carbon in soils of the world at the rate of
0.4% per year in the top 16 inches of soil.
Implementing such a program would
require appropriate policies to encour-
age farmers to adopt the recommended
management practices.
“Globally, the release of carbon into
the atmosphere from fossil fuel use is 10
gigaton, and it goes up annually,” says
Lal. “The U.S. accounts for about 18%
to 20% of that amount. In the U.S., the
per-capita rate of release of carbon into
Talk to your authorized retailer or visit
FMCAGUS.com/FMCFreedomPass
the atmosphere is going down but rising
to learn more.
globally. Global warming has resulted
from the increasing levels of carbon
in the atmosphere. This is causing an
increased frequency and intensity of
extreme weather events such as floods,
droughts, and hurricanes. Always read and follow label directions.
FMC is a trademark of FMC Corporation.
“Estimates of the total potential ©2017 FMC Corporation. All rights reserved.
17-FMC-0803 09/17
December 2017 | Successful Farming at Agriculture.com bonus
GET IN-FURROW PROTECTION
SO ADVANCED, IT’S SIMPLE.
There’s an easier, faster, lighter way to make quick
work of soil pests and resistant rootworms. The
3RIVE 3D® application system applies continuous
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3RIVE 3D Insecticide. See your authorized retailer
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 “THIS SYSTEM FITS THE WAY
WE FARM AND EASILY
KEEPS UP WITH OUR
HIGH-SPEED PLANTER.”
BILL VOORHEES, Maroa, IL
Grower and Early Adopter

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FMC Corporation or an affiliate. ©2017 FMC Corporation. All rights reserved. 17-FMC-0832 09/17
 c r o p s Continued

of carbon sequestration in world soils vary widely, and this by the Agricultural
potential is finite in capacity and time,” says Lal. “Nonetheless, Research Service evaluated
soil carbon sequestration buys us time over the next 20 to 50 switchgrass for ethanol
years until the low-carbon or no-carbon alternatives to fossil
fuel take effect.”
production. The study
encompassed 10 on-farm
The capacity for soil to sequester carbon is finite, because fields in Nebraska, South
it’s limited to the soil’s original capacity to store carbon. Dakota, and North Dakota.
Agricultural use over time has caused soil to lose carbon. The fields were located in
Restoring soils to their original states accounts for the global marginal land areas that
potential for carbon sequestration. would have qualified for
“The potential soil carbon sink capacity of managed ecosys- the CRP.
tems approximately equals the cumulative historic carbon loss “Within the top 12 inches
estimated at 55 to 78 gigaton,” says Lal. “Some recent estimates of soil, soil organic carbon
indicate the historic loss as high as 130 gigaton. Restoring increased across all sites at a
carbon stock in world soils by 130 gigaton would be equivalent rate of 980 pounds per acre
to a drawdown of atmospheric carbon dioxide by about 65 per year,” says Liebig. “In
parts per million. Such an achievement could happen in 50 to Nebraska, where four sites
100 years.” were sampled to a depth of
48 inches, carbon increased
lost carbon at an average rate of 2,590
Value Beyond
the Farm
B eyond enabling farmers
and ranchers to reap the
on-farm production and aesthetic
benefits of improving soil quality,
sequestering carbon in the soil
offers a societal value.
Soil scientist Rattan Lal
advocates nationally and
internationally for farmers
and ranchers to receive
federal financial incentives for
sequestering carbon.
“Farmers in the U.S. who
sequester about 500 pounds of
carbon per acre in the soil
annually should receive an annual
payment of $16 an acre,” he says.
“There’s a close link between soil

F or some U.S. croplands, the historic carbon loss translates

into a loss of more than half of soil’s original carbon content.
“Within the Great Plains, a historical evaluation from
pounds per acre per year.”
The changes in soil
organic carbon were variable
Texas to Montana found relative soil organic carbon losses to among sites, ranging from a
range from 39% to 59%,” says Mark Liebig, soil scientist at the decrease of 540 pounds per
USDA-ARS Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory at acre per year to an increase
Mandan, North Dakota. “Losses of soil organic carbon were of more than 3,800 pounds
due to cropping practices that relied on the use of intensive till- per acre per year.
age and fallow for the production of corn and small grains.” The study underscores
Restoring carbon in the soil results from a matrix of man- the potential of peren-
agement practices that reduce soil disturbance, conserve root nial grasses to sequester
and plant residues, improve soil structure, and enhance soil significant amounts of
biology and nutrient cycling growing diverse crop rotations carbon in the soil. These
including cover crops and perennials. These processes tend to deep-rooted perennials are
increase populations of fungi, microbes, and other beneficial more effective than the
soil life critical to restoring soil health and sequestering soil more shallow-rooted annual
carbon. crops at storing carbon at
depths where it’s less likely
Carbon Sequestration Responses to be released back into the
carbon sequestration and world
food security on the one hand and
climate change on the other.”
However, rough estimates
of carbon pools in soil may
be drawn from levels of soil
organic matter.
“Organic matter is about
50% carbon,” says Lal. “If
organic matter is increasing
over time – such as by no-till
farming with a cover crop
– it is possible to increase soil
carbon stock at a rate of 500
to 2,000 pounds per acre per

M easured carbon sequestration responses to specific practices

include the following.
• Spring wheat grown by conventional tillage. A study at the
atmosphere due to possible
soil disturbance.
Yet the study also shows
Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory showed how the variability in carbon-
differences in cropping systems affect soil structure and, ulti- accrual rates of a single prac-
mately, soil carbon. In the conventionally tilled spring wheat, tice played out in different
the soil had 14% water-stable aggregates, and the carbon in the settings. Geography, climate,
top 3 inches of soil measured 6.6 tons per acre. production practices, and
• No-till continuous cropping of spring wheat/winter wheat/ other variables play a role in
sunflowers. The same study found no-till soil had 47% water- accrual rates.
stable aggregates, and the carbon measured 9.6 tons per acre. A process for measuring
• Pasture managed under moderate but continuous grazing. In the rate at which carbon ac-
this third treatment of the study, the soil had 93% water-stable crues in soils is presently not
aggregates, and the carbon measured 12.8 tons per acre. readily available to farmers
• Switchgrass production. A five-year on-farm study and ranchers.
year. By the use of petro-
leum-based production
inputs – such as fertilizers,
herbicides, and farm
operations – some carbon is
also being used in order to
sequester carbon. So there’s a
gross carbon-accrual rate and
a net rate.”
Learn More
• Rattan Lal | 614/292-9069
lal.1@osu.edu
• Mark Liebig | 701/667-3079
mark.liebig@ars.usda.gov

bonus Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017

 GET WITH THE
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ALL-SEASON
V.I.P. PROGRAM.
FMC is honoring Very Independent Purchasers
with exclusive agronomic and economic incentives
that offer you more freedom in the field.

Program Dates: September 1, 2017-August 31, 2018

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Always read and follow label directions. FMC is a trademark of FMC Corporation.
©2017 FMC Corporation. All rights reserved. 17-FMC-0804 09/17
 Matthew Fortner’s grandfather began farming the Mississippi Delta near
Sumner, Miss., in 1946. Now Matthew, his brother, Jonathan, and father,
Paul, are farming it, too. Each year, the Fortners grow 3,000 acres of irrigated
soybeans, and the pre-emergent herbicide they use to stop pigweed, morning
glories and other tough broadleaf weeds is Authority® Elite herbicide. Learn more about the soybean growers who farm
with Authority herbicides at FMCAGUS.com/Authority.

Wherever your farm is located, Authority Elite herbicide qualifies for FMC Freedom Pass Agronomic Rewards and Product
Financing1. See your authorized retailer for more details.
 c r o p s
By Tharran Gaines

Early planting can boost soybean

pods and ultimately yield, says
Kris Ehler.

weather much better than

corn. He proved that with the
soybeans planted in February.
Even though they had snow
on them in mid-March fol-
lowed by freezing tempera-
tures, Ehler ended up with
over 90% seedling survival
and a final yield of 86.9 bush-
els per acre, which was even
better than he expected.
“This past year was a good
illustration,” he says. “We
had a lot of corn replants due
to cool, wet conditions in late
April. On the other hand,
we know that soybeans can
withstand those cooler tem-
peratures without a penalty.
So I think it’s better to plant

THE EARLY BIRD BAGS MORE BEANS

PLANTING EARLY IS A WAY TO BOOST SOYBEAN YIELDS.
soybeans first and wait for
warmer, more consistent soil
temperatures to plant corn.
“The risk is still pretty

I
high for soybeans planted in
magine being able to harvest an extra 8 to 10 bushels per vantage on the same variety March, but I would certainly
acre of soybeans without spending another dime. According planted on April 26 com- advocate an April planting
to Kris Ehler, a seed agronomist with Ehler Bros. Seed, a pared with a plot planted on date,” he says.
family-owned business based near Thomasboro, Illinois, all May 23 right beside it.” Ehler says he tries not to
you have to do is plant soybeans early. treat his early-planted soy-
Ehler Bros. Seed has been doing early planting soybean Why It Works beans any differently than
trials since 2009. Although the February 22 planting date the
company experimented with this past season may sound a little
extreme, Ehler advocates planting full-season soybeans (nor-
“S oybeans love to harvest
sunlight,” he says. “By
planting early, you give that
the average producer would
during the growing season,
except for several products
mally groups 3.5 to 4.2, with 4.7 soybeans tossed in this year) no soybean plant the ability to to enhance pod fill and miti-
later than the end of April. harvest more sunlight prior gate plant stress.
“The February 22 planting date (on a 1-acre plot) was my to the days becoming shorter. He also applies a preemer-
‘sledge hammer,’ ” he says. “It was my way of driving home If you can get that soybean gence and postemergence
the message that farmers need to plant soybeans earlier than plant out of the ground and application of herbicide with
they’re used to planting them. Our data looks very similar to growing sooner, you ulti- a residual for weed control,
the other research data mately have the potential to and he applies fungicides
across the region, which put on more nodes and pods, and insecticides as needed.
shows that growers which equals more beans “There are very few

8.3
The bushel-per-acre advantage
gleaned in Ehler Bros. Seed
trials by planting on
April 26 vs. May 23.
give up 0.3 to 0.4 bushel and higher yields.” things in your operation that
per day when planting While most Corn Belt don’t cost a dime but can
soybeans after May 10. producers plant corn first, make you $60 to $80 per
Our own field trials in followed by soybeans, Ehler acre,” he concludes. “Simply
2016 were no excep- believes it should be the other moving up the planting date
tion. They showed an way around. He insists soy- for soybeans is one of those
8.3-bushel-per-acre ad- beans can handle cool, damp things.”

bonus Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017 Photography: Tharran Gaines

h o m e CARE
By Jodi Henke, Multimedia Editor

SEPTIC SYSTEM GET WITH THE

MAINTENANCE ALL-ACCESS,
ROUTINE MAINTENANCE IS THE BEST THING
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T
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he most common reason for early failure of a septic
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that offer you more freedom in the field.
only thing that should go in it is what we add as
humans, toilet paper, and water. If you flush nonbio-
Program Dates: September 1, 2017-August 31, 2018
degradable things, they don’t break down; they clog
up, and you’ll have to pump out the system more often.
Sara Heger is a research engineer and instructor with
the University of Minnesota’s Onsite Sewage Treatment
Program. She says, in general, homeowners should have
septic systems pumped about every three years, depending on
the size of the system and how many people live in the house.
Keep in mind this service also includes an evaluation of the
entire system.
“The service people don’t just clean your tank, they make
sure your tank hasn’t cracked and the baffles are in your
tank, and if you hit something with the lawn mower, they’ll
fix that,” says Heger. “So it’s actually more of an overall
service than just tank cleaning; they make sure your system is
working well and doesn’t need any other repairs.”
Everyday maintenance includes being mindful of how and
when you use water. A day of doing all the laundry, running
the dishwasher, and everyone taking showers will send mass
quantities of water into the septic system and overload it.
Heger says wastewater could back up into drains, and solids
can clog the leach field.
Also, be aware of the products you use, especially antibac-
terial.
“That’s everything from softening products you put in
your laundry to shower cleaners. All those products have the
potential to decrease the bacteria,” says Heger. “Not any one
of them is going to kill off the bacteria in the tank, but the
more products you start to use, the risk does start to go up
that you’ll kill off more and more of those microbes. They
are needed both in the tank and out in the drain field to
break down contaminants in the waste water.”
Always keep the drain field in good condition by planting
Talk to your authorized retailer or visit
only grass over and near your septic system. Don’t drive
over it, and keep surface water drainage away from the FMCAGUS.com/FMCFreedomPass
drain field. to learn more.

Learn more
• septic.umn.edu/
• nawt.org/documents/homeowner_guide_long_customize.pdf
• store.msuextension.org/publications/HomeHealthandFamily/
MT199403HR.pdf Always read and follow label directions. FMC is a trademark of FMC Corporation.
©2017 FMC Corporation. All rights reserved. 17-FMC-0805 09/17

December 2017 | Successful Farming at Agriculture.com bonus

WE’VE ADDED NEW LIFE TO
CAPTURE LFR INSECTICIDE.
® ®

LITERALLY.
The performance of Capture® LFR® insecticide has always been good. Beneficial bacteria
in VGR® Soil Amendment make it even better. More than proven protection against
corn rootworms and seedling soil pests, the addition of VGR Soil Amendment helps you
establish bigger, fuller roots, stronger plant stands and maximum water use efficiency.
Field trials show Capture LFR insecticide can help increase yields an average of 11 bushels
per acre1. Adding VGR Soil Amendment helps boost yields an extra 3 bushels per acre2.

Capture LFR insecticide + VGR Soil Amendment is eligible for FMC Freedom Pass
Agronomic Rewards and Product Financing3. See your authorized FMC retailer for details.

1
Based on grower comparisons from 2006 – 2014. 2 Based on 2015 grower trials. 3 Offer ends July 31, 2018 and is subject
to approved credit on a Multi-Use Account, a service of John Deere Financial, f.s.b. For agricultural/commercial use only.
Offer requires a $5,000 minimum purchase of at least one of the qualifying products listed. After the promotional period,
interest charges will begin to accrue at the regular Multi-Use Account rate. Available at participating merchants. Multi-Use
Accounts are a service of John Deere Financial, f.s.b.

