DAUPHIN, Man. – Colin Mailman climbed on the back of a baler to have a closer look.
“I’m excited. I never knew you could use one of these for silage,” said the Eddystone, Man., farmer.
Mailman was taking a closer look at an IH large square baler during Hay Days last week. He and several hundred other farmers stopped their spraying and baling to watch more than a dozen balers, conditioners and mowers during the day-long haying demonstration.
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Mailman is interested in using the baler for making dry hay and silage out of bales. By using square bales he anticipates there will be less air space and he’ll need less plastic to cover the stack.
Mailman’s enthusiasm about the equipment was what organizer Kevin Yaworski was hoping for.
“It’s an ideal environment farmers like to learn under,” said Yaworski, the forage production specialist in Dauphin.
Local farmers get to see the new machines working side by side under the same conditions.
John Procyshyn of Winnipegosis said he’s not planning to buy any new equipment soon, but it’s good to hear what other farmers say about the highlights and weak points of each machine.
“The dealer is always going to say theirs is the best,” he said.
Gordon Dyck of Winnipegosis was also interested in the square baler. It worked well on the table-flat field in the demonstration but he said he didn’t know how it would work handle in his fields of rocks and stumps.
“We all know how to drive here, but put a big stump in front,” said Dyck.
The machines are interesting to look at, but some cost as much as a home.
“The price tag is the killer,” said Dyck.
Added Procyshyn: “Everyone comes to these and dreams they can own one of these things.”
Earl Elder of Dauphin was showing off the square baler but he wasn’t holding his breath about selling equipment that day. “No one’s written any cheques yet,” he said.
