Front-mounted snow blowers | Front three-point hitch and p.t.o. equipment are more efficient than hydraulic systems
Front three-point hitches, front power take-off and big snow blowers have finally come into their own. This combination lets the operator use a large mechanical front-wheel drive tractor up to 400 horsepower, which helps prevent large snowbanks from building up. The added bonus is the health of the driver’s neck and back, which can take […] Read more
Ron Lyseng
Stories by Ron Lyseng
Auto Calibration keeps seed drill honest
Farmers know their calibration is off when they run out of seed and fertilizer 20 acres before the field is finished or too much product is left over when they’re done. Either way, it’s costly and cuts into seeding efficiency, says Owen Kinch, field research manager at Seed Master. “Our new Auto Calibration maintains one […] Read more
Manure transformed into biodegradable plastic
Petro-chemical replacement | Some PHA products are made from corn but using manure is more environmentally beneficial
GUELPH, Ont. — The idea of drinking out of a plastic cup made from cow manure may not seem overly appetizing to some people. “It’s not particularly appetizing to me either,” said Erik Coats, a University of Idaho civil engineering professor who is researching the chemistry of converting bio-waste into biodegradable plastic. “The yuck factor […] Read moreFront power take-off rotation standardized — then relaxed
Simplicity in the manufacturing process dictated that front power take-off systems would turn counter-clockwise when the first machines came to market in Germany 50 years ago. As well, only Deutz and Fendt were building the mowers that farmers bought for their tractors, which meant they could build them to turn any direction they wanted. “Rear […] Read more
Canadian air drill vs. German planter
And the winner is … The canola-corn planter trend continues to gain momentum, but is it as efficient as an air drill?
Canola growers who seed with a corn planter say it isn’t necessarily just about yield. “There are other benefits to consider,” said Stephen Petluk, who used a Seed Hawk air drill and a Monosem corn planter this year to seed more than 4,000 acres of canola near Lethbridge. Petluk compared the seeders on two similar […] Read more
Tapping money from the mix
Total manure agitation | Uniform nutrient distribution maximizes returns
GUELPH, Ont. — A young man’s dream of taking over the family farm doesn’t always pan out as planned. Sometimes it turns to crap. That’s what happened to Iowa farm boy Ben Puck, who had aspirations of taking over the family farm after graduating from high school in 1977. “I thought I’d take off to […] Read more
Waste isn’t wasted on this dairy farm
Creating power not just a pipe dream | Bio-gas units turn waste products into an asset that lowers costs
GUELPH, Ont. — The bio-digester and generating station on the Clovermead dairy farm has been feeding power into the electrical grid for more than a year. It’s all going so much according to plan that it’s about as exciting as watching a clock on the wall, which is exactly what the Whale family wants. Korb […] Read moreBio-gas production motivated by family’s philosophy
GUELPH, Ont. — Some farmers decide to generate electricity solely for economic gain, but Korb Whale said it was strictly a farming decision for him and his parents. Selling power to the grid allowed this seventh generation Ontario dairy producer to steer the future of the farm in a direction that better matched the family’s […] Read more
Farmer builds world’s shortest high clearance sprayer
Apache AS710 sprayer | Indiana farmer Nathan Rowings constructed a fully operational mini model
Nathan Rowings liked his first Apache AS710 so much he decided to build himself a second one from scratch, although only one-tenth as big as the original. Both sprayers have mechanical drive with a three-speed shift-on-the-fly transmission, hydraulic steering, three-section hydraulic fold-out booms, 64 nozzles that spray liquid, a suspension with shock absorbers, big disc […] Read moreDragline dangers: are you in the kill zone?
High pressure, high volume | Slurry hose systems have their advantages along with hidden risks
GUELPH, Ont. — Dragline hose systems that feed slurry injection implements can carry 2,500 gallons per minute at 130 pounds per sq. inch, powered by 550 horsepower engines. It’s a potentially fatal combination, said Ben Puck of Puck Custom Enterprises in Iowa. Each dragline setup has a main pump at the slurry source and up […] Read more