Capture LFR insecticide is a Restricted Use Pesticide. Always read and follow label directions. VGR Soil Amendment is not a pesticide.
FMC, Capture, LFR and VGR are trademarks of FMC Corporation or an affiliate. ©2017 FMC Corporation. All rights reserved. 17-FMC-0845 09/17
VGR® Soil Amendment contains Bacillus
licheniformis bacteria that colonize
actively growing corn roots.
 t e c h n o l o g y
By Laurie Bedord, Advanced Technology Editor
GRAIN BIN CLEANOUT SAFELY
AND EFFICIENTLY EMPTY GRAIN BINS WITH
FLEXWAVE TECHNOLOGY.
T
raditionally, grain bin owners have emptied bins us-
ing a combination of gravity and augers or bin sweep
technology. However, these approaches tend to leave
grain behind, which means the bin floor must be swept
out by hand.
“Even with a sweep auger, there is often a need to enter the
bin to clean out all of the grain,” says Greg Trame, GSI direc-
tor of engineering.
GSI’s new, patent-pending FlexWave technology eliminates
this labor-intense, inefficient task. The system uses two large
liners that take turns inflating and deflating to gently push any
leftover grain into a centrally located conveyor trough. Each
liner has the ability to unload more than 100 tons of grain. A
control system automatically senses the amount of grain and
shuts off once the process is complete.
“A small industrial blower pushes less than 1 psi of air pres-
sure into the liner compartment or about as much as the aver-
age vacuum cleaner,” he says. “The same blower also pulls the
air back out and returns the liner to the side of the bin.”
The liners are made of durable, commercial-grade material
designed to last over 30 years under normal conditions. In case
of a puncture, the liner can be easily repaired with a simple
glue patch. “The material is a tough vinyl and is the same kind
of material used in domed buildings such as those used for
sports,” he explains.
bonus Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017
Since there are no exposed mechanical components, Trame
says FlexWave is more reliable than conventional methods.
He also notes that perforated bin floors are eliminated, which
increases capacity.
“Customers can use whatever conveyor they would like in
the bottom of the bin. However, it must cover the full width of
the bin – not half,” he says.
other applications
C onventional grain hopper tanks are emptied by gravity
through a cone at the bottom. FlexWave enables a flat-
bottom storage tank for use instead. This not only increases
capacity but also eliminates the need to install legs since it can
sit on the ground.
There is a lot of potential for future applications with
FlexWave, notes Trame, since any equipment that relies on a
hopper cone for gravity-flow cleanout can benefit from this
technology.
“FlexWave technology results in 99% cleanout and elimi-
nates the risk of entrapment from falling grain or auger
entanglement since it is truly a zero-entry bin unload method,”
he says. “This technology is exclusive to GSI and represents
an exciting advancement that supports our commitment to
continuous innovation.”
Field trials are currently being conducted to ensure that
proper aeration is maintained for long-term, safe storage.
The company anticipates that the first product equipped with
FlexWave technology will be available in 2018. Cost has not yet
been established.
For additional information or to watch a video of the
technology in action, visit grainsystems.com/FlexWave.
Illustration: Manufacturer
w i l d l i f e
By Jodi Henke, Multimedia Editor

BENEFITS OF BEAVERS
TOO MUCH NITROGEN IN THE WATER? LEAVE IT TO BEAVERS.
the oxygen. They continue to
look around for an alterna-
tive source of oxygen, and
that’s the nitrate nitrogen.”

A
The amount of nitrogen
mericans love their fertilizers. However, when excess Gold says beaver ponds removed by a beaver pond
nitrogen reaches ponds, rivers, and streams, it creates slow the flow of water, and will vary based on several
algae blooms, low oxygen levels that can kill fish, and there’s also a buildup of conditions, but Gold says
dead zones along coastlines. Believe it or not, those organic matter. This creates they’ve seen reduction
irritating beaver dams in your stream are doing some conditions that can remove numbers as high as 45%. The
good to mitigate these issues, so you might want to leave the nitrate from water. researcher hopes to monitor
rodents alone. “The process itself is be- the ponds over a longer
Arthur Gold is the chair of the Department of Natural cause of the bacteria and the period and to study aban-
Resources at the University of Rhode Island. He’s been work- microbes. The conditions doned ponds to see if the
ing with a team to study the movement of nitrogen through that set it up need to have nitrogen-retaining qualities
the water and to identify the special conditions that would some fresh organic matter,” are still there even after the
remove the nitrogen. Gold says. beavers are gone.
“When we’re monitoring streams and trying to understand “If you go into a beaver
how much nitrogen seems to be missing as the stream contin- pond, you’ll see very mucky Learn more
ues to flow, sometimes we’ve noticed that there were beaver bottom sediments that are • agronomy.org/science-
ponds in between our sampling locations,” says Gold. “So in slowly decomposing,” he ex- news/beavers-take-chunk-
the upstream area vs. the downstream area, we’d see some plains. “As they decompose, out-nitrogen-northeast-rivers
nitrogen being removed.” they’re actually consuming all • beaverdam.info/

GET WITH THE

ALL-ACCESS,
ALL-SEASON
V.I.P. PROGRAM.
FMC is honoring Very Independent Purchasers
with exclusive agronomic and economic incentives
that offer you more freedom in the field.

Program Dates: September 1, 2017-August 31, 2018

Talk to your authorized retailer or visit FMCAGUS.com/FMCFreedomPass to learn more.

Always read and follow label directions. FMC is a trademark of FMC Corporation.
©2017 FMC Corporation. All rights reserved. 17-FMC-0806 09/17
BEYOND PROTECTION,
NURTURE PRODUCTION.
Labeled for corn as well as soybeans, Ethos XB ®

insecticide/fungicide from FMC provides the broadest

spectrum of protection on the market.

If you’ve seen positive results with Capture® LFR® insecticide,

look closely at Ethos® XB insecticide/fungicide. This
innovative, broad-spectrum biofungicide and insecticide
offers unparalleled protection against soil pests and diseases
like Pythium, Phytophthora, Fusarium
and Rhizoctonia. And unlike synthetic
chemistries, the protection builds over time as spores colonize
and create a biofilm barrier around plant roots.

Establish an environment where seedlings emerge more

quickly, more uniformly and more protected. We call it the
Zone of Production™. The proof is in fuller stands, stronger
growth and higher yields.

Ethos XB insecticide/fungicide is eligible for FMC Freedom

Pass Agronomic Rewards, Performance Assurances and
Product Financing.1 See your authorized retailer for details.

1
Offer ends July 31, 2018 and is subject to approved credit on a Multi-Use Account, a service of John Deere Financial, f.s.b. For
agricultural/commercial use only. Offer requires a $5,000 minimum purchase of at least one of the qualifying products listed. After
the promotional period, interest charges will begin to accrue at the regular Multi-Use Account rate. Available at participating
merchants. Multi-Use Accounts are a service of John Deere Financial, f.s.b.

Ethos XB insecticide/fungicide and Capture LFR Insecticide are Restricted Use Pesticides. Always read and follow label
directions. Ethos XB insecticide/fungicide is not registered for sale or use in California. FMC, Ethos, Zone of Production, Capture and
LFR are trademarks of FMC Corporation or an affiliate. ©2017 FMC Corporation. All rights reserved. 17-FMC-0849 09/17
 s t a r t – u p SPOTLIGHT
By Laurie Bedord, Advanced Technology Editor

adapting to the needs and

changes in the industry,”
Mulkey says.
“For dealers to continue
growing their businesses
into the future, they’ll need
to reach buyers who no
longer come to them directly
and, of course, new buyers,”
he adds.
“I like that the website
presents the location and
broadens our reach,” notes
Sloan. “Its price is also
lower.”
The site is not a pay-to-
play marketplace, Mulkey
says. Sellers pay an annual
membership fee based on

MACHINERY MARKETPLACE INNOVATORS OF

MACHINIO.COM LOOK TO DO FOR USED MACHINERY WHAT EXPEDIA
the package options chosen,
which means no commis-
sions are taken off of trans-
DID FOR HOTELS AND FLIGHTS. actions and sales.
“Everyone is on an even

T
playing field,” he says. “Our
wo of the biggest pain points buyers experience when identify red flags before they buyers are searching for
searching for needed equipment are how difficult reach sellers,” Rokhfeld says. specific machines, and dealers
and how time-consuming the process is. By gathering “We’ve made sales may have what buyers are
listings from thousands of equipment through Machinio.com,” says looking for regardless of the
dealers from all over the world, Dan Jeff Sloan, Sloan Implement size of their companies or
Pinto and Dmitriy Rokhfeld are making that (sloans.com). “You see a how long they’ve been
process effortless for buyers. LOT of scammers out there around.”
“Dan and I understood that we could lever- – but not with Machinio.
age technology in a way unheard of in agri- com. The website provides BIO
culture and aggregate millions of listings from legitimate buyers.” COMPANY: Machinio.com
thousands of global sellers,” says Rokhfeld, Dan Pinto FOUNDERS: Dan Pinto, chief
cofounder and CEO of Machinio.com. “We broader reach

H
build tools focused on removing steps in the aving access to a larger
process for buyers and sellers, so they can spend pool of options is a win
less time messing with technology and more for farmers and dealers.
time focused on their core business.” “With the rise of the inter-
Founded in 2012, the partners created net, buyers have more choices
Machinio.com, a global search engine for than ever,” says Samuel
finding used machinery and tools. According Dmitriy Rokhfeld Mulkey, senior business
to Laura Pereira, who is part of the operations development representative
team, over 550,000 buyers from 190 countries with Machinio.com.
visit the site each month. Over the last five years,
“Using proprietary technology, we connect interested buyers the company has grown very
with thousands of global sellers who have the equipment they quickly by capturing those
are looking to purchase. We help accelerate the sale of equip- buyers and introducing them
ment,” she explains. “More than 50,000 leads were sent to sellers to agricultural businesses.
in the month of September (2017) alone.” “Multigenerational busi-
Sellers can be assured those leads are properly vetted. “We nesses continue to operate
run a multistep vetting process to save time and energy. We successfully by constantly
technology officer, and Dmitriy
Rokhfeld, chief executive officer
GLOBAL HEADQUARTERS:
Chicago, Illinois
BACKGROUND: In 2012, Pinto
and Rokhfeld began working on
Machinio.com and launched the
initial prototype in early 2013.
They opened their first office a
year later. Interest and demand
grew quickly from buyers and
sellers around the world. A
second office was opened in
Berlin in early 2017.
FUNDING: Machinio.com has
raised $4.04 million from
investors including a $3 million
round led by Ritchie Bros.

bonus Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017 Photography: Manufacturer

 If you want to be dirt rich, then try new Poncho®/VOTiVO® 2.0.** With a revolutionary biological that
enhances the microbial activity in your soil, your plants can get more nutrients from the ground for
healthier plants and higher yield potential. Ask your dealer for seed treated with Poncho/VOTiVO 2.0.
The next generation of America’s most trusted seed treatment.
*Over commercial seed-applied fungicide systems.

**Poncho/VOTiVO 2.0 is a seed treatment system comprised of Poncho/VOTiVO (EPA Reg. No. 264-1109) and the soil amendment TWO.O.
© 2017 Bayer CropScience LP, 2 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709. Always read and follow label instructions. Bayer, the Bayer Cross, Poncho, and VOTiVO are registered trademarks of Bayer.
Poncho/VOTiVO is not registered for use in all states. The components of the Poncho/VOTiVO 2.0 system are not registered for use in all states. For additional product information, call toll-free 1-866-99-BAYER
(1-866-992-2937) or visit our website at www.CropScience.Bayer.us. CR0717PONVO2A021V00R0
 H O L
THESE UNIQUE TOOL INNOVATIONS ARE SURE TO
PLEASE EVEN THOSE WHO ARE HARD TO SHOP FOR.

DEWALT TAPE MEASURE

This 35-foot-long tape measure has a 1¾-inch-
wide blade constructed so that it extends out up
to 13 feet before collaps-
ing. The impact-resistant
case can take a 60-foot
drop without falling apart.
Features include a patented
system that uses two springs
to retract the tape every
time. The retail price of the
XP Tape Measure is $39.99.
Go to dewalt.com.

EMPIRE TORPEDO LEVEL

magnets for super

holding strength.
The level retails
between $29.97
and $40. Go
to empirelevel.
com.

Delivering up to 55 foot-pounds of torque (rival-

ing pneumatic ratchets), the recessed head profile IPA BRAKE FORCE TESTER
on the M12 ratchet fits into The Electric Brake Force Meter is used on
tight spaces to remove or seven-spade equipped vehicles and automati-
to tighten fasteners. The cally recognizes the electronic signature of
12-volt ratchet’s brushless trailer brake controllers, simulates trailer
motor provides for twice
the working life of brushed
ratchets. Sold in ¹∕4-, 3∕8-,
and ½-inch anvil sizes, a
bare tool (without a battery
or charger) retails for $149.
Go to milwaukeetool.com.

Sold in 18-, 24-, and 33-inch lengths, this extension has a

pull collar locking mechanism that holds sockets tight.
Made from an impact-grade alloy, the tool has a pinhole
and an O-ring groove. The 24-inch-long ½-inch anvil
retails for around $50. Go to gearwrench.com.

38 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017 Photography: Manufacturers

 © 2017 Archer Daniels Midland Company
Biggest “Little” Benefit #14:
A global network that starts
right here—at home.
At ADM, we’re committed to helping farmers, every step of the way.
So while we’re pleased to link farmers with a premier, global crop
transportation network, we’re even more proud to deliver personal
service at each of our local elevators and processing facilities—with
knowledgeable, community-minded merchandisers who can help you
identify the grain marketing strategy you need to succeed.

Get the best of both worlds with ADM. Go to adm.com/farmers

to learn more and visit our ADM Farmer Services Facebook page today.
 h o l i d a y GIFT GUIDE Continued

PORTER CABLE VACUUM RIDGID 18-VOLT

The MAX Wet/Dry vacuum offers IMPACT WRENCH
a 2-gallon container and a replace- Offering 450 foot-pounds
able and washable cartridge filter. of torque accessible via
Delivering up to 35 cfm of suction four speed modes
through a 7½-foot-long hose, the (up to 2,100 rpm),
vacuum runs off a rechargeable 20- Ridgid’s wrench
volt lithium ion battery. The retail features include a
price of the model PCC795B is brushless motor (for 50% more run
$79.99, which includes a three-year time and longer motor life), three
warranty. Go to portercable.com. LED work lights, and a three-year war-
ranty. The model R86011B retails for
WILTON VISE $149, which includes a lifetime service
Plated with nickel, Wilton’s Tradesman XC vis- warranty. Go to ridgid.com.
es are virtually indestructible, featuring
a 60,000-psi ductile iron body with
a precision slide bar calibrated to WORX
.003 inch. Other features include DRILL
an anvil that’s twice the size of The Ai drill
average anvils, a 360° swivel offers two drive
base, and a lifetime modes for automatic op-
warranty. Factory eration. In the SafeDrive
lubricated and mode, the drill delivers
permanently sealed, the amount of torque
the 6½-inch (mouth necessary to drive a
opening) model 1765XC retails for $649, and fastener into any material,
the 8-inch model 1780XC retails for $999. and then it backs off once
Go to wiltontools.com. the screw head is flush to the
surface. The drill’s unique
BitLock feature uses motorized jaws in the chuck to tighten
center bits automatically. The 20-volt tool retails for $99, which
includes a charger and battery. Go to worx.com.

ULTIMATE tool BACKPACK
Constructed of ballast material with rugged metal
zippers, Milwaukee’s model 48-22-8201 backpack
offers 48 pockets for tool storage. Plus, its hardshell
pocket is made with molded foam to store comput-
ers or tablets. The load-bearing harness has twice
the padding for user comfort. The backpack retails
for $199.99. Go to milwaukeetool.com.
Powered by a 4-amp-
hour 18-volt battery to cut
through over 1,000 feet of sheet
metal on a single charge, the 18-Gauge
Offset Shears feature a rotating head
design that makes it easy to adjust the angle
of the shear to fit various jobs. Capable of
cutting various materials such as expanded metal, wire fencing, or steel,
the tool’s blades are replaceable. A variable-speed trigger gives you extra
operating control. Retail price for the offset shear is $99, which includes a
three-year warranty. Go to ryobi.com.

40 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017

 You keep raising the bar.
The challenge of higher yields keeps pushing you. New Delaro™
fungicide can help you get the edge you’re looking for.
• Broader spectrum of disease control
• Best-in-class, dual-mode-of-action residual
• Improved plant health
Your top-performing hybrids and varieties will have the protection
they need to help you achieve your personal best.

©2017 Bayer CropScience LP, 2 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709. Always read and follow label instructions. Bayer, the Bayer Cross and Delaro
are trademarks of Bayer. Delaro is not registered in all states. For additional product information call toll-free 1-866-99-BAYER (1-866-992-2937) or visit our website
at www.CropScience.Bayer.us
CR0917DELAROA022V00R0 A-29383-5
 PORK POWERHOUSES® 2017

he pigs just keep coming.

