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Missouri Farms, Vol. 1, Issue 3

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Page 1: Missouri Farms, Vol. 1, Issue 3
Page 2: Missouri Farms, Vol. 1, Issue 3

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Page 3: Missouri Farms, Vol. 1, Issue 3

missouri farms 33

Safety on and off the farm

CHILDREN:• Don’t ask to ride

along in tractors. Eventhough it’s fun, passen-gers on a tractor can in-terfere with safe operationof machinery.

• Always get per-mission to visit a parentor adult while they areworking on machinery,and remain in a visiblearea to ensure the adultsees you. Blind spots cre-ate dangerous conditionswhen machinery is in use.

• Be cautious whenhandling or feeding ani-mals, and only enter pensthat have been approvedby your parents. Livestockcan be unpredictable.

Teens:• Only use a cell

phone when not working,but keep it close in caseof emergency. Cellphones can be a lifesaveror a deadly distraction.

• Be informed onchild labor laws. Teenscan only work in certainsituations under legalguardians.

• Be a role modeland demonstrate safe be-havior on the farm. Sib-lings and youngerchildren look up to andtake pride in older chil-dren and teenagers.

PARENTS:• Keep the rollover

protection structures(ROPS) in the upright po-sition and always wear a

seatbelt to prevent a trac-tor rollover injury or fatal-ity. Tractor rolloversrepresented nearly half ofall of Illinois fatalities lastyear, so the ROPS shouldonly be folded down inlow-clearance areas andwhen absolutely neces-sary.

• Always wear hear-ing protection – such asear plugs or protectiveear muffs – to protectfrom hearing loss. It onlytakes 2 hours for an opencab tractor to becomedangerous to the humanear without proper hear-ing protection.

• Schedule enoughtime for sleep. Lack ofsleep inhibits productivityand memory, and slowsresponse time.

GRANDPARENTS:• Think about your

actions. Unsafe actionsdon’t always result inharm, but the risk isn’tworth it.

• Recognize per-sonal health and safety toavoid injury. Take cautionwhen lifting heavy itemsor climbing in unsafeareas. If something looksdangerous or unpre-dictable, don’t do it.

• Keep a cell phonehandy at all times in caseof emergency. Cellphones allow for easy ac-cess when help isneeded.

Agriculture Safety Tips

for familiesBe prepared

for emergenciesEven with all the right precautions, accidents still happen.

One important rule for families who live or work on farms is fam-ily members should always be aware of where everyone is andwhen they are due to return so they can provide help as soonas possible in an emergency.

It's also a good idea to know how to get help in the event ofan emergency — by calling 911 or the local emergency numberor the poison control center if necessary. When calling 911, beprepared to state exactly where you are and what the problemis — and remember to stay on the line until the operator says it'sOK to hang up.

Experts also recommend that all teens learn CPR and basicfirst aid, especially if they help to care for younger siblings orelderly relatives. Contact your local hospital or the AmericanRed Cross for information about courses in your area.

Missouri Farms

A monthly publication of theMarshall Democrat-News and

The Concordian

Publisher – Dave PhillipsEditors -

Sarah Reed ConcordianRachel Knight Democrat-News

EditorialAgriculture Reporter

Kelly Melies

Charles DunlapJesse Brown

CalendarBretta Gert

DesignJacob Hatfield

Sarah Reed

News/Editorial [email protected]

Advertising SalesMike Davis

Stacy KirchhoffSusan DuvallHolly Young

Sarah Mueller

Advertising/Sales [email protected]

660-886-8198

Mailing AddressMarshall Democrat-News

PO Box 100121 N. Lafayette Ave

Marshall, MO 65340-0100

Office Hours7:30 AM – 5:30 PM

Monday-Friday

Websiteswww.marshallnews.com

www.theconcordianonline.com

Mail Subscription Rate$25 per year

CONCORDIANTHE

Farm safety may seem like something only teens who live on farmsneed to know about. The truth is that everyone can benefit from learn-ing about farm safety, even people who are merely visiting farms.Farming is a common form of employment, providing summer jobs forlots of teens all over the country.

