FARGO, N.D. — As the name implies, the Spirit Autonomous Tractor drives itself. There is no operator. This is no experimental garden tractor or small scale orchard tractor. Rather, it’s a 400 horsepower working tractor aimed at broad acreage prairie farmers who are short on manpower and want a simpler, less expensive tractor. It uses […] Read more
Ron Lyseng
Stories by Ron Lyseng
RR canola and RR soybeans can be compatible
How does a farmer grow Roundup Ready canola in rotation with a higher value Roundup Ready soybean crop? It’s a challenge many producers are facing in light of the improved economics and expansion of soybeans on the Prairies. But it’s a problem growers are solving, said Monsanto’s weed management technical lead Sean Dilk. “Growers want […] Read more
Save time, save arms with haybine reverser
Built for pull-type haybines | Unplugging a haybine takes time and accidents happen when the tractor is still running
On many farms, typically the job of running the haybine falls to a 70-year-old man or 15-year-old youth. “And who is most likely to have an accident? It’s the 70-year old man or the 15-year old kid,” says Duane Bartok of Esterhazy, Sask. “If a guy would shut the tractor off every time he gets […] Read more
Retriever makes machinery moving easier
Safe and efficient Improvement in moving two-point and three-point hitch implements, combine headers and tillage tools
Prairie producers with fields spread over a wide area are transporting tractors on flatbeds and flat towing other implements with highway tractors. The trend started when farmers with leased implements saw how much extra they were paying for the hours and miles while an implement was in transit. Loading it on a flatbed saves time […] Read moreBin makers begin with better basics
Building a better grain bin means starting with better steel, such as the Galfan high tensile alloy employed in Farm West Bins. “Galfan is a surface coating that’s superior to the old wartime galvanizing that dates back to the 1920s or ’30’s,” said Lyle Goebel of Prairie Steel, which does the steel work for Farm […] Read more
Precision farming info links directly to variable rate terminal
The Outback Max system, which was introduced Aug. 28, gives producers the opportunity to place all their precision farming activities into one package. The variable rate terminal is able to handle many types of data and layer them in ways that were previously done only at the farm office, said Darren Pritchard of Outback. Pritchard […] Read more
You get what you pay for, bin maker says
A lot is said in the marketing world about “commercial grade” pickups and more recently “commercial grade” grain bins. Is it real or just hype? “I think for pick-up trucks, it’s really more of a marketing term aimed at business owners who want an industrial image,” said Harvey Kuhar, owner of Farm West Bins in […] Read more
Potential lies in native prairie perennials
CARMAN, Man. — Farmers have wanted more perennial crops since the earliest days of cultivation. There are numerous benefits if commercially viable cereals and oilseed crops can advance to the state of sophistication reached in forages. Perennial crop breeder Doug Cattani of the University of Manitoba plant science department is exploring commercializing or extracting favourable […] Read more
Long-term benefit in stainless hopper bin
ROSENORT, Man. — Novid, known for its flat-bottom stainless steel liquid bins, introduced a new stainless steel hopper bottom granular bin this summer. “Farmers who saw it at the Farm Progress Show were excited about the idea, but they voiced concerns about the cost,” said Novid manager Brent Friesen. “Like our stainless flat bottom bin, […] Read more
Anatomy of a diesel breakdown
Industry and government officials agree that a monster was born when diesel engines were built to meet the Tier 4i criteria in 2008, 2009 and 2010. But how did North America get into this mess? The heavy truck industry says it started when engine manufacturers and the U.S. government led each other down a dark […] Read more