The annual exclusive Pork
Powerhouses® 2017
ranking of the 40
largest U.S. pro-
ducers (see page
46) shows 246,850
more sows than
one year ago.
For the first time
ever, the top 40 own
or manage more than
4 million sows. (There are
about 6 million sows total in
the U.S.) Almost two thirds
of the largest producers,
25 out of 40, added sows.
Only six companies reduced
numbers.
The last time the Pork
Powerhouses list grew by
this much was in 2006. That
growth led to a market
collapse and cutbacks in
sow numbers by 2008.
Going further back, the
biggest year ever for sow
expansion among the Pork

EXPANSION
Powerhouses list was in 1998
when the largest producers
BY added a half million sows.
BETSY Remember what happened
FREESE

SPELLS
late that year?
There is one big differ-
EXECUTIVE ence in the industry today
EDITOR vs. 10 and 20 years ago.
Two new large packing

TROUBLE
plants opened in September,
Clemens Food Group in
Coldwater, Michigan, and
Seaboard Triumph Foods in
Sioux City, Iowa. A third,
Prestage Foods of Iowa, and
maybe even a fourth could
THE LAST TIME THE ANNUAL PORK POWERHOUSES® LIST GREW BY be killing hogs in a year or
THIS MANY SOWS WAS IN 2006. EXPORTS NEED TO KEEP UP. three.

42 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017 Photography: agnormark and taviphoto, iStockphoto.com

Never before in the pork
industry has there been
this kind of packing plant
expansion, live production
expansion, and absolute
necessity of export expan-
sion in the presence of cheap
grain. Cheap grain often
breaks more people than
expensive grain because
it encourages expansion.
Companies get bullish when
grain is cheap.
BIGGEST MOVERS
he largest sow growth
T by any one firm in the
Pork Powerhouses list comes
from the Pipestone System,
Pipestone, Minnesota. This
veterinarian-based manage-
ment system added 55,000
sows since last year, some
through acquisition and
some by new growth. The
system’s total of 240,000 sows
jumps it to No. 3 on the
ranking this year.
As far as building new
sow farms, the most aggres-
sive expansion is with Iowa
Select Farms, No. 5 on the
ranking. The Iowa company
added 36,000 sows in the
past year, for 207,000 total.
These are the first new sow
farms for Iowa Select in 12
years. The company has a
23-year relationship with
JBS (formerly Swift), and
with new plants coming on-
line and the shifting of hogs
to new plants, JBS needs
help to fill the void.
“What’s really driving
the expansion are the new
slaughter plants coming
online,” says Jeff Hansen,
owner and founder. “If we
didn’t have the new slaugh-
ter plants, there would be no
opportunity. We have a long
relationship with JBS, and
we are filling in for some of
the volume it’s going to lose
to the new plants. We saw
the opportunity and decided
to add more sows.”
The largest growth by
acquiring sows in the past
year is by Seaboard Foods,
Shawnee Mission, Kansas,
which added 35,000 sows,
all by buying farms already
in production. The com-
pany needs pigs for the new
Seaboard Triumph Foods
plant, which processes 10,000
head of market hogs a day.
The second shift of that plant
will start killing next spring.
Smithfield Foods, the
largest U.S. producer by a
long shot with 910,000 sows,
picked up 30,000 sows from
Hormel Foods (the Farmer
John business) since last year,
but otherwise it hasn’t added
sows domestically. The com-
pany is depopulating and
repopulating some farms but
has no plans to build new
sow farms in the U.S., says
Joe Szaloky, vice president
of business development and
planning for Smithfield.
Internationally, it is an-
other story. Smithfield added
15,000 sows in Mexico this
year with more to
come. “In Mexico,
the plan is to keep
growing,” says
Szaloky. Poland and
Romania combined
added 10,000 sows
for Smithfield this
year. “Smithfield
has a pretty good
focus on that
European business
now,” he says.
HEALTHY HERDS
ot only are
N sow farms
expanding, but also
each sow is more
PORK POWERHOUSES® 2017
productive than 10 years ago,
so the number of pigs pro-
duced goes up even more.
Disease is low across the
industry right now (fin-
gers crossed), but almost
nobody escaped PRRS last
winter. “There has been a
nasty PRRS blowing around
between systems down
here for a little over a year,”
says Mike Brandherm,
vice president and gen-
eral manager of Hitch Pork
Producers, which has 16,000
sows around Guymon,
Oklahoma. “Our vet calls
it the Southwest 1-8-4. It’s
pretty hard on growing pigs
and can cause abortions and
sow/piglet mortality. The
SW 1-8-4 hit us pretty hard
in nursery and finishing last
year and over the winter, but
it subsided this spring.”
Hitch converted sow
farms to batch farrowing,
going to a single source by
site for nursery and finish-
ing flows to improve disease
control. “We also continue
to explore other ways to
improve herd health, such
as PRRS/Myco elimination
projects combined with
December 2017 | Successful Farming at Agriculture.com 43
filtering sow farms,” says
Brandherm.
The deadly PED virus
is still around, but it’s not
causing significant problems
for U.S. producers lately.
“We get an occasional PEDv
flare-up that pops up very
randomly,” says Szaloky.
“PRRS has been, knock on
wood, somewhat stabilized.”
Most producers say their
animals are performing at
extremely high production
levels. Therein lies the prob-
lem, if you can call it that.
“The pipelines are full, the
animals are living well, they
are growing well, they are
converting well, and corn
is cheap,” explains Szaloky.
“It’s a bad combination.”
LABOR ISSUES
roducers almost
P across the board are
concerned with a shortage
of available workers. Many
report that workers or their
relatives are having trouble
renewing work permits.
“Our biggest problem is we
are having trouble finding
good on-farm people,” says
Jimmy Pollock, production
 PORK POWERHOUSES® 2017
manager for J.C. Howard
Farms, Deep Run, North
Carolina (27,000 sows).
“They are not coming
back, and the influx of new
workers has slowed. A lot
of workers are unsure and
don’t know what to do.”
The answer to labor issues
is typically new technology,
says Szaloky. “Labor becomes
a bigger issue for all of us
every single day. Our turn-
over rates are slightly higher,
and it’s a tough situation. As
labor gets scarcer and scarcer,
quality of labor falls. I don’t
have a good answer, but I
think it is about automation
and technology. There are
things on the cusp of chang-
ing the world in that area.”
Electronic sow feeding
(ESF) is used by many of the
largest producers who are
converting farms from gesta-
tion stalls to pens.
Pork Vision, a division
of Standard Nutrition
Company in Omaha,
H plants will affect the
industry is unclear for now.
Nebraska, added 14,150
sows this year (6,000 were
acquired) for 47,150 total.
A new 5,200-sow farm
near Pilger, Nebraska, will
start farrowing later this
year. It will feature the new-
est technology in feeding
systems, says Connor Sharp,
director of marketing. Sows
will have chips in their ears
so feeding stations can pro-
vide a different diet to each
one, depending on stage of
pregnancy and more.
Smithfield is going all-in
on group housing for gestat-
ing sows.
“All of our company fa-
cilities will be group-housed
by the end of this calendar
year, with the one exception:
the sows in Wyoming that
came with the Farmer John
44 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017
U.S. Pork Trade as
Percent of Production
PORK IMPORTS PORK EXPORTS
1979 1982 1985 1988
Source: USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service
acquisition,” says Szaloky.
“We are also offering our
growers extended con-
tracts if they will make the
conversion. We are bringing
them along through positive
influence. We are seeing a
very high acceptance rate
on that.”
VERTICAL INTEGRATION
ow the new packing
Is this the year the pork in-
dustry turns into the chicken
industry? Some say it is.
The new investment
in packing is great for the
industry, says Szaloky.
“Nothing would please me
more than for those new
sows to be put to good use
making meat that is sold to
consumers all around the
world. That’s good for our
U.S. economy, and that’s
good for our business. I
hope that’s how it ultimately
shakes out. We have got to
keep the export markets go-
ing. People have to consume
more pork. We have to sell
more meat to somebody.”
We need to keep trade
open, says Daryl Olsen,
senior partner for AMVC
Management Services,
1991 1994 1997 2000 2003 2006 2009 2012
Audubon, Iowa (117,500
sows in seven states).
“We have to make sure
our product is competitive in
the world. As long as we pro-
duce a great product and it’s
priced competitively, we’re
going to continue to have
exports, and we need exports;
it’s the key to our survival.”
This fall and winter could
be a tough time for produc-
ers who are not integrated,
predict many producers.
“I don’t think the ap-
proach we have today is
sustainable. Hog farmers
cannot survive in the long
run when they operate in
long periods of losses,” says
Szaloky.
There is only a small
handful of independent
producers who sell any hogs
to the open market for trans-
parency as far as bid prices.
Holden Farms (60,000 sows),
Northfield, Minnesota, sells
5% to 10% to the open mar-
ket each week.
“The negotiated market is
a big deal right now for our
industry, and only a handful
of people are doing anything
about it,” says Nick Holden.
“We worry about how many
pigs are priced off of that
mechanism.”
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
2015
WHAT’S AHEAD
he growth in pork pro-
T duction will continue,
because many new sow farms
have already broken ground.
“We’ll likely see 15,000 more
sows in Michigan by the
end of the year,” says Harley
Sietsema, owner of Sietsema
Farms (37,000 sows),
Allendale, Michigan.
He is one of the investors
in the new Clemens Food
Group plant in Coldwater,
which started killing on
September 5. It will be up to
full shift by January.
Many producers on the
Pork Powerhouses list say
they aren’t building new sow
farms but will be taking ad-
vantage of opportunities that
come along when companies
need to shed assets.
“It is interesting times in
the business,” says Szaloky.
“Usually I’m a good
prognosticator of what’s
about to happen. Not this
time. All I know is, at the
end of the day, somebody has
to eat the meat. To get more
people eating more meat,
you have to lower prices.”
LEARN MORE
Agriculture.com/livestock/
pork-powerhouses
THE RIGHT PROTOCOL Bring more weight to market by better controlling
your herd’s health. When hogs are vaccinated and
TAKES THE WEIGHT OFF raised with the right disease prevention protocols,
YOUR SHOULDERS they have the best chance at profitability. So take
the worry out of hog production. Implement disease
AND PUTS IT WHERE prevention and reduce clinical impact while maximizing
IT MATTERS MOST. your herd’s potential with Boehringer Ingelheim.

To learn more about preventing disease and improving performance, visit www.bi-vetmedica.com/swine.

©2017 Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. POR-0271-SHES0517

 TOP 40 U.S. PORK POWERHOUSES® 2017
2017 # Sows # Sows
Ranking Company / Headquarters 2017 2016
1 Smithfield Foods/WH Group / Smithfield, VA/China (also 135,000 sows in Mexico; 150,000 in Poland and Romania; worldwide total: 1,195,000 sows) 910,000 880,000
2 Seaboard Foods / Shawnee Mission, KS 325,000 290,000
3 Pipestone System / Pipestone, MN 240,000 185,000
4 The Maschhoffs / Carlyle, IL 218,000 218,000
5 Iowa Select Farms / Iowa Falls, IA 207,000 171,000
6 Carthage System / Carthage, IL 175,000 145,000
6 Prestage Farms / Clinton, NC 175,000 175,000
8 JBS / Brazil/Greeley, CO 166,570 177,000
9 Christensen Farms / Sleepy Eye, MN (an owner of Triumph Foods) 142,500 135,000
10 AMVC Management Services / Audubon, IA 117,500 115,000
11 Maxwell Foods / Goldsboro, NC 101,000 98,000
12 Allied Producers’ Cooperative / Westside, IA (an owner of Triumph Foods) 94,000 70,500
13 The Hanor Company / Spring Green, WI (an owner of Triumph Foods) 80,000 82,500
14 Tyson Foods / Springdale, AR 64,000 62,500
15 Clemens Food Group / Hatfield, PA 62,330 55,100
16 Schwartz Farms / Sleepy Eye, MN 62,000 58,000
17 Holden Farms / Northfield, MN 60,000 55,000
18 TriOak Foods / Oakville, IA 59,500 59,500
19 New Fashion Pork / Jackson, MN (an owner of Triumph Foods) 57,000 60,000
20 Pillen Family Farms / Columbus, NE 55,000 55,000
21 Wakefield Pork / Gaylord, MN 52,400 50,000
22 Great Plains Management / Creston, IL 51,000 53,500
23 Standard Nutrition Company/Pork Vision / Omaha, NE 47,150 33,000
24 Eichelberger Farms / Wayland, IA (an owner of Triumph Foods) 46,000 37,500
25 Protein Sources / Mapleton, MN 39,700 34,700
26 Sietsema Farms / Allendale, MI 37,000 37,000
27 Cactus Feeders / Amarillo, TX 36,000 34,000
28 Reicks View Family / Lawler, IA 32,500 29,000
29 Livingston Enterprises / Fairbury, NE 32,200 25,000
30 Fine Swine / Hilliard, OH 31,500 27,000
31 Brenneman Pork / Washington, IA 30,000 29,000
31 SuidaeHP / Algona, IA 30,000 27,000
33 Tosh Farms / Henry, TN 29,500 29,500
34 Cooper Farms / Fort Recovery, OH 28,800 28,500
35 J.C. Howard Farms / Deep Run, NC 27,000 25,000
36 Hord Livestock Company / Bucyrus, OH 26,000 26,500
37 TDM Farms / Newton Grove, NC 25,500 25,500
38 Kalmbach Feeds / Upper Sandusky, OH 25,000 25,000
39 Hormel Foods / Austin, MN 24,000 52,000
40 Heimerl Farms / Johnstown, OH 21,000 21,000
Total: Gain of 246,850 sows in 2017 4,043,650 3,796,800

TOP 5 CANADIAN PORK POWERHOUSES® 2017

1 Olymel / Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec 84,000 56,000
2 HyLife / LaBroquerie, Manitoba 78,000 73,000
3 Maple Leaf Agri-Farms / Landmark, Manitoba 74,000 67,000
4 The Progressive Group / Niverville, Manitoba 38,500 38,500
5 Provista Agriculture / Steinbach, Manitoba 34,000 36,500
Total: Gain of 37,500 sows in 2017 308,500 271,000

46 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017

 Growers looking for high yield potential and a better weed management
®
system can turn to proven Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans in 2018

Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® soybeans are the industry’s first major weed problem early on is marestail in no-till
biotech-stacked soybean trait with both dicamba and situations and then after that was waterhemp
glyphosate herbicide tolerance. Growers who followed in-season, but we took care of everything. I’d have to say
labeled application requirements and used low-volatility my expectations have been met. I thought the product
dicamba products in 2017 reported excellent weed was awesome. It worked great and did everything that
control and safe spraying with the Roundup Ready® it was supposed to do.”
Xtend Crop System for soybeans.
“We’ve had some trouble with weeds on the farm, mainly
resistant waterhemp and ragweed, and the Roundup
Ready 2 Xtend soybeans helped us manage those weeds
in 2017,” said Sam Purlee, who farms near Galesburg,
Illinois. “The Roundup Ready Xtend Crop System is
something I would recommend to neighboring growers.
It is a tool that you can use to control weeds and help
your bottom line. We really needed this technology, and
it’s going to be pretty important to us.”

