Desperation sometimes creates innovation in agriculture, which is how the rock dam was born at Trueline MFG.
Walter and Albert Hofer grow canola, barley and peas near Rimbey, Alta., with Leedale Colony. They were finding that their John Deere headers were doing too good of a job picking up everything in their combine harvester, including damaging stones that dented their seeder drums.
The brothers took a look at their centre canvas late last fall during harvest and, having some mechanic experience, thought there had to be a better way to protect their feeder house and threshing elements. Drawings were drafted and they used their laser cutter and press brake for metal fabrication to craft their rock dam.
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Word spread once successful trial runs were done with neighbours, and interest caught on like wildfire.
Extra attention was given to online marketing and website maintenance. Orders have gone as far east as Quebec, and internationally into Australia and the U.S. states of North Dakota, New York, Oregon, and Florida.
The weather-resistant rock dam is compatible with all John Deere headers and MacDon models and is engineered for easy set-up and installation to maintain smooth crop feeding.
“We enjoy connecting with farmers and be able to relate with them and help them out,” said Walter Hofer, operations manager of the manufacturing facility, which has also built a drum reconditioning tool.
“It’s our biggest motivation. It spread with word of mouth. Farmers were happy with it and then their neighbours would buy some.”
He said it’s satisfying to know they’re helping farmers save money.
“We get calls all the time, guys saying they spent 20 grand, 30 grand, 50 grand (on repairs),” said Hofer.
“It’s a small part. We were talking to a guy in Manitoba who bought some and he said basically, ‘I don’t have any rocks, but what I do have is a $180,000 header, and for me to spend hundreds of dollars to put some extra insurance on it, I’m going for it.’ Talk to any farmer about damage to their combines and it’s a pretty sensitive subject. Especially in that Montana area and Saskatchewan, rocks are a big issue.”
The brothers say they enjoy keeping in contact with their agriculture customers and ask them to send pictures or videos of their products in action, including harvest.
“We had a guy just send us a photo of a rock right there laying on the ground, and he said it (the dam) paid for itself on the first day of harvest. The connection with farmers is worth more than any money. Being able to fulfill our role in this way is beautiful,” said Hofer, adding their father who passed away from cancer had the same giving spirit, never saying no to a neighbour in need that they aspire to.
“We’re a big family, and we love serving the farming family.”