Farm machinery, animals, chemicals and storage areas are thingssome teens ordinarily might not encounter — and they can pose a seri-ous risk to people who don't know how to protect themselves.

Nearly 2 million kids work and live on farms in the United States.As many as 22,000 are seriously injured, and about 100 kids and teensdie each year due to farm-related injuries. In fact, farm jobs have thehighest rate of fatalities and injuries of all types of teen employment,which isn't surprising given that agriculture is considered to be amongthe most hazardous industries in the United States. Although the major-ity of accidents happen to people who live on farms, a significant num-ber of injuries or deaths have occurred to kids and teens who eitherwork on or visit farms.

But it's not all doom and gloom: With appropriate education andsafety precautions, farm-related injuries and deaths can be prevented —and teens can enjoy all the positive experiences that farms have tooffer.

Farm safety: Not JUST for farmers

Page 4: Missouri Farms, Vol. 1, Issue 3

44 missouri farms

WASHINGTON – Agriculture Secre-tary Tom Vilsack provided a 12-weekprogress report on U.S. Department ofAgriculture (USDA) disaster assistanceprograms, announcing that USDA hasprocessed 106,000 payments to farmers in40 states across the country who sufferedlivestock and grazing losses between Oc-tober 2011 and passage of the 2014 FarmBill.

“Farmers and ranchers who waited twoand a half years for a farm bill are nowgetting some relief,” Vilsack said. “Wemet the very ambitious goal to get theseprograms up and running in just 60 days.Now, thanks to our dedicated staff in of-fices across the country, we’ve providedmore than 106,000 payments to farmersand ranchers in 40 states who suffereddrought, blizzard, and other weather re-lated losses.”

A quick implementation of the disasterassistance programs has been a top priorityfor USDA. In February, the Farm ServiceAgency (FSA) announced that enrollmentfor four disaster assistance programswould begin April 15, 60 days from thedate the programs were reestablished bythe 2014 Farm Bill. After the 2008 FarmBill, it took over one year for the programsto get up and running.

Since then, dedicated full-time FSAstaff, as well as temporary employeeshired to expedite the application process,have processed over $1.2 billion in pay-ments to qualifying farmers and ranchers.The first payments were sent out to farm-ers and ranchers within two weeks of en-rollment. USDA estimated that roughly$2.5 billion would be provided in disasterrelief to cover losses from October 2011through September 2014. If those esti-mates prove accurate, it would meannearly half of all disaster payments havealready been provided.

While disaster relief is a critical lifelinethat can prevent farmers and ranchers whodo not have access to crop insurance frombeing wiped out by weather-related lossesbeyond their control, most producers onlyreceive support equal to 60 percent of theiractual losses.

USDA disaster programs include theLivestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP)and the Livestock Indemnity Program(LIP). They provide payments for grazinglosses due to drought and livestock deaths

due to adverse weather. The EmergencyAssistance for Livestock, Honeybees, andFarm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) pro-vides assistance for livestock, honeybeesand farm-raised fish losses due to disease– including cattle tick fever – weather,wildfires and colony collapse disorder, orfor losses not covered under other disasterassistance programs established by the2014 Farm Bill. The Tree Assistance Pro-gram (TAP) provides financial assistanceto eligible orchardists and nursery treegrowers to replant or rehabilitate trees,bushes and vines that were lost or dam-aged by natural disasters.

Specific program deadlines are as fol-lows:

– 2011-2013 ELAP – Friday, Aug. 1– 2011 -2014 LFP – Friday, Jan. 30– 2011-2014 LIP – Friday, Jan. 30– 2011-2014 TAP – Monday, Feb. 2Producers affected by adverse weather

should contact their FSA county office tomake an appointment and learn if they areeligible for disaster assistance. For moreinformation, producers may review the2014 Farm Bill Fact Sheet, and the LIP,LFP, ELAP and TAP fact sheets online, orvisit any local FSA office.