“We’ve had some trouble with weeds

on the farm, mainly resistant waterhemp and
ragweed, and the Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans
helped us manage those weeds.” Plendl said being smart, following the label and
An in-crop application of XtendiMax® herbicide with communicating with neighbors are keys to making the
VaporGrip® Technology, a restricted use pesticide, tank system work effectively and safely.
mixed with Roundup PowerMAX® herbicide was made. “Finding the right wind condition was the hardest
“You need to use Roundup PowerMAX herbicide to get the thing, but I didn’t have any trouble with off-target
grasses, but the XtendiMax with VaporGrip Technology movement,” he said. “The bottom point is the
will control the broadleaves, and you’ll end up with a soybeans have to yield, and I think these Roundup
real clean field,” he said. Ready 2 Xtend soybeans are going to yield well. I
After planting and spraying Roundup Ready 2 Xtend would recommend using XtendiMax with VaporGrip
soybeans in 2017, Nathan Plendl believes the system Technology; it’s a great herbicide to have in the toolbox.”
will allow him to better manage weeds and his time at By combining innovative trait technologies and herbicide
his farm near Kingsley, Iowa. options, the Roundup Ready Xtend Crop System can
“I was really impressed with the amount of control provide you with a broad spectrum of weed control you
and the extended control that I had with the XtendiMax can count on year after year.
herbicide with VaporGrip Technology,” he said. “The To learn more visit: RoundupReadyXtend.com

Restricted Use Pesticide

® ®
XtendiMax herbicide with VaporGrip Technology is a restricted use pesticide for retail sale to and use only by Certified Applicators or persons under their direct supervision.
ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW DIRECTIONS FOR USE ON PESTICIDE LABELING. IT IS A VIOLATION OF FEDERAL AND STATE LAW to use any pesticide product other than in accordance with its labeling. XtendiMax® herbicide with
VaporGrip® Technology may not be approved in all states and may be subject to use restrictions in some states. Check with your local Monsanto dealer or representative or U.S. EPA and your state pesticide regulatory agency for
the product registration status and additional restrictions in your state. For approved tank-mix products and nozzles visit XtendiMaxApplicationRequirements.com.
NOT ALL formulations of dicamba or glyphosate are approved for in-crop use with Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® soybeans. ONLY USE FORMULATIONS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY LABELED FOR SUCH USES AND APPROVED FOR SUCH
USE IN THE STATE OF APPLICATION.
Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® soybeans contain genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate and dicamba. Glyphosate will kill crops that are not tolerant to glyphosate. Dicamba will kill crops that are not tolerant to dicamba.
Contact your Monsanto dealer or refer to Monsanto’s Technology Use Guide for recommended weed control programs.
Individual results may vary, and performance may vary from location to location and from year to year. This result may not be an indicator of results you may obtain as local growing, soil and weather conditions may vary.
Growers should evaluate data from multiple locations and years whenever possible.
Always read and follow IRM, where applicable, grain marketing and all other stewardship practices and pesticide label directions. Roundup Ready 2 Xtend®, PowerMAX®, Roundup Ready®, VaporGrip® and XtendiMax®
are registered trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2017 Monsanto Company. All Rights Reserved. MDIC-18001 SF-DEC
 a g r o n o m y INSIDER
By Kacey Birchmier, Agronomy & Conservation Editor

ACRE INSIGHT

8 DOS AND DON’TS FOR SOYBEANS

PAY MORE ATTENTION TO THE MANAGEMENT OF THE COMMONLY PLANTED LEGUME.

F
armers frequently push soybeans to the backseat of their to plant multiple soybean start to see a loss ranging
agronomic plans. When they do plant them, they often varieties, says Conley. from .2 to .5 bushel per acre
tighten the purse strings on inputs for the 88.7 million 2. Don’t skimp on seed per day.
acres of soybeans throughout the U.S. treatments. Conley’s data “This is something free,”
The good news: You don’t necessarily have to dig shows a consistent 70% Conley says. “It doesn’t cost
deeper in your pocketbook to garner soybean profits. Instead, return on investment for seed you any more to plant a few
Chad Lee, University of Kentucky Extension professor, and treatments. “Seed treatments days earlier.”
Shawn Conley, University of Wisconsin Extension soybean will pay for themselves or 4. Do manage weeds.
and wheat specialist, would prefer that you pay more attention make you money,” he says. “Based on last year, we saw
to input selection and management. If you’re trying to de- more problems with weeds
As tight economics prompt you to consider cutting back termine when to use seed than we’ve seen in a long,
your soybean investment, some inputs and practices can be treatments, opt for the early- long time,” says Lee. “Weed
placed on the chopping block. Others shouldn’t. Here are eight planted soybeans. control is a major issue. So
dos and don’ts from Lee and Conley to boost soybean bushels. “Early-planted soybeans going into next season, you
1. Do invest in the seed. “One thing I like to remind farmers are at a higher risk for disease need to be as aware of your
of is to invest in high-yielding genetics,” says Conley. and insect damage,” explains herbicide program as any-
“Whichever type of bean you want to grow – LibertyLink, Lee. “Those are the best can- thing else.”
Xtend, or others – pick something that has good yield potential didates for seed treatments.” Conley urges you to use
and a disease package for your area,” says Lee. 3. Do plant early. “I like preemergence applications,
One suggestion Conley makes is to gather yield and perfor- soybeans planted the last residuals, full rates, multiple
mance data from multiple sources and a large land area to help week of April and the first modes of action, and to make
ensure performance. Soybeans have a year or two turnover 10 days of May,” says Conley. timely applications.
rate, says Conley. Because of that turnover, the more data That’s because once past Lee saw in-season man-
you can gather, the better. Another way to spread the risk is the first 10 days in May, you agement as the biggest chal-

48 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017 Photography: Kacey Birchmier; David Ekstrom
lenge in 2017. He doesn’t expect that to change in 2018.
“If you choose to ignore a weedy field, there’s no sense in
worrying about anything else,” he says.
5. Don’t skimp on potassium. Make sure you know what the
yield level is and meet that demand, says Conley. Record yields
for corn and soybeans the last couple of years have removed
significant potassium (K) from the soil.
“Eighty-bushel soybeans are equivalent to the removal of
100 pounds of K20 on that field,” he says.
“I understand if you don’t want to build, but you need to
meet maintenance levels,” says Conley. “You don’t want to
limit K – especially since K fertilizer is relatively inexpensive.”
6. Don’t throw extras in the tank just because.
Just because you’re making a pass across the field doesn’t
mean you should add in additional products. Be judicial about
what gets tossed in during the 2018 season.
“Think twice about all of the stuff you throw in the tank
‘just because,’ ” says Conley. “A lot of the products are $5 to $10
per acre, and it’s hard to show the return on investment.”
7. Do examine your seeding rate. You could consider cutting
back on seeding rates, advises Lee.
The rule of thumb for soybeans is 140,000 seeds per acre,
according to Conley. There’s a price per seed; there’s a cost to
high seeding rates, he adds.
“If you’re confident about getting good stands in the spring
in your high-yield environments, you need fewer plants per
acre to get your maximum yield,” says Lee. “If you’re planting
full-season soybeans, you want a stand around 100,000 plants
per acre at harvest.”
If you’re planting at 180,000 seeds per acre, there is room
to cut back. At 120,000 seeds per acre, you are probably right
where you want to be, says Lee.
“When you have really high populations, you have a lot of
plant mortality,” says Conley. “They tend to die off, or they
only have two or three pods on them.”
8. Do the basics. “A lot of products are viewed as insurance,”
says Lee. “Not all of them are necessary, but they’re selected
because they might help you if an event occurs. This might be
the year to raise the deductible and lower the premiums.”

Ascend® plant growth regulators can

December 2017 | Successful Farming at Agriculture.com 49
help you start your season with a boost.
Contact your local retailer to get started.
Or go to winfieldunitedag.com
WinField United is a trademark and Ascend and WinField are registered trademarks of Winfield Solutions, LLC.
© 2017 Winfield Solutions, LLC.
 i r r i g a t i o n INSIDER
By Dave Mowitz, Executive Editor, Machinery & Technology

replenishment levels, milo The researchers developed

yields doubled compared
with no irrigation.
At 80% replenishment,
the late-maturing variety
consistently produced higher
yields than the early-matur-
ing one. The early-maturing
variety produced sufficient
yields to make it a viable
alternative if you have lim-
ited well capacity or if a crop
planted earlier in the season
(such as corn or cotton) has
failed because of hail, floods,
or drought.
what can be done?
the higher-yielding sorghum
by taking advantage of a
plant part called a spikelet. A
spikelet is a cluster of florets
within the panicle (a type of
flower cluster found in some
other grasses, such as millet
or rye).
Sorghum produces two
types of spikelets: the sessile
spikelets and the pedicellate
spikelets. Normally, only the
sessile spikelets are fertile.
However, the researchers
developed a sorghum variety
that produces seeds in both
types of spikelets.

In related research, ARS

scientists in Texas have
The team developed the
productive sorghum line by

GRAIN SORGHUM’S developed a new sorghum

variety that produces 30% to
inducing a mutation in
sorghum plants that allows

IRRIGATION POTENTIAL
40% more seeds compared infertile spikelets to grow
with conventional varieties. and produce seed.
MILO’S YIELD POTENTIAL ENHANCES EVEN AT
ONE THIRD TO ONE HALF OF ITS WATER NEEDS .

G
rain sorghum, the
go-to crop for non-
irrigated land in the
High Plains, offers
great potential as an
irrigated crop in areas where
irrigation water is limited.
Susan O’Shaughnessy,
an engineer with the
Agricultural Research
Service’s (ARS) Soil and
Water Management
Research Unit in Bushland,
Texas, evaluated yields and
the water-use efficiency of
early- and late-maturing
sorghum varieties produced
under four deficit irrigation
conditions.
The deficit water condi-
tions included 80%, 55%,
30%, and 0% of replenish-
ment levels of the crop’s
needs not provided by
rainfall. “You could consider
the 80% replenishment level
to be mild deficit irrigation;
the lower replenishment
levels are moderate to
extreme deficit irrigation,”
O’Shaughnessy says.
early- vs. late-
maturing varieties
A nother issue the re-
searchers tackled was to
determine whether to grow
early-maturing varieties,
which are planted later
and are less vulnerable to
drought, vs. late-maturing
varieties, which produce
higher yields when given
enough water.
After three years of field
trials, the researchers found
that crop water-use effi-
ciency (the water used by the
crop in relation to the crop
yield) was typically greatest
at the 55% replenishment
level. Yet, even at 30%
FINGER MILLET HOLDs POTENTIAL AS ALFALFA,
CORN SILAGE REPLACEMENT IN HIGH PLAINS
A solution to meeting forage needs in one of the fastest-growing
dairy regions in the U.S. may be a crop grown in India. The
Southern High Plains region, particularly West Texas and New Mexico,
has seen huge increases in milk production as dairies have relocated
from California. The Ogallala Aquifer in this area is being stretched
beyond its capacity to irrigate corn for silage and alfalfa, which are key
feed components for dairy production. One solution to this challenge
may be a crop grown in India called finger millet. It uses 10% to 20%
less water than sorghum, and it thrives on marginal land. The millet
contains methionine, an essential nutrient that helps dairy cattle digest
feed, wean healthier calves, and produce more milk, points out Prasanna
Gowda, a USDA Agricultural Research Service engineer.
Gowda and his colleagues grew five different finger millet varieties
at Bushland, Texas, to study its production. They discovered finger
millet, compared with corn, had twice as much calcium; four to
five times as much phosphorus; higher levels of potassium; and
comparable levels of protein, fiber, and total digestible nutrients.
Calcium and phosphorus deficiencies reduce dairy cattle’s appetites
and growth, and lower milk production, Gowda points out.
The drawback to the crop is that it produces lower yields than corn.
Yet, the research confirms the millet variety could be a viable feed
source for dairy cattle as a supplement to corn while saving water. “We
don’t see finger millet completely replacing corn, but adding it to the
diet of dairy cattle could provide them with the nutrition they need and
reduce the overall need for water,” Gowda says.

50 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017 Photography: USDA Agricultural Research Service
When you’re one with your field, you can make
smarter decisions. From monitoring field conditions to
controlling irrigation functions, the easy-to-use ReinCloud™
dashboard keeps you updated on what’s going on in your
fields — remotely.

MyReinCloud.com/smart
 s u c c e s s f u l MARKETING
By Mike McGinnis, Marketing Editor
MAKE MONEY NOW DON’T WAIT
TO IMPROVE YOUR GRAIN MARKETING.
E
veryone knows
harvest is normally
associated with low
prices. There are
exceptions to this,
but what can be done when
prices are low?
“I receive calls all the time
from farmers who made
good sales during the sum-
mer rally but have more to
sell. I tell them to use the
low prices to their advan-
tage,” says Al Kluis, Kluis
Commodities.
One tool that can help
you incorporate mar-
keting into your day is
the Successful Marketing
newsletter. Its eight pages
52 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017
are packed with decision-
making tools to help you
sell grain at higher prices.
Designed to educate you
on grain marketing strate-
gies, the newsletter can
help increase your confi-
SUCCESSFULMARKETING.COM/DEAL
dence in making market-
ing decisions.
In this newsletter, Kluis
shares his 40 years of com-
modity trading experience.
He focuses on managing
risk vs. speculating with
your crop-selling decisions.
Along with straight-
forward strategies to
develop a marketing plan,
the Successful Marketing
newsletter provides specific
advice on generating cash
flow for your operation.
The October issue (sam-
ple pages are shown above)
points out how to make
decisions when prices are
low. In that issue, Kluis says
a low market environment
can be a time for you to pick
up extra cash per bushel.
“How can low prices
help? Often, when prices
are low, volatility is low. We
have discussed the impact of
volatility on option prices.
When there is high volatil-
ity, option prices are more
expensive when compared
with low volatility,” he says.
“Consider buying call
options on those bushels
that have already been sold.
It is a low-risk approach to
improve the net sale price of
those committed bushels,”
he says.
Successful Marketing
newsletter is designed to
help you make more money.
In addition to a monthly
printed newsletter, a weekly
email newsletter, and email
alerts based on changes in
the markets, you get the
Quarterly Grain Stocks
Reports.
Don’t wait another
minute. Subscribe online at
SuccessfulMarketing.com/
deal!
m a c h i n e r y
By Tharran Gaines
INNOVATIONS FROM CLAAS
NEW PRODUCTS, FEATURES, AND OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE IN 2018.
C
laas is rolling out
new products and
technology for
combines, forage
harvesters, hay tools,
and forage equipment.
The company’s Lexion
combines, for example,
are already known for the
Cemos Automatic system,
which senses changing
harvest conditions and ad-
justs the machine’s cleaning
and separation systems to
maximize throughput and
grain quality.
For 2018, that technology
becomes even more acces-
sible, due to a new 12-inch
Cebis Mobile color moni-
tor. New slider controls on
the monitor, along with a
graphical interface, make the
setup of Cemos Automatic –
along with Cruise Pilot and
other precision technologies
– easier than ever.
“Another key update to
the 2018 Lexion combine
line is the addition of a grain
quality camera,” says John
Schofield, marketing coordi-
nator for Claas of America,
Inc. “The new camera moni-
bonus Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017
tors the quality of grain in
the clean grain elevator and
displays those images on the
Cebis Mobile monitor (pic-
tured above, left). Farmers
can actively see the quality of
grain as it is transported to
the grain tank, and they can
modify combine settings.”
Jaguar 900 Series
Forage Harvester
T he list of upgrades to the
Jaguar 900 series forage
harvester line includes an
improved optional cutting
drum designed for longer
chop lengths; new comfort
and performance options;
enhanced telematics; and a
completely redesigned pick-
up header. Additionally,
many of the updates made
to the Jaguar 970 and 980
models last year can now be
found on the remainder of
the 900 series.
“The business end of the
new Jaguar 900 series forage
harvesters is now available
with an optional V-Max
extended cutting drum
that makes it easier and
smoother to run half knifes
for chop lengths of up to
30 millimeters in corn,”
Schofield says. “Studies
have shown that silages pro-
cessed with our Shredlage
processor at these longer
chop lengths contribute to
better digestion and more
efficient feed conversion.”
Other new options for
the Jaguar line include
dual hydraulic feedroll
compression, which uses
two rear cylinders for more
consistent pressure, a new
load counter to control the
fill weights of up to three
different trailer sizes, and
a new Fleet View applica-
tion for iOS devices to track
the movement of Jaguar
forage harvesters, trac-
tors, and trucks to simplify
the logistics end of forage
harvesting.
Claas Hay and
Forage Line
T he Claas hay and for-
age equipment line,
meanwhile, saw the
addition of several new
machines. One is the Disco
3600RC Contour mower/
roller conditioner (pictured
above, middle), which was
designed by taking the com-
pany’s largest front mower/
roller conditioner model
and adding a three-point
hitch to provide a working
width of 11 feet, 2 inches at
the rear of the tractor.
Claas also introduced
three new rake models,
replacing two existing mod-
els. The Liner 1700 Twin
(22-foot working width) re-
places the Liner 1650 Twin,
while the Liner 1800 Twin
is a new size with a wider
working width of 24 feet, 5
inches and double or single
windrows. The Liner 1900
replaces the Liner 1750 and
offers a working width of 26
feet, 5 inches.
Finally, Claas is replacing
the Rollant 260 with a new
feed rake version of the
Rollant 620 fixed-chamber
4×5 round baler (pictured
above, right). Like the
Rollant 620FR, it features a
modern new design and
larger rollers. It just doesn’t
have a feed rotor option to
force crop into the baler.
Photography: Manufacturer
THE COLOR’S THE SAME.

