All but one of the 58 Versatile tractors at Versatile Days in Cayuga, North Dakota, showed up ready to work. That’s because they are still working tractors. Jim Berndt is restoring an 850 he bought a year ago. He says the tractor works while he restores it. He uses it for discing on his 1,400 […] Read more
Stories by Michael Raine
Fertilizer tank switched from tractor cab
WATERLOO, Iowa – Changing anhydrous ammonia tanks is not high on anybody’s list of things they like to do, even for dealers who sell the fertilizer. A new remote coupling device allows farmers to put that process behind them -25 feet behind them in most cases. John Deere is releasing the Pitstop Pro connection system […] Read more
No drain, no grain
WATERLOO, Iowa – Changing anhydrous ammonia tanks is not high on anybody’s list of things they like to do, even for dealers who sell the fertilizer. A new remote coupling device allows farmers to put that process behind them –25 feet behind them in most cases. John Deere is releasing the Pitstop Pro connection system […] Read more
Rain halts harvest but still welcome
WILCOX, Sask. – The crop was late and, in many areas, running out of moisture. Then it rained. Saskatchewan grain producers were the beneficiaries of four days of on-again, off-again showers that left the middle of the grain belt damp and other areas soaked. “There was a couple of inches around Sedley and apparently four […] Read more
Power in a small package
WATERLOO, Iowa – Keeping sprayers filled with water and liquid fertilizer can be a full-time job. A new filling system from John Deere aims to reduce those hours by up to 40 percent. Load Command is a new high-flow loading system that connects the sprayer to the tender using a supported hose and connector the […] Read more
New windrowers in 2010
WATERLOO, Iowa – John Deere has introduced a new line of windrowers for next season. The major changes are higher field capacity and faster transport speeds. “We’re trying to reduce the time not spent in the field on operations,” said Deanna Kovar of John Deere’s Ottumwa Works. “Those are times that producers identify as being […] Read more
Scientists crack case on seed pod shatter
Canola is prone to shattering and scientists now understand why. To avoid losses from shattering, most producers swath the crop rather than letting it stand to seed maturity and then straight cutting it. Even with swathing, pods will drop two to five bushels per acre under average conditions. If harvest is delayed, the crop will […] Read more
Fertilizer price trend rises
ABERDEEN, Sask. – Rain pelted down and cool temperatures made July 9 feel like May 9. But for canola plants hit by drought, frost and insects and slow to mature because of sustained cool weather, the rain was an improvement. And while it was not an ideal day for an outdoor event, complaints were few […] Read more
Granaries nearly 11,000 years old
People may not have been farming 11,000 years ago, but they knew the importance of good grain storage. Recent work by researchers has revealed that 1,000 years before humans began selecting and planting seeds and domesticating cereal crops, they were harvesting grain and storing it in granaries with dryer floors and hopper bottoms. It appears […] Read more
Watch for grain bag rats
People may not have been farming 11,000 years ago, but they knew the importance of good grain storage. Recent work by researchers has revealed that 1,000 years before humans began selecting and planting seeds and domesticating cereal crops, they were harvesting grain and storing it in granaries with dryer floors and hopper bottoms. It appears […] Read more
