1802HFG_20-repairs
The onset of winter gives most of us plenty of time to work in our shops, which sometimes are nicer than the house. Now is the time to go over our equipment from head to toe to make sure it is r
1801_HFG_24-baling-hay
Now that the new year is underway, we can look back and see what happened in the previous year. One farm item that saw an uptick in value was farm equipment
1711_40-fuel-tank
Don’t look now, but harvest season is wrapping up and this year, like most in recent memory, has brought its fair share of unpredictability. As always, some areas fared better than others
1711_12-millennial
Travis Erickson values his employees by implementing flexible schedules and split shifts. Ryan Shaw (left) is one of Erickson’s long-term employees
HFG-17-8_32-sprayer
As Benjamin Franklin once said, “There are only two things certain in life: death and taxes.” This statement still rings true today, but on most farms I think we could also add two more items

1704_18-bale-mositure
Knowing real-time forage moisture is critical for choosing if and how much preservative to use, how much steam to add to very dry hay, and in predicting effects on forage quality
1704_35-tillage
The busy season is upon many of us. Hay mowers all across the country are firing up and heading to the field. In some regions, the mower is then followed by one or more passes with a tedder
1704_06-sensor
Site-specific and variable rate technologies are widely known and applied today in row crops, in many instances being driven by and evaluated by yield monitors
1Bale_ph
It’s once again time to take a tour around the country to see what’s going on in the world of farm custom rate surveys. As I’ve mentioned previously, these documents were invaluable during
1703_8-round-baler
Down here in the Southern states it is already “go time” for most dairies and those putting up winter annuals

Vander_Kinter_Kathy
Cabin fever has set in for most anyone in the agriculture community by this time of the year. For most of us, we have at least a month until the wheels can again be put into motion
1701_18-hay-baling
Now that winter is in full effect, most grain farmers are either ice fishing or taking a vacation at the beach, but not us hay guys
1702_10-sprinkler-drops
When center pivots were first introduced, they used high-pressure impact sprinklers on top of the pipe. These sprinklers needed 40 to 60 pounds per square inch (psi) to operate properly, were sp
1702_32-self-loading-forage-wagon
In the fast-paced world of farming, it can be a real challenge to keep up with current technology and all of the new and improved equipment in the marketplace
16-Nov-20-wrapper
Hay season is winding down for most of us, and all of this year’s crop, or lack thereof in some cases, is in the barn. It was usually about this time of year when my dad and I would start to look

1608_20-chopping
If you ask most dairymen what their biggest fear was when they made the switch to a custom harvester, the answer is usually if the cutter will show up on time. After a few years of getting to kn
Vander_Kinter_Kathy
There is a fair amount of interest in owning a custom harvesting business, but do you have what it takes to sell yourself to potential clients?
160524_ph1
In my former extension life, it was not unusual to receive a call from somebody wanting to know the “going rate” for (fill in the blank)
1604_16
Jon Sykes owns M&L Farms Inc., located in Quitman, Ga. The farm has been custom harvesting since 2000 and custom farming since 2008. They currently grow corn, sorghum, and ryegrass for a local d
The author is a partner in Orrson Custom Farming Ltd., Apple Creek, Ohio. He currently serves as president of the U.S. Custom Harvesters Inc