THE PERFORMANCE ISN’T.

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don’t let them fool you. With CruiserMaxx® Vibrance® Beans*
you get the industry-leading combination of fungicides and
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check with your local extension service to ensure registration status. CruiserMaxx Vibrance Beans is an on-seed application of CruiserMaxx Vibrance alone or with
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property of their respective owners. MW 1CRV7004-CARS-AG33 06/17
m a c h i n e r y
By Tharran Gaines

SMART SPRAYERS NEW SELF-PROPELLED SPRAYERS

ARE AVAILABLE FROM AGCO, EQUIPMENT TECHNOLOGIES, AND HARDI.

S
everal new self-propelled sprayers are being rolled out Europe, the company has ers at $290,000 and $360,000,
this year. In addition to new Guardian SP310F and reengineered its Bruin self- respectively. This includes
Miller Nitro 7310 from New Holland Agriculture, propelled hydrostatic spray- popular options such as
AGCO, Equipment Technologies, Inc., and Hardi are ers for the North American educator, fence-row nozzles,
also introducing new sprayer models. market and introduced them auto steer, auto booms, and
here as a complement to the section control.
AGCO RoGator C Series (pictured left) company’s Apache line of

A ccording to Mark Mohr, tactical marketing manager for

AGCO’s application division, one of the best features of
sprayers.
According to Kevin Covey,
AGCO’s new RoGator C series machines is the LiquidLogic
system that will help you reduce the potential for off-target
application, while making cleanout faster and easier and
ET general manager of prod-
uct support, Bruin sprayers
are available in two models:
reducing product waste. HS700 (700 gallons) and
As part of the system, the FlowLogic recirculation plumb- HS1100 (1,100 gallons) and
ing keeps product moving through the boom, plumbing, and backed by a five-year power
filters to reduce chemical buildup and help eliminate plugged train warranty, the longest in
spray tips. ClearFlow recovery uses air to force product from the industry.
the booms back into the tank, leaving less than 2½ gallons Unlike the Apache line,
in systems without injection. Finally, a hold-at-minimum- which feature two-wheel
pressure feature helps ensure a consistent spray pattern at low drive and a powershift trans-
speed and enables the system to maintain a ±1 psi variation mission, the Bruin models
across the boom. feature four-wheel steering,
Other new features of the C series include a 10.4-inch touch pneumatic suspension, hy-
screen AccuTerminal for fingertip control of all sprayer func- drostatic drive, and a narrow-
tions, new cab amenities, and new all-wheel SmartDrive that axle configuration (79 to 105
adjusts motor displacement when a wheel starts to slip, keeping inches) on the HS700 for easy
the machine moving in the field. transport between fields.
The Challenger RoGator C series row-crop applicators “The HS1100 boom
include three models, which vary in MSRP from $260,000 to adjusts automatically from
$530,000. 60 to 70 inches of clearance,
making it the tallest rear
Equipment Technologies Bruin Sprayers boom sprayer available in
(pictured center) North America,” Covey says.
Hardi Rubicon 9000
(pictured right)
W ant to cover a lot of
acres quickly? Hardi of-
fers its new 380-hp. Rubicon
9000, which derives its des-
ignation from the 9,000-liter,
or 2,200-gallon payload.
Equipped with front-mount-
ed aluminum spray booms
ranging in size from 120 to
160 feet, it is said to cover up
to 330 acres per hour.
“A Rubicon 9000 with a
150-foot boom, which repre-
sents a 25% increase in work
rate over a comparable 120-
foot boom, traveling at 20
mph can deliver a work rate
of 2,781 acres per day,” says
Wayne Buchberger, CEO of
Hardi North America, Inc.
“The increased tank capacity
also keeps you in the field
longer by reducing traveling
and filling down time.

A s Hardi, AGCO, and New Holland were introducing new

models, Equipment Technologies (ET) was unveiling a
whole new brand. After years of successfully proving them in
Equipment Technologies
lists prices of the Bruin
HS700 and HS1000 spray-
The list price for a
well-equipped Rubicon 9000
is $496,000.

bonus Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017 Photography: Manufacturers

 SUCCESSFUL FARMING TV
November 30, December 1, 3: Tire inflation tips to improve efficiency and reduce compaction, plus a customized seed trailer.
December 7, 8, 10: The Successful Farming Team help you find the perfect Christmas gift for the farmer or rancher on your list.
December 14, 15, 17: New products are tested by farmers, and a Ford collector shares his Commander 6000.
December 21, 22, 24: Making the most of shop space in Ohio, and a farmer-built variable rate fertilizer spreader.
December 28, 29, 31: Dave Mowitz visits a Wyoming shop, auction price on Farmall 1066 Diesel, and a custom Farmall Cub.

MACHINERY • AGRONOMY • TECHNOLOGY

Your Hosts

Jessie Scott Dave Mowitz Laurie Bedord

Digital Content Executive Editor, Advanced
Manager Machinery & Technology Technology Editor

SHOW TIMES: THURSDAYS 8 p.m. • FRIDAYS 12 a.m. • SUNDAYS 9 p.m.

All times Central on RFD-TV. Found on DISH Network, DIRECTV, and most major cable systems.
Find additional programming information at Agriculture.com/TV.
 i r r i g a t i o n INSIDER
By Dave Mowitz, Executive Editor, Machinery & Technology
CUT FURROW WATER
NEEDS BY 1.4 INCHES WITH
THE CUTOFF RATIO
THE KEY IS TO CALCULATE THE TIME FOR
WATER TO ADVANCE IN THE FIRST IRRIGATION.
A
demonstration
project in Clay
County, Nebraska,
confirms the po-
tential to save up to
3.2 acre-inches of water in
furrow irrigation by using a
practice called the cutoff ratio.
On average, 1.4 acre-inch-
es of water was saved in the
demonstration project. This
offers the opportunity to
save $14 per acre in pumping
costs alone, points out Chuck
Burr of the University of
Nebraska. This savings is
based on a pumping cost of
$10 per acre-inch.
First irrigation
B urr says the first irriga-
tion of the season is
typically the most ineffi-
cient. Often, the crop roots
have only penetrated 18 to
24 inches when the field is
irrigated for the first time.
Crop water use at this time
is at a minimum, so there is
little depletion of water in
the soil at deeper depths.
“Although the soil surface
Target Cutoff Ratio Based on Soil
and Irrigation System Considerations
Furrow Irrigation
System Sandy Soils
Without reuse 0.50
With reuse 0.20
Blocked ends 0.70
Source: University of Nebraska
bonus Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017
is likely to be dry, the
amount of water needed
to refill the soil profile is
usually 2 to 3 inches,” Burr
says. “However, the amount
of water applied during the
first irrigation is usually
the greatest of all irrigation
events. This is due to the
rough soil surface, clods,
and residue in the furrow
that slow water advance and
increase infiltration.”
After the first or second
irrigation, the furrow surface
is smooth, and water ad-
vances at a much faster rate.
Thus, the greatest savings
from fine-tuning furrow
irrigation sets occur with the
first or second irrigation.
balancing act
“O ne challenge facing
most irrigators is how
to balance the amount of
runoff leaving the field with
the amount of water that
percolates below the active
root zone,” Burr notes. “One
management tool to improve
efficiency is the target cutoff
Soil Type
Loamy Soils Clay Soils
0.70 0.90
0.40 0.50
0.85 0.95
With the cutoff ratio, you observe how long
it takes for half the rows to reach the end of
the field, then divide that by total set time.
ratio. The cutoff ratio is the
ratio of the time required
for water to advance to the
end of the furrow divided by
total set time,” he says.
University of Nebraska
research has been conducted
to determine the best cutoff
ratio for various types of
furrow irrigation systems and
soil types. Choosing the ap-
propriate cutoff ratio depends
on the soil factor and irriga-
tion system configuration as
listed in the table.
For example, on a loamy
soil in a field with no reuse
system with a 12-hour set
time, the desired advance
time should be about 8.4
hours (12×0.70 = 8.4 hours).
“The easiest way to
change the advance time is to
alter the furrow stream size
(change the number of fur-
rows in each set),” Burr says.
“This will affect the cutoff
ratio and, hence, the unifor-
mity of application. Altering
set size without altering set
time will change the gross
application.”
To use the cutoff ratio
effectively, you need to cal-
culate an actual cutoff ratio.
Take observations in the
field and keep track of the
amount of time it takes for
half of the rows to reach the
end of the field.
“This is the advance time.
Divide this number by the
total set time, typically 12
or 24 hours. If the observed
cutoff ratio is more than
the recommended cutoff
ratio from the table, open
fewer gates on the next set.
This will cause more water
to enter each furrow and
will likely increase advance
time,” Burr explains.
More information can be
derived from the University
of Nebraska publication,
Managing Furrow Irrigation
Systems (publication G1338),
which can be downloaded at
extensionpublications.unl.
edu/assets/pdf/g1338.pdf.
Photography: USDA Agricultural Research Service
SMARTEST. STRONGEST.
Technology I Precision Application I Decisions Design I Dealer Network I Parts & Service

LEADING, NOT FOLLOWING. Others consistently try to imitate, but always fail to duplicate. We’ll
help you solve your greatest challenges with the most innovative products and technology. Irrigate with confidence as
you simplify your irrigation management, reduce downtime and increase your peace of mind. Season after season.

Talk to your local Zimmatic ® by Lindsay dealer to see how today’s innovations will lead to tomorrow’s success.

zimmatic.com/dealers

© 2017 Lindsay. All rights reserved. Zimmatic and FieldNET are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Lindsay Corporation and its subsidiaries.
 p o n d s
By Jodi Henke, Multimedia Editor

PREVENT WINTERKILL IN YOUR POND

WINTER COMPLICATES LIFE UNDER THE ICE.

I
ce is like a lid on the aquatic ecosystem and can impact blanket of snow, Graeb says a blade on the front of an
living conditions for plants and animals in the water. If it’s a good idea to get rid of ATV. Be careful though –
the ice stays thin and clear, sunlight can filter through, at least some of the fluffy snow also acts as an insulator
and plants and algae can produce oxygen. However, a stuff so sunlight can filter and the ice can be very thin
layer of snow on top can throw underwater life into a into the water column. underneath that blanket.
world of darkness. “My best advice is to go Remember that ice
Brian Graeb is an associate professor of fisheries at South out to the middle of the lake doesn’t freeze uniformly.
Dakota State University. He says when this happens, oxygen and clear off as big a spot as It might be 1 foot thick in
levels can decline fast, leading to a fish kill. possible in one concentrated one location and only 1 or 2
“When there’s no ice on the water, air exchange with the area, away from trees or inches thick a few feet away.
atmosphere usually provides plenty of oxygen. When you cap any other sources of shade. Even the movement of fish
that off, however, you have to rely on internal deposits, which This will maximize the light can bring warm water up
tend to be a lot smaller. Algae and plants photosynthesizing, going in there,” he says. from the bottom, making
consuming carbon dioxide and giving off oxygen, that’s how “Think of it as clearing off the ice unsafe.
you make deposits on the oxygen bank,” says Graeb. “So, to an ice rink in the middle of As you go out onto the ice,
the extent possible, maximizing the rate of that happening is the pond. It’s a good way check its thickness every few
your best insurance against winterkill problems.” to maximize that sunlight feet with an ice auger, a
Snow removal is especially important in shallow ponds that penetration.” chisel, or a cordless drill.
are less than 8 feet deep and have an abundance of aquatic Wear a life jacket and have a
vegetation. Tree leaves and other debris decay on the pond Keep safety in mind set of ice picks around your
bottom, sucking up the oxygen.
Keeping some of the water open with an aerator will solve
the oxygen issues. If the pond is frozen solid with a heavy
Y ou can clear the snow
with a shovel, but a
quick-and-easy way is with
neck for self-rescue. Shoe
spikes will add traction as
you’re walking.

bonus Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017 Photography: KimKyle, iStockphoto.com

 The Commodity Classic
Main Stage, presented by
Successful Farming
Where what’s next in agriculture happens.
For three days, you’ll be motivated by agriculture icons as they
headline the Commodity Classic Main Stage, presented by
Successful Farming. In addition, Learning Center sessions on the
Main Stage will help you Grow Beyond, as industry experts talk
about emerging innovations and groundbreaking products that
could change the way you farm.

Visit CommodityClassic.com to register for this year’s trade show

and find out more about the Main Stage.

Be sure to stop by the stage to hear from speakers such as: Brian and Darren
Hefty, Marji Guyler-Alaniz, Dave Mowitz, Ray Bohacz, and Al Kluis
 F A R M HACKS
By Dave Mowitz, Executive Editor, Machinery & Technology
stay-put
options to

SHOP SOLUTIONS USE COMMON

OBJECTS IN UNCOMMON WAYS TO
keep bolts
in sockets

TACKLE SHOP PROJECTS.

melted H ow do you keep a fastener

on a socket when reaching
down into tight access areas
candle
lubricates such as those found in engine
rusted cavities? Here are three solutions.
nuts 1. If you don’t have a socket that’s been magnetized, hold the
fastener in the socket using a refrigerator door magnet.
2. Apply a quick-drying, strong glue to the fastener and in-

W hen penetrating oil isn’t enough to remove rusted and

frozen fasteners, grab your torch and an old candle.
After heating the nut red-hot with the torch, touch the
sert it into the socket until the glue is set. The glue bond will
be broken when the nut is wrenched into place.
3. Wrap the bolt to the socket with electrical tape. Although
heated area with the candle. This will melt bubbling paraf- it sounds odd, you can also wrap the bolt’s head with chewed
fin wax onto the threads. The heat will help break the bond gum, insert that bolt into the socket, and go to work.
between the bolt and nut, and the melted candle will lubri-
cate the fastener for easier removal.

pry bar
lock for
E mploy a locking pliers to clamp onto
a nail whose head has been stripped
off. This provides a solid clamp on the
stripped
nail that a pry bar can work off of for
nails
pulling.

get all
the oil
from
bottles
A n old plastic chemical jug
– or better yet, a detergent
bottle equipped with a spigot – FARM HACKS
can be used to collect oil from a VIDEO
quart-size oil bottle. Simply cut a hole in the side See these mechanical
of the jug or bottle to accommodate the neck of the make-dos in action at
quart-size bottle. Leave the bottle in place between Agriculture.com/
farmhacks.
oil changes to prevent dirt from entering the jug.

bonus Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017 Photography: David Ekstrom

Every American farmer works hard. At Golden Harvest® seeds we’re rooted in genetics,
agronomy, and service to help you deliver a better performance in each of your fields.
Your success is our success. Put us to work for you. GoldenHarvestSeeds.com

©2017 Syngenta. Golden Harvest® is a trademark of a Syngenta Group Company. MW 1GHV7010-WORK-AGP1 08/17
 a g e l e s s IRON®
By Dave Mowitz, Executive Editor, Machinery & Technology

BREATHE NEW LIFE

INTO AGED BRAKES
YOU CAN DO MOST BRAKE WORK YOURSELF.

