April 1, 2009
Hay Market Update
Some Prices Continue To Weaken
Alfalfa hay prices haven't changed much overall in the past month, but have moved farther down from last year's peaks in a few states. The most apparent...
Features
Softening The Blows of Harvest Invoices
Custom chopper Bill Arneson expects 2009 to be a challenging year for him and his clients. It's going to be a strong test of will, not just in farming...
Getting Paid For Custom Forage Work
Last year it was skyrocketing input costs. This year it's dismal milk prices. Either way, many dairy producers are finding themselves struggling to cash-flow...
A Lender’s Lessons On Business Survival
Operating costs are typically 55% of gross sales for the large custom harvesters lender John Mortier works with. That means that less than half of their...
Ensuring Payment Doesn't Mean You're Not Trusting
The current economic difficulties in the dairy industry will change the way many custom forage harvesters do business, predicts Bill Arneson, a Barneveld,...
Looking For New Custom Clients? Scrutinize First
As you scout out new custom harvesting business, take a look at your potential client's homestead, says a young custom operator. Is it a nicer farm that...
Autosteer Advice For Custom Operators
Growers and custom harvesters are more likely to buy global positioning systems (GPS) for autosteer and other capabilities this year than in the past....
The Forage Machinery Market
Although custom harvesters may not find many good deals on new equipment this year, there may be a little more of it available, say several ag equipment...
Biofuel's Promise To Custom Harvesters
They don't fully agree on the timeline or on what type of equipment will be needed. But biofuel experts say wide-scale production of fuel from forages...
Cellulosic Ethanol Companies Request Ag Manufacturing Expertise
Companies hoping to cash in on the cellulosic ethanol market are calling on ag equipment manufacturers for new, existing or altered equipment that can...
Custom-Plant Biomass Crops Now
Opportunities for custom work in the biomass industry are already here, says University of Kentucky forage specialist Ray Smith. When you're dealing with...
Smarter Forage-Harvesting Machines
Ask a forage expert how to make harvesting equipment more productive and you'll usually get multiple suggestions. Ask several forage experts and you'll...
Fuel Price Outlook: Mostly Stable
The global economic slowdown is expected to keep fuel prices relatively stable through most of 2009, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration...
Hay Preservative Pros And Cons
Hay preservatives like propionic acid aren't necessarily going to be a good fit for every hay-making operation. But carefully picking the situations where...
Harvesters Should Pick Employees Carefully
If you know what management-type boss you are and then hire and supervise employees according to that type, they'll be happier, more efficient and likely...
What Employees Like About Their Bosses
What keeps farm workers on the farm? Communication is the key, said Gregg Hadley, University of Wisconsin-River Falls farm management specialist, at a recent conference...
U.S. Custom Harvesters Group Offers 'One Voice'
If you want to talk with other harvesters, are looking for a deal on equipment or even tax advice, check out the blog and bulletin board on the U.S. Custom...
Custom Bale Conversion
Since Terry Burris upgraded his big-bale-to-small-bale conversion system last August, he can process alfalfa as well as grass hay and straw, fill freight...
Adding Value By Rebaling
Tim Gogerty often bales alfalfa-orchardgrass hay and wheat straw when the temperature hovers near zero. Gogerty, of Hubbard, IA, hires a customer operator...
Custom Forage Businesses: All In The Family
Working with family can be challenging. But for two custom operations, family is a strength and business advantage. Luke and Kathy Vander Kinter are part...
What Employees Like About Their Bosses
What keeps farm workers on the farm? Communication is the key, said Gregg Hadley, University of Wisconsin-River Falls farm management specialist, at a recent conference...
Product Preview
Powerful, Efficient Tractors
New Holland's 135- to 195-pto-hp T7000 Series tractors have AutoCommand Continuously Variable Transmissions (CVTs)...
High-Horsepower Row-Crop Tractor
Massey Ferguson's 8600 Series row-crop tractor ranges from 270 to 350 hp, using the Agco Sisu Power 8.4L engine...
Spray Boom Remote Control
Operators don't have to jump out of their cabs to turn on or off boom sections of their sprayers...
Quick-Install Steering System
Raven SmartSteer can be paired with Cruizer, Envizio Pro or Viper Pro for a quick-to-install assisted-steering system that keeps users on line...
Enhanced-Traction Truck Tires
Goodyear's Wrangler DuraTrac tires are designed to enhance both off- and on-road performance...
Extended Service Policy On Harvesting Machines
Krone North America announces the Krone Crown Guarantee, an extended service policy available on all new Big X forage harvesters...
Most Popular Articles
advertisement
Research in Brief
The following items report on forage-related research recently presented by University experts at meetings across the country.