B
rakes can be a
hit-and-miss
proposition on
many tractors.
The concern here
always is safety. A good set
of brakes is crucial when
loading and unloading a
tractor. They are essential
when parading through
streets lined with folks.
So always make it a point
to examine brakes and
adjust and repair whenever
necessary.
three brake types
The first step to boost
stopping power is to expose
the mechanism by re-
moving all coverings and
cowlings. Once in, test all
working parts to make sure
they’re moving freely – but
not too freely. Don’t forget
to examine the condition of A great time to examine brakes is when restoring a tractor. Band and
the brake’s linings or pads. automotive drum brakes are generally simpler to repair than hydraulic
While you’re at it, give disc brakes.
the brakes a thorough
cleaning. Clear away any
debris that might be clog- for depressing the brake pedal 2 inches or engaging the
ging up working mecha- lever (again, this depends on brake type and tractor make).
nisms. Then remove any Next, adjust the brake until the lining makes contact. As
surface rust with sandpaper a rule, a brake’s lining or bands should contact the drum

B asically, a brake system

on an older tractor is one
of three types:
or emery cloth.

make adjustments
• Externally contracting
band brakes
• Internally expanding
I f everything is in working
order, then it’s possible
you’ll only have to make
Bendix drum brakes adjustments. This may
• Disc brakes require raising the rear
Late-model tractors wheel of the tractor off the
may have hydraulic brake floor. Tighten the brakes
systems. Leave those to the until you can’t physically
professionals! move the rear wheel when
Before working on
brakes, be sure to refer to
your tractor’s service man-
you rotate the brake. Next,
back that adjustment off a
bit until the brakes rotate
ual or an I&T Shop Service with a slight drag.
Manual (913/341-1300). Another procedure calls
Subscribe to
Ageless Iron
almanac
Tap into similar restoration tips
plus tractor histories, collector
stories, antique tractor values,
and more in every issue of
Ageless Iron Almanac. A one-
year subscription is just $20.
To order, call 855/218-8153.
when you depress the pedal just ¾ to 1 inch.
While operating the pedals or lever, make sure they move
smoothly and in a straight line. If not, you may have to reno-
vate pivot points with bushings or replace a worn casting.
Also examine springs to see if they are stretched out and
replace them if necessary. Look at the adjusting clevis or
stops. If during your examination you find that repairs are
in order, start with the brake lining or pads. If linings aren’t
oil-soaked, they can often be renovated just by scuffing up
their contact surface with sandpaper.
asbestos safety
A warning: Most brake lining material contains asbestos.
Because of that, be sure to wear a mask when sanding or
removing brakes.
It is possible to dry out oil-soaked pads by lightly heating
them with a torch. Before resorting to this, make sure that
lining replacements are available and not too costly. It is
always better to replace old linings, if possible. Otherwise,
try the torch method and see if it works.
Renovating band brakes can be a simple job. Often,
replacing the bands and making some adjustments are all
that’s required.
Automotive-type drum brakes may need professional
help. Long wear and particularly the creation of excessive
heat during use can distort a drum’s surface (referred to as
coning or bell mouthing). Uneven wear on the lining is a
good indicator of this.
Truing up a drum requires a metal lathe and, thus, is best
handled by a mechanic or machining shop.

December 2017 Photography: Dave Mowitz

 He says when buying
l i v e s t o c k bulls, ask questions on bull
attitude. Don’t buy tem-
By Jodi Henke, Multimedia Editor peramental animals that
challenge the fitting and
handling crews.
Having ultrasounded

WHAT TO DO WITH MEAN COWS

HIGH STRUNG, ORNERY CATTLE WITH NO LOVE FOR HUMANS
several thousand cows,
Ringwall says nervous,
high-strung cattle are obvi-
SHOULD LEAVE THE HERD. ous. They are rigid on the
outside but shaking on the

M
inside. Those animals need
ost cattle produc- whenever he so chooses. Bad-tempered cows are to go.
ers can tell you “Some people say they get risky in the beef business. You’re better off with
stories about one along really well with a bull. Do you keep ornery animals cattle that work for you
cow or bull that You never get along well or cull them? Ringwall – not against you. Most cows
had pure hatred with a bull,” Ringwall says. says not to make excuses. respect their caregivers, but
for humans by trying to “Whereas your cow calves There’s no room in the pen even with mild-mannered
inflict bodily harm. at one point in 365 days, she for killer cows. Cattle that animals, never let your
Kris Ringwall is an may have a very defensive are aggressive, defensive, guard down. Attitudes can
Extension livestock special- day and she’s going to guard and routinely challenge you change, and you don’t want
ist at North Dakota State that calf,” says Ringwall. should be sold. to be in their line of sight if
University. He says a cow “Bulls, on the other hand, “Any cow, bull, steer, calf, it does.
may turn on you because are on the defensive 365 or any other livestock, once
she’s calving and you’re not days out of the year. You they willingly step over that Learn more
welcome in her space at never know when that bull line and become defensive https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/
that time. In a bull’s mind, is going to change the peck- and aggressive, there’s zero news/columns/beeftalk/
you’re a part of the herd ing order and decide today tolerance,” says Ringwall. beeftalk-zero-tolerance-for-
and can be put in your place is your day.” “You just can’t keep them.” bad-cows

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get from Golden Harvest® hybrids with Agrisure Duracade® 5222 E-Z Refuge. It’s the
ultimate trait stack for insect control, simplicity and choice™. To learn more, talk with your
Golden Harvest Seed Advisor™. GoldenHarvestSeeds.com

©2017 Syngenta. Important: Always read and follow label and bag tag instructions. Consult bag tags for Refuge product herbicide options. Only those labeled “EZ1” may be sprayed with
glufosinate ammonium based herbicides. Unless otherwise specified all trademarks and service marks are the property of a Syngenta Group Company. Herculex and the Herculex shield logo are registered
trademarks of Dow AgroSciences LLC. MW 1AGT7010-GH-AG168 10/17
w o m e n IN AG
Photography by Marji Guyler-Alaniz

Bonus Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017

Chilly Chores

Landi McFarland-Livingston works on a brisk morning

to spread feed out for her cattle. She and her husband,
Andrew, are the fourth-generation owners of Hoover
Angus Farm in southern Iowa.

FarmHer is a project that combines Marji Guyler-Alaniz’s

love of photography and her passion for promoting
women in agriculture. “FarmHer started as a photogra-
phy project to show that women are an important part of
ag,” she says. “I realized that people in urban areas may
not know that.”
The idea was to photograph women doing their work
and to share those images online at farmher.com.

December 2017 | Successful Farming at Agriculture.com Bonus

 u t v EVALUATION
By Derrek Sigler
JOHN DEERE GATOR 825i
THIS WORK-FOCUSED MACHINE REALLY
PERFORMS DURING OUR 2017 UTV EVALUATION.
W
hen John Deere unveiled the first Gators back
in the early 1990s, the company may not have
known it was ushering in a new category of ma-
chines: UTVs. Now that the market is flooded
with UTVs of various brands and categories,
where does the latest utility Gator, the 825i, fit in? We found
out during the 2017 Successful Farming® Ultimate UTV
Evaluation.
power where it counts
T he Gator is powered by an 812-cc, automotive-style, three-
cylinder engine that produces around 50 hp. This engine
will power the Gator up to speeds of 44 mph, but it’s where the
engine makes its power that’s important.
This is a low-end engine, meaning the power really comes
on in the lower end of the rpm. This was very evident during
the evaluation when we did test the Gator with a full load in
the cargo bed (1,000 pounds) and with a 1,500-pound trailer.
The Gator scored an impressive 20.6 points out of 25 for test-
ing with the cargo box load maxed out, enough for third place
in this category test.
The chassis design also played a huge roll in how the Gator
performed during the testing. Steering responsiveness was
high on the evaluations for two loaded tests and with the
trailer. In fact, the Gator scored as high as 4.7 out of five points
during the trailer testing, indicating that the chassis was not
adversely affected by the heavy load.
The suspension also worked well during the simulated
bonus Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017
work tests. There are fully independent A-arms at each corner,
with 8 inches of travel at the front shocks and 9 inches on the
rear shocks. While the suspension is stiff on the trail, it works
well with a load in the bed.
Built to work
I f you look at the Gator next to other brands, it is obviously
all John Deere. Deere does things its own way, and that
contributes to the feel and the ergonomics of the machine. The
location and angle of the steering wheel feels very different
from other offerings, as it fits your hand more like a small trac-
tor than a UTV. The shift controls and differential lock are all
below the seat, as opposed to on the dash, which the evaluators
didn’t feel was as preferable.
The Gator 825i is built to work. Yes, you can trail-ride with
it and it will do that all day long, but there are better machines
for that. If you’re going to work it hard, the Gator is up to the
task. It will hold 1,000 pounds in the bed, and while the bed
may squeak a little, you’ll hardly notice the load back there.
The floor of the cargo bed is metal, so things can shift some,
especially on an incline.
The Gator will tow a 1,500-pound trailer with relative ease
and has a 2-inch receiver as standard equipment. If you go
over uneven terrain, you’ll start to notice the weight as it will
affect the handling. However, it’ll still get the job done. The
engine has the low-end grunt to tow and haul all day long.
Going back to how well the machine scored on the fully
loaded tests, it was made to work hard and does very well in
these areas.
About the author: Derrek Sigler is an ATV/UTV journalist and was one of
three evaluators during the UTV testing.
In 2017, Successful Farming magazine conducted its third
extensive UTV evaluation to provide you with information about
how UTVs perform in ag applications. During the evaluation,
we put seven of the newest utility vehicles through four
rigorous tests. Learn more about the evaluation at Agriculture.
com/2017utvtest.
Score Out of 5
Fully Loaded Tests (1 low, 5 high)
Steering responsiveness and 4.7
vehicle maneuverability
Acceleration 4
Ease of maintaining 4.3
a constant speed
Braking 4.3
Noise level 3.3
20.6
Total score out of 25 Third place for this test
Photography: David Ekstrom
 DEVELOPED TO DELIVE.R.
PLACED TO PERFORM K .
THAT’S SEEDSMANSHIP AT W OR ®
ady
pertise on Roundup Re
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 b u y e r s’ GUIDE
By Gil Gullickson, Crops Technology Editor
BIB OVERALLS THEY CAN KEEP YOU WARM ON FRIGID
WINTER DAYS AND ALSO GIVE YOU THE FLEXIBILITY YOU NEED IN
CASE THE WEATHER WARMS UP.
B
ib overalls can help
fight the most frigid
windchills that winter
serves up. Yet, they
offer flexibility when wide
temperature ranges occur.
“Some bib overall wear-
ers like to layer in terms
of sweatshirts and coats,”
says Heath Drummond,
creative director for Berne
Workwear. “Wearing bibs
gives them flexibility if they
are going in and out of a
barn or shop,” he says.
Here are some things
to consider when it comes
54 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017
Bib overalls keep Bob Freese warm
when he does late fall and winter
chores on his Indianola, Iowa, farm.
down to choosing among the
various types of bib overalls.
Sizing
Y ou need to remember
that you’ll be wearing
bib overalls over pants and
at least one shirt. Thus,
you’ll need to pick bigger-
than-normal clothing sizes.
Drummond advises adding
4 to 6 inches to an overall’s
waist size above your normal
waist line. “So, if you have a
38-inch waist, you’ll want to
get a bib with a waist of 42 to
44,” he says.
One thing you’ll have to
watch, though, is to make
sure that waist size matches
up with inseam length.
Shoulder straps
D rummond says Berne’s
shoulder strap design
was revamped nearly 20
years ago after the firm’s
CEO shoveled his driveway
while constantly having to
adjust the shoulder straps
on the bib overalls he was
wearing.
“He was so frustrated that
he sat down with product
development and rethought
the way the straps were de-
signed,” says Drummond.
In Berne’s case, they re-
versed the strap design. “The
elasticized part is on the
backside of the shoulders,
while the adjustment clasps
are in front,” Drummond
says. “This prevents your
body movement from caus-
ing the straps’ clasps to come
loose while you’re working.”
insulation
B ib overalls differ in the
amount of insulation they
have. Some have insulation
all through the chest and
back; other units have insu-
lation that stops at the waist.
There also are units with
medium-weight insulation
and unlined bibs for milder
weather conditions.
Fabric
B ib overall fabric comes
in several types, such
as rigid cotton duck and
washed cotton duck.
In Berne’s case, its rigid
cotton duck is water-repel-
lent. One drawback is that
this fabric tends to be stiffer,
initially.
“Washed duck fabric is
comfortable and soft to the
touch,” says Drummond.
“It is extremely durable, but
not water-repellent. It is a
personal preference. Some
people would rather have
comfort instead of the water
repellency of a rigid bib.”
Durability
F eatures like triple needle
stitching and reinforced
bartacks at stress points
can ensure coveralls last a
long time. Zippers are also
good indicators to watch for
durability since a broken
Photography: Betsy Freese
 FARMING HAS ALWAYS BEEN A SERIES
OF RISKS. LOSING HALF YOUR NITROGEN
DOESN’T HAVE TO BE ONE OF THEM.

When commodity prices decline, making smart decisions about

your nitrogen investment is more critical than ever. AGROTAIN®
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 b u y e r s’ GUIDE Continued

Bib overalls offer flexibility and ease
of movement. You can choose from
a number of features. Insulation,
shoulder straps, pockets, and zippers
are just some of the things to keep
in mind.
storm flaps that cover zippers in
order to block the wind. Another
key feature if you do a lot of
kneeling is reinforced knees.
pockets

zipper can ruin use of the gar-

ment, Drummond says.
“The heavier duty the zipper,
the bigger the teeth will be,” says
Drummond. “They are tougher
to zip up, but that is the trade-off
for everlasting quality. A smooth-
running zipper will zip quickly,
but it will not last on a farm.”
Bib overalls differ in zipper
length. Some have full-length
zippers that go all the way past the
hips; others go just to the calf.
Some units also feature outside
S ome bib overalls have utility
pockets for tools and personal
items. Others include hip pockets
and hammer loops that can hold
various tools.
Some versions feature pass-
through pockets above where the
zipper stops going upward, such
as above the hip.
“If you have something to get
out of your jean pocket, you don’t
have to fumble with the zipper,”
Drummond says. “You can just
put your hand through the
pass-through pocket.”

Manufacturer Description Price

Features 12-ounce cotton sanded duck

Berne B377 and heavyweight insulation quilted
Original Washed to 100% polyester taffeta. Includes
Insulated heavy-duty brass leg zipper with
MSRP: $199.99
Bib Overall snap closure at hand opening. Has
Berneouterwear. triple needle stitching on main seams,
com reinforced bartacks at stress points,
outside storm flap, reinforced knees.
Features Rugged Flex technology for
Carhartt Rugged
ease of movement. Has adjustable
Flex Rigby
front-elastic suspenders, bib pocket
Bib Overall
with zipper closure, two additional MSRP: $79.99
(available in
storage pockets (one with pen stall),
February 2018)
chap-style double-front with cleanout
Carhartt.com
openings for kneepads.
This sanded duck insulated bib deliv-
Dickies Flex ers protection from winter weather. It
Sanded Duck has flex fabric for supreme mobility
MSRP: $89.99 to
Insulated along with water repellency to keep
$99.99
Bib Overall you dry. Designed with bi-swing backs,
Dickies.com double knee reinforcement, and rein-
forced back pocket for durability.
Features adjustable shoulder straps,
reinforced lower leg scuff guards,
Rawik Cirque
and an internal boot gaiter. Has nylon
Bib Overall
Taslan water-resistant shell fabric MSRP: $70
Outdoorgearinc.
and 100% polyester insulation-80 g
com
Poly Fill. Features adjustable shoulder
straps and deep side knit Inserts.

56 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017 Photography: Manufacturer

Yesterday’s missed weeds No missed weeds,
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registered trademarks of Bayer. Liberty is not registered for use in all states. For additional product information, call toll-free 1-866-99-BAYER (1-866-992-2937) or visit our
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John Deere Dealers
See one of these dealers for a demonstration m e n t A l
By Cheryl Tevis
Ag-Power, Inc.
Carrollton, MO
HELP HOTLINES
Centerview, MO
Higginsville, MO MEDIATION AND COUNSELING ARE
Marshall, MO AVAILABLE TO GET YOU THROUGH THIS AG DOWNTURN.
Richmond, MO
S
Sedalia, MO
luggish commodity prices, com-
Farmers Supply Sales Inc. bined with weather disasters in
West Liberty, IA
many regions, are taking a toll on
farmers.
“Things are starting to
Horizon Equipment heat up,” says Forrest Buhler, Kansas
Manning, IA Agricultural Mediation Services,
Manhattan. “Over the past two years,
lenders could take steps to ease the situ-
P & K Midwest, Inc. ation, but fewer options remain. Our ag
Mt. Vernon, IA credit caseload has increased 70% this
year from 2016.”
Forty states have a USDA agricul-
Sydenstrickers tural mediation program staffed with
Mexico, MO trained and impartial mediators to help
review and discuss legal and finan-
cial conflicts, and to identify options
Van Wall Equipment to resolve disputes with lenders. The
Perry, IA services are free, but in some states, the
lender must initiate the process.
“Loans are due, and more lenders
are asking producers to call us before
renewals,” Buhler says. “We’re seeing a
tremendous amount of carryover debt
from operating loans and lines of credit.
Land and machinery purchases during
good times aren’t looking so good now.
Land values have dropped, and lenders
are nervous about cash flow and equity
being eaten up.”
Mental health referrals are available
through most Ag Mediation Services. In
Wisconsin, a Department of Agriculture
program offers vouchers for one-on-one
mental health counseling.
Calls picking up
A t Iowa Concern, a part of Iowa State
University Extension, 25% of calls are
ag related, compared with 12% a year ago,
says coordinator Margaret Van Ginkel.
“Calls picked up this summer, as lenders
said they wanted to meet earlier,” she says.
“One Extension farm management spe-
cialist reported conflict in a dairy opera-
tion. One of the kids has to leave due to
finances. Suicide was mentioned. Leases
are another source of stress. Negotiations
are likely to go down to the wire.”
58 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017
HEALTH
Referrals to Kansas State’s one-on-one
Farm Analyst Program are up by 50%
over last year, Buhler says.
Financial counselors and farm
advocates in several states use FINPACK,
a financial software package, to analyze
operations. In some cases, lenders are
asking for an analysis prior to approval of
financing.
Ag Help Hotlines
• Illinois Agriculture Mediation
Program: 618/549-1200 Ext. 1001
• Rural Services of Indiana, Inc.:
574/299-9460
• Iowa Concern: 800/447-1985
• Iowa Mediation Services, Inc.:
515/331-8081
• Kansas Ag Mediation Services:
800/321-3276
• Minnesota Farmer Assistance
Network: 877-898-6326 or 651/201-6327
• Missouri Agricultural Mediation
Program: 573/751-5520
• Nebraska Department of Agriculture
Negotiations Program: 800/446-4071
• Nebraska Rural Response Hotline:
800/464-0258
• New York State Ag Mediation
Program: 518/687-2240 or 866/669-7267
• New York Farm Net: 800/547-3276
• North Dakota Mediation Service:
844/642-4752; 701/328-4158
• North Dakota 211 Help Line
Mental Health Association in North
Dakota: 800/472-2911
• North Dakota Agricultural Mediation
Services: 800/642-4757 or 701/328-2061
• South Dakota Ag Mediation Program:
605/773-5436 or 605/280-4745
• South Dakota Rural Help Line:
800/664-1349
• Wisconsin Farm Center Hotline:
800/942-2474
Learn more
See “Calming the Storm” on pages 60
and 61 to find ways that will help you
manage stress in your life.
 SIMPLY C ABTIVATING

Oh, the weather outside is frightful. Thankfully, the all-new heated

cab option on the 1R Tractor keeps you guarded from the harsh reality.
Inside, where it’s roomy and warm, you can push back against winter’s
bite while you enjoy the view. Because from the comfort of your
new 1R cab, the world looks simply cabtivating.
See your dealer today to learn more about the new 1R cab JohnDeere.com/1Family
from John Deere. JohnDeere.ca/1Family
 a i y
By Lisa Foust Prater, Family & Farmstead Editor

“We’re hoping this new

digital format makes it
easier for farmers and their
families to access these help-
ful tools and to learn to cope
with the ever-changing busi-
ness of farming,” Pish says.
The experts at MSU also
recommend farmers culti-
vate a more positive mind-
set, which can help increase
productivity and resiliency.
Three tactics can help.
1. Self-Talk. Tell yourself you
can adapt and overcome any
challenge. Remind yourself
you’ve faced hard times be-
fore and you can do it again.
Choose three words to help
maintain your mind-set,

CALMING THE STORM FARMERS AND RANCHERS

NEED TO FIND A WAY TO MANAGE THE STRESS IN THEIR LIVES
such as calm, capable, and
controlled.
2. Breathing. Practice deep
BEFORE IT TAKES A TOLL ON THEIR MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH. breathing to calm your
mind and to help you focus.

A
Breathe deeply five times
nyone involved in agriculture knows it’s a stressful high-stress profession is as and exhale slowly. This also
business. Farmers and ranchers are at the mercy of important as caring for your can help improve sleep and
Mother Nature, fluctuating commodity prices, unfor- bottom line.” can help with chronic pain.
giving schedules, financial uncertainty, and a host of 3. Acceptance. If things are
other factors that are out of their control. Finding Help out of your control, it may
That stress can be severely damaging to both mental and
physical health. According to a recent study of 130 occupations
by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health,
M ichigan State University
Extension has designed
a free online course aimed
be best to just accept them
and focus on finding a
solution instead of getting
laborers and farm owners have the highest death rate from at helping farmers and their frustrated by the problem.
stress-related causes like heart and artery disease, hypertension, families recognize chronic Exercise is another way to
ulcers, and nervous disorders. Excessive stress can also make it stress and finding ways to help reduce stress. According
difficult to focus, which can lead to accidents in these danger- improve it. “Weathering the to MSU, a brisk, 10-minute
ous industries. Storm: How to Handle Stress walk can reduce the brain's
The most frightening statistic, however, comes from the on the Farm” is broken into level of the stress hormone
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: 90 out of every four sections with step-by- cortisol by 50% to 70%.
100,000 farmers commit suicide. That is six times higher than step instructions, interactive
the national average. activities, photos, surveys, and Mind the Children
“Farmers know how to take care of their animals and
crops, taking careful steps to ensure that they are healthy and
safe. Unfortunately, some farmers don’t take the same care in
audio and video components.
The entire course takes one
to two hours to complete, and
W hile hard times on the
farm are stressful for
adults, children are also af-
monitoring and managing their own mental and physical stress it can be done all at once or in fected. “Farm children are
and fatigue,” says Suzanne Pish, a Michigan State University smaller increments. Find the unique in that they are often
Extension educator specializing in social-emotional health. course and other resources much more involved in the
“Stress becomes especially palpable when commodity prices for managing stress at msue. everyday business affairs of
are low, and caring for your own health and wellness in this msu.edu/managingfarmstress. their families than the chil-

60 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017 Photography: Jason Lindsey

dren raised in other settings,”
Pish says. “Consequently, it’s
very obvious to them when
the farm is in trouble.”
Farm kids suffering from
stress may have trouble
with schoolwork, difficulty
sleeping or concentrating,
or stomachaches. Pish says
maintaining farm routines
and rituals can provide chil-
dren with a sense of security.
She recommends remind-
ing them that nobody is
perfect, encouraging physical
exercise and healthy eating,
and helping ensure kids get
enough sleep. She also sug-
gests removing nonpriority
items from the calendar to
make more time for family
activities and hobbies.
It’s important to laugh
with kids, too.“Humor helps
ease almost any situation,”
Pish says. “If everyday
stresses are overwhelming
your family or children,
make sure to get them help
from a health care provider.”
Learn more
S ave these phone numbers
and website addresses and
don’t hesitate to use them if
you or someone you love is
struggling. If the situation is
life-threatening, call 911 im-
mediately.
• National Suicide
Prevention Lifeline:
800/273-TALK (8255) or visit
suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
GetHelp/LifelineChat.aspx
• Crisis Text Line: Text “GO”
to 741741
• Veterans Crisis Line:
800/273-8255, press 1
• Find Local Mental Health
Treatment Services:
877/726-4727
Photography: Marji Guyler-Alaniz
Attend a women in
ag conference
M ake plans now to attend
an upcoming conference
for women in agriculture. These
events offer inspiring speakers,
educational sessions, and the
chance to meet other women in
ag. See your local Extension office
for other opportunities near you.
• Women in Denim
January 26-27, 2018
Storm Lake, IA
womenindenim.com
719/299-3332
• Women Managing the Farm
February 15-16, 2018
Manhattan, KS
womenmanagingthefarm.com
785/532-2560
• Nebraska Women in Ag
February 22-23, 2018
Kearney, NE
wia.unl.edu
402/472-0703
• Women Changing the Face of
Agriculture Development Day
March 8, 2018
Champaign, IL
womenchangingthefaceof-
agriculture.com (no dash)
• Women in Agriculture
March 16, 2018
Rock Island, IL
womeninagricultureconference.com
309/837-3350
• Ohio Women in Agriculture
March 23, 2018, Grand Rapids
April 6, 2018, Massillon
u.osu.edu/
ON TURNING 60
Graying hair, aching joints, and a
memory that is beginning to closely
resemble a sieve don’t bother me
in the least. I shouldn’t even be
here; each day of the past 30 years
has been a freebie, a bonus.
– Jerry Nelson
Agriculture.com/family/farmhumor
THE POWER OF AN IMAGE
PHOTOGRAPHS CAN CHANGE THE WAY WE SEE
OURSELVES AND THE WAY OTHERS SEE US.
W hen I think about the
holidays, I think of warm
and happy memories: beautiful
images of delicious food set
on a candlelit table; twinkling
lights decorating well-adorned
Christmas trees; and my family,
all together, smiling, and happy.
When I think about
where those memories
came from, it is a mix
of past experiences and
memories formed from
photographs.
Despite the image in
my head, the reality is that
the holidays and day-to- Guyler-Alaniz
day life, in general, can be
fraught with ups and downs, fears
and frustrations, happiness, and
tears. When I look at photographs
from my life, however, I remember
the good times: the warmth of the
fire or the giggles as I rode down
the hill on a sled with my kids.
Photographs are important.
Photographs are powerful.
They have the magical ability
to instantly record a memory.
Whether it’s my own photographs
or ones I see in a magazine, they
make an impression and help
form my reality. They can change
the way I see myself and the way
that others see me.
December 2017 | Successful Farming at Agriculture.com 61
From the beginning of FarmHer,
I have heard time and time again
from women I have photographed
that they are shocked about how
they and their lives look in my
photographs. The images give
them a different perspective of
their work and their value.
For the second season
of our TV show on RFD-TV,
we visited a strong and
spirited young woman
named Megan Brown
(pictured above), who is
going through the ups and
Marji downs of taking over her
family’s farm. Working
with family and adjusting
roles and expectations can be
really hard from day to day.
After her episode aired, the
images and portrayal of her
strength as a FarmHer allowed her
dad to see her in a different light
and led her to tell me, “Every time
anyone even mentions FarmHer,
my dad bursts into tears. I’ve
never seen him this proud of me.”
This is the power of a photograph
and the power of FarmHer.
During the holidays and the
coming year, take time to stop and
pick up your camera. I promise
you’ll be glad you did.
– By Marji Guyler-Alaniz, FarmHer
 f a m i l y
PRETTY PACKAGES MAKE YOUR
HOLIDAY FOOD GIFTS EVEN BETTER WITH
THESE FUN, EASY IDEAS FOR WRAPPING THEM.
G iving homemade treats to
friends and family is one
of the true joys of the holiday
season. Here are a few unique
ways to present your gifts.
• Place different types of cook-
ies, fudge, and candies in each
cup of a muffin tin. Wrap with
clear plastic wrap and ribbon.
• Homemade jelly, jam, or relish
will be most appreciated! Label
the jar, then attach a pretty serv-
ing spoon with Christmas ribbon.
• Treat a special someone to the
gift of NOT having to prepare a
meal! Make a dinner or breakfast
casserole, let cool, cover with
clear plastic wrap (or use a foil
pan with plastic lid), and wrap
64 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017
Continued
with a festive tea towel. Include a
card with reheating instructions.
• Use decorated paper CD enve-
lopes with clear plastic fronts to
hold individual cookies.
• Cardboard mailing tubes or
potato chip canisters are perfect
for holding stacks of cookies,
chocolate-covered pretzels, or
party mix. Decorate with copies of
vintage post cards and stamps.
• Pour homemade soup into large
canning jars and wrap with a
pretty towel. You don’t have to can
the soup – just let the recipients
know it should be refrigerated.
Pack a few different soups into a
basket with crackers, bowls, and
spoons for an impressive gift.
HOLIDAY BUTTER COOKIES
THESE CLASSIC CHRISTMAS TREATS ARE EASY
TO MAKE AND FUN FOR KIDS TO DECORATE.
1½ cups butter, softened To make powdered sugar
1¹∕3 cups powdered sugar
icing, stir together 3 cups
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon
3 cups all-purpose flour vanilla, 2 to 3 tablespoons
Powdered sugar icing milk, and green food coloring.
Decorative sprinkles
1 In an extra large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on
medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add powdered sugar
and salt. Beat until well combined, scraping bowl occasionally.
Beat in vanilla. Beat in flour with the mixer, continuing to beat
until dough comes together. Wrap and chill dough about 1 hour
or until easy to handle.
2 Preheat oven to 350°F. Divide dough in half. On a lightly
floured surface, roll one portion of dough to ¼-inch
thickness. Use a 4- to 6-inch tree-shape cookie cutter to cut
out shapes. Repeat with remaining portion of dough, rerolling
dough as needed.
3 Arrange cookies 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 14 minutes or until
edges are very lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheets for 1
minute. Transfer to wire racks; cool.
4 Spoon icing into a small resealable plastic bag. Seal bag; snip
off a small corner of the bag. Pipe a border around tree
edge. Squeeze enough icing in the middle of cookie to cover
rest of cookie. Spread icing with a toothpick or small
paintbrush. Decorate as desired. Let stand until icing is dry.
Store between layers of waxed paper in an airtight container at
room temperature up to three days, or freeze up to three
months. Makes about 16, 6-inch or 28, 4-inch cookies.
Nutritional information: 380 calories; 18 g fat (11 g saturated fat); 46 mg cholesterol;
54 g carbohydrates; 162 mg sodium; 1 g fiber; 35 g sugar; 1 g protein
For recipe questions, contact lisa.foustprater@meredith.com.
Photography: Blaine Moats, Jason Donnelly, Karla Conrad, Kritsada Panichgul
 Products Use Notice for
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accordance with its labeling. XtendiMax®
subject to use restrictions in some states.
herbicide with VaporGrip ® Technology may SUCCESSFUL FARMING® AND
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not be approved in all states and may be GRASSHOPPER MOWERS WOULD
or representative or U.S. EPA and your subject to use restrictions in some states. LIKE TO THANK ALL THE MEN
state pesticide regulatory agency for the Check with your local Monsanto dealer AND WOMEN IN THE ARMED
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glyphosate and dicamba. Glyphosate will
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Dicamba will kill crops that are not tolerant to
kill crops that are not tolerant to glyphosate.
dicamba. Contact your Monsanto dealer or Dicamba will kill crops that are not tolerant to
refer to Monsanto’s Technology Use Guide for dicamba. Contact your Monsanto dealer or
Steve Conrad
recommended weed control programs. refer to Monsanto’s Technology Use Guide for Brandywine, West Virginia
recommended weed control programs.
Individual results may vary, and
performance may vary from location to Individual results may vary, and
location and from year to year. This result may performance may vary from location to
not be an indicator of results you may obtain location and from year to year. This result may
as local growing, soil and weather conditions not be an indicator of results you may obtain
may vary. Growers should evaluate data as local growing, soil and weather conditions

from multiple locations and years whenever may vary. Growers should evaluate data

possible. from multiple locations and years whenever

possible.
Always read and follow IRM, where
applicable, grain marketing and all other Always read and follow IRM, where
applicable, grain marketing and all other
stewardship practices and pesticide
label directions. Roundup Ready 2
stewardship practices and pesticide label Chase Crawford
directions. Roundup Ready ®, Roundup
Xtend , ®
Roundup Ready , ®
VaporGrip , ® Sherburn, Minnesota
Ready 2 Xtend®, VaporGrip® and XtendiMax®
and XtendiMax® are registered trademarks
are registered trademarks of Monsanto
of Monsanto Technology LLC. All other
Technology LLC. All other trademarks are the
trademarks are the property of their respective READ MORE at Agriculture.com /
property of their respective owners. ©2017
owners. ©2017 Monsanto Company. All FighterToFarmer
Monsanto Company. All Rights Reserved.
Rights Reserved.
Sponsored by
MDIC-17064 SF_DEC_LC
MDIC-17064 SF-DEC -LC
CAN THEIR p r o b l e m BE SOLVED?
By Myron Friesen
love of their grandparents
and the farm.
Here are nine things for
you to consider.
1. Ask your parents out to
eat. Going to a neutral place
may relax everyone. Be up
front that you want to talk
about your family’s future.
2. You and your wife
should be organized with
what you want to ask and
how you will ask it. Too of-
ten, big questions are asked
in casual conversation and
not taken seriously or in a
heated conversation and get
dropped. Be calm and sin-
cere while asking thought-
ful and realistic questions.
THE PROBLEM: PARENTS AVOID
TALKING ABOUT CONTINUATION PLANNING
Hopefully, your parents
recognize you are trying to
honor them, not bully them.
WITH 35-YEAR-OLD SON WHO’S FARMED WITH 3. Be realistic with your
THEM SINCE GRADUATING FROM COLLEGE. expectations. Giant steps
can be frightening. Multiple
M
small steps may be required.
y wife and I met in college. After graduation, we got 4. Set time lines. Write
married and moved back to my parents’ farm. For down which time line your
the past 12 years, we have been all-in on the farming parents feel is realistic for
operation. My wife was not from a farm, but she has implementing plans.
been very supportive and helpful to the operation. 5. Your conversation
We now have three children who love their grandparents and should be a combination
love being on the farm. We’ve bought a few farm assets along of asking and telling. If all
the way, but my parents usually end up buying the land or you do is tell them, they
major machinery because they have more money than we do. will likely shut down pretty
My income is OK but not great. I do rent about 240 acres, and quickly.
I use my dad’s machinery for that.
For at least the last five years, my wife and I have been ask-
ing my parents to do some estate planning so we have some YOUR TRANSITION TEAM MEMBERS
security and know what to expect in the future. Unfortunately,
Myron Friesen
they shut down that conversation right away, and this is caus-
is co-owner of
ing some tension with me and my wife. We are questioning Farm Financial
how wise it is for us to continue without a plan. If this is going Strategies in
to end in disaster, we may as well move on now. Is there any- Osage, Iowa.
thing we can do? – M.K. During the past
17 years, he has
THE SOLUTION:
worked exclusively with farm
families across the Midwest to
M
develop farm transition strategies.
.K., you and your wife are in a tough spot. I can feel your
Myron grew up on a Mountain
frustration. Being helpless is a bad feeling. First there is Lake, Minnesota, farm. He owns
tension with your parents, then tension from your wife, and and operates a 780-acre crop and
next, your children will hear about it as you and your wife livestock farm with his wife and
discuss it. They will be confused by your frustration and their four children. farmestate.com
66 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017
6. Determine who can
help guide you through the
process. A poor planner can
quickly frustrate your par-
ents who are already hesitant
to plan. A competent plan-
ner can gain the trust of
your parents to help them
through the process.
7. If your parents refuse
to make plans, then you
and your wife should have
discussed options that you
can live with.
When shopping, I see
young parents make ridicu-
lous threats to their children
without following through.
Children get used to that, so
their behavior never changes.
Don’t tell your parents you’re
going to leave the farm and
then not follow through. Be
prepared to follow through
with what you say.
8. Try to understand from
your parents’ perspective.
Farm distribution planning
is tough. Someday you will
understand that.
9. Relax and respect your
parents. Remember, when
you were young, you knew
when they were serious.
Now everyone has grown
up, and they need to know
that you are serious.
Dr. Donald J. Jonovic is founder
of Family Business Management
Services in Cleveland, Ohio. He
focuses on management, growth,
and ownership transition issues.
familybusinessmgt.com
Jolene Brown is a professional
speaker, author, farmer, and
family business consultant. Her
tested business tools provide
leadership and management
solutions for the people who
feed, clothe, and fuel the world.
jolenebrown.com
Illustration: Matt Wood
 KEEP YOUR FARM COVERED WITH A

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new style and lighter weight shank. The Rapid Till is designed to till up to ten inches deep, apply liquid or dry fertilizer,
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(603) 795-2298 • 343 Dorchester Road • Lyme, NH 03768

CALL FOR A FREE FARM EVALUATION

1-800-295-7091
 NOTICE TO

Turbo Max Owners: ®

Did you purchase this machine to do TRUE vertical tillage ... or just tillage?
For Advertising Information, call 800-678-5749 • sfadvertising@meredith.com

Either way, we have an alternative for you to improve the operation of your Turbo Max®.
In both cases, the issue is the blade ... NOT the machine or the design.

Vortex® blade, surface & edge views
As is seen in the comparative photos above, the Turbo® blade has a nearly
non-existent wave design. In our experience and through feedback from our
customers, the straight shallow flutes on the Turbo® blade do little effective tillage.
We have found that the deeper more aggressive spherical wave design on
the Vortex® blade moves more soil, crumbles the soil into smaller segments and
Turbo® blade, surface & edge views
covers more cornstalks in the fall effecting better breakdown and less wind mov-
ing the cornstalks. And, in the spring, creates a much more desirable seedbed.
If you are running your Turbo Max® on a blade angle, you are in effect
defeating the purpose of the machine as a true vertical tillage machine. Really,
it has become just another high speed disc.

Did you know that when you have the Turbo Max® blades on an angle instead of straight you:
• Create a soil density change layer that becomes a barrier to root growth for your crop?* • You create a larger chance of soil erosion?*
• You are no longer doing true Vertical Tillage?* • You are using extra fuel per tillage pass?
November & December 2017 only: 20” Vortex $51.00 November & December 2017 only: 22” Vortex $59.00
Here’s an option: Run the blades straight, replace the Turbo® blade with a Vortex® blade. With well over 100,000 blades sold as a replacement blade for Turbo Till® and
Turbo Max® machines we feel pretty secure with offering you our “You’re happy, we’re happy warranty”. We stand behind these blades and their excellent track record to date.
TURBO ® is a registered trademark owned by Osmundson Mfg. Co. and TURBO TILL® and TURBO MAX® are registered trademarks of
Great Plains Manufacturing, Inc. and CFC Distributors, Inc. has no relationsip of any kind with Osmundson Mfg. Co. or Great Plains Manufacturing, Inc.
* Great Plains Agronomy Video: Veritcal Tillage Principles
The Vortex Coulter is manufactured by Bellota.
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CAST BORON STEEL

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The sweep with the wear bar built into the nose
M A R K E t P L A C E

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• 3/8" thick wear bar cast into the underside of the nose holds the wear • Mega-Wing design holds full cutting width entire life of sweep for
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I have run 3 seasons about 5K acres on a set of Mega Wing sweeps on My customers say “Don’t sell me anything else”. CFC/Bellota
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at least every season. Some of these Mega Wing sweeps on the cultiva- Duane Locke, Parts Manager Janson Equipment
tor are still the original sweeps. The wear life has been excellent. Charlotte, MI
Dennis Feiken, North Dakota
For orders shipped before 12-31-2017
7"……(3.00lbs) $7.99 8"……(3.15lbs) $8.49 9"…..(3.5lbs) $8.99 10"…….(3.57lbs) $9.60
7"…(3.00lbs) $8.90 (01-01-2018) • 8"…(3.15lbs) $9.50 (01-01-2018) • 9"…..(3.5lbs) $9.99 (01-01-2018) • 10"….(3.57lbs) $10.65 (01-01-2018)
A Better Sweep A Better Design

CFC Distributors Inc., Roann IN • 800-548-6633 • www.cfcdist.com

These Sweeps are See our website for a complete listing of all of our stocking dealers, or contact us.
manufactured by Bellota.
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Take Guidance to the Next Level

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FEATURING THE HYDRAULIC HITCH

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| 877.568.4240 Product of
 No Pay/No Interest until Dec. 2018, one of many options
RRR Supply, Inc. www.SumaGroulx.com (800) 547-6859
Now is the time to quit over applying NPK and unlock all of the 15 nutrients that you al-
ready have in your soil with the unique formula of microbes in SumaGroulx.
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Cut your fertilizer cost at least 50% to 75% in the first year, up to 100% in the second year, while enjoying 5% to 35% yield increase!
Healthy Soil, Healthy Plants, Healthy Yields, Healthy Money $$$ - Some nitrogen needed in high use crops

“SumaGroulx customer in Bay County, Mich-
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faster than surrounding land. Very Satisfied.”
- Lynn M.
Why is this field dry?

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With SumaGroulx “Japanese beetles ate silks of the corn stalks in neighboring fields. My
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- Wisconsin
“SumaGroulx gave our soybeans enough nutrients to yield over 83 BPA
this year! Can’t wait to harvest our corn.”
- Nick S.
“Before SumaGroulx , our average sugar content was 16 - 16.5% on
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sistently. I’ve tried a lot of products in 25 years, SumaGroulx works.”
- Bill M., Montana
EXCITER is a probiotic package, on a homogenized
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 a l l a r o u n d THE FARM ®

One page written by our readers. Compiled by Paula Barbour, Content Editor

coil springs corral horse hoof nippers

hydraulic hoses
Since there is excess length in my hydraulic
hoses, I needed a way to prevent them from
being damaged by the hitch. I use coil springs
from various Jeeps that were parted out to
hold the hoses out of the way. It
works great. Since the springs flex
in all directions, they allow for
movement when turning. I
have also used springs on
my dirt scraper pan and a
box scraper.
James Nelson
Audubon, Iowa
nelson1928@gmail.com
to the rescue
The quickest way I’ve found to
free a vehicle driveline tangled in
barbed wire (which can happen to
first responders at a prairie fire) is to
use a pair of horse hoof nippers. If
the sharp-edged corner can contact
a strand of wire, it can easily cut it.
Another thing they’re good for is
gripping and pulling staples driven
tightly into posts.
Vaughn Willems
Protection, Kansas

farm-strong grappling hook

I needed a sturdy hook to pull fallen trees from my farm
pond. Commercial grappling hooks weren’t strong enough.
So I built my own by cutting coils from an old truck spring in
half and welding the halves to a piece of rebar. Material costs
were limited to a few welding rods and one cutting disk.
Richard Peters | St. Marys, Kansas | rdpeters1938@gmail.com

marked
lines leave
no doubt
I made this strap to indi-
cate all the stopping points for
someone who is loading grain out
of the bin and filling up semitrailers. It
took less than 10 minutes to make out of dis-
carded strap, two pieces of metal, four zip strips,
and spray paint. The colors correspond to different
trucks. It works great, saves us time, and folds up for easy
transport, too.
Todd Martin | Wayne City, Illinois

Send us your ideas

pliers modified for handling fuses
After breaking enough fuses while trying to remove them, I came
up with this fuse puller. I took an old pair of needle-nose pliers,
welded the front end, and drilled a hole the size of a round fuse.
Then I cut off the front end so I don’t damage the board when
pulling fuses. No more broken fuses. This allowance keeps the
fuses from crushing during removal.
Simon Glanzer | Delmont, South Dakota
Successful Farming magazine invites you to share ideas with our readers.
Submissions should be precise. Include a sketch or photograph when
needed. If your idea is used in print, we pay $400 for the Idea of the
Month, $200 for ideas that appear with drawings, and $100 for
unillustrated ideas. All material submitted becomes the property of
Meredith Corporation. If your idea is used, you give Meredith the right
to use it in any manner. Enter idea(s), a daytime phone number, email
address, and complete mailing address at Agriculture.com/ideaentry or
mail to Successful Farming Magazine, All Around The Farm, 1716
Locust Street/LS257, Des Moines, IA 50309-3023.

Illustrations: Lant Elrod December 2017 | Successful Farming at Agriculture.com 75

 a l l a r o u n d ®

By Paula Barbour, Content Editor THE FARM

IDEA OF THE MONTH

Moines, Iowa, and at additional mailing offices. Successful Farming reserves the right to refuse nonqualified subscriptions. Subscription orders must show farm or ranch connections as owner, operator, or related occupation to subscribe at basic price: $15.95 per year in the U.S.; $27.95 (U.S. dollars) in
Canada; $27.95 (U.S. dollars) overseas. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 707.4.12.5); NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: Send address corrections to Successful Farming, P.O. Box 37508, Boone, IA 50037-0508. In Canada: Mailed under Publications Mail Sales Product
Successful Farming (ISSN-0039-4432); December 2017, Volume 115, No. 15, is published monthly except for two issues in February, March, August, and November, and a combined June/July issue by Meredith Corporation, 1716 Locust Street, Des Moines, IA 50309-3023. Periodicals postage paid at Des
A ONCE UNUSED
GRAIN CART GOES TO WORK, MAKING PLANTING
EASIER AND SAFER.
LOWER PROFILE
A loader can easily lift a 1-ton tote
above a grain cart that has three
of its sidewalls removed; the seed
tender’s profile is too high.

Agreement No. 40069223; Canadian BN 12348 2887 RT. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to Successful Farming, 2835 Kew Drive, Windsor, ON, N8T 3B7. © Meredith Corporation 2017. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.
STAY ON THE
GROUND TO OPEN
SEED TOTE
No need to climb the ladder of
the seed tender to open up a
seed tote.

N
ow that he loads the seed much more quickly, too,” he says. DILLON ROESCH
tender with a grain cart Modification to the grain cart Ag career: Roesch, 19, has worked at neighbor
auger, Dillon Roesch of took just one day. Roesch removed Steve Wertz’s farm for five years. His ultimate goal
McClave, Colorado, is three sides, leaving only the side (after obtaining a degree in agronomy/ag business) is
breathing easier – both liter-the auger goes through. Then he to own a crop-production services company.
ally and figuratively. “This way is reinforced that one side by moving Family: Parents Kelly (an Extension agent) and
much safer,” he says. the end of the cables to the floor of Julie Roesch (a bank compliance officer) lease their
“I used to drive the loader up an the wagon and mounting a welded McClave, Colorado, farm acres, yet they arrange to
incline to the dock and pull the seed triangle of steel tubing to surround graze their herd on the alfalfa and
tender in below. Someone then had the auger. milo fields.
to climb the ladder to open the bags. “The reason we needed this setup FFA officer: Roesch is the 2017-
By standing on the ground, we can is that our cover crop mix (triticale, 2018 Colorado FFA state sentinel.
move away from the cloud of dust tillage radishes, and turnips) comes Pilot: “I got to take all of my FFA
in these 1-ton bags. Strip-tilling officers flying, so that was fun,”
those areas let us plant earlier in says the licensed private pilot.
More ideas from readers on page 75.
a very wet year,” he says. Email: dillonr.coffa@gmail.com

76 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com | December 2017

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NUTRI-PRO® APPLICATORS
AIR DRILLS
YIELD-PRO® PLANTERS

Take advantage of DEALS THAT YIELD now through the Deals That Yield Sales Event
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offering BIG savings on field-proven tillage, application,
December 31, 2017.
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