Vilsack also highlighted that more than$270 million in disaster assistance hasbeen paid to farmers and ranchers inUSDA StrikeForce counties experiencingchronic poverty.

“Farmers and ranchers in these coun-ties have extraordinary challenges.Through USDA’s StrikeForce initiative,we can get federal support to areas thatneed it the most,” Vilsack said.

The StrikeForce for Rural Growth andOpportunity initiative works to address theunique set of challenges faced by many ofAmerica’s rural communities. Through theStrikeForce, USDA is leveraging re-sources and collaborating with over 400community organizations, businesses,foundations, universities and other groupsto support 80,300 projects with more than$9.7 billion in USDA investments intorural America. StrikeForce currentlyserves 20 states that include Alabama,Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado,Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missis-sippi, Nevada, New Mexico, North Car-olina, North Dakota, South Carolina,South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah,Virginia and West Virginia.

FSA

New

s

USDA provides 12-week progressupdate on disaster assistanceFeatured farmer

Clayton Deis is no stranger to agriculture. He was only 6 yearsold when he got involved in his grandparent’s operation. He livedapproximately a quarter of a mile away from his grandparents, andhis grandfather would stop and pick him up so they could go feedhogs and cows together, ride in a tractor or combine, depending onwhat time of year it was.

That has led up to Deis farming with his grandfather, MorrisStrodtman, and his great uncle, Dale Strodtman.

“Without either one of them, I don’t think it would be possible forme to be farming today,” Deis said. “They have taught me every-thing.”

Also, while in high school, Deis was very interested in FFA andreceived dozens of proficiency awards, which went to the statelevel. He also received his State and American degrees.

“Agriculture is important because I believe that it is the backboneof America and being involved in agriculture is what I love,” Deissaid.

Deis’ operation includes row crops – corn, soybean and wheat –50 acres of corn silage, around 300 bales of hay and a 75-headcow/calf operation. He has also ran a hay crew putting up squarebales since 1997.

“I don’t think I have a favorite thing about being a farmer,” Deissaid. “I enjoy sitting in a tractor for 10 plus hours or in the combinefor who knows how long. I enjoy watching the crops grow in thesummer, helping a baby calf – in the dead of winter – nurse, be-cause the cold has made it weak and then watching the calf grow to600 pounds.

“Maybe the most important to me is being able to bring my kidswith me, because as many farmers know, there’s not a lot of familytime,” Deis stated.

Deis enjoys spending time with his wife, Trisha, whom he mar-ried in 2003, and their three children, Taylor, Addisyn and Jace, whoattend St. Peter Catholic School. Deis has lived in Saline County allhis life. He said it has many rich soils and great market choices.

Clayton Deis and familyGilliam, Mo.

Page 5: Missouri Farms, Vol. 1, Issue 3

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Page 6: Missouri Farms, Vol. 1, Issue 3

COLUMBIA, Mo. –Farmers should scout and, ifneeded, spray for grasshop-pers now, said University ofMissouri Extension ento-mologist Wayne Bailey.Grasshoppers are reported inalmost every county in thestate, he said.

“Numbers of smallgrasshoppers are exceed-ingly high this year in manyareas of Missouri and insec-ticide application may beneeded for control,” Baileysaid.

Insecticides can kill mostsmall grasshoppers easily.Apply insecticide on bordersof fields and crop rows atthis time to reduce numbersbefore grasshoppers moveinto crop fields.

It is unusual forgrasshoppers to be seen thisearly in the season in soy-bean fields, Bailey said.Early-season control be-comes even more importantif predictions for a dry end-of-season come true, he said.

Grasshoppers feed firston grasses and weeds innon-crop areas. When condi-tions are dry, grasshopperstravel from field borders tocrop areas to find moregreen leaves, Bailey said.They can quickly stripleaves of crops.

Most severe damage oc-curs after several dry sea-sons. Cool, wet weatherduring egg hatch reducesnumbers.

More than 100 speciesexist, but only a few arecommon in Missouri crops.

Brown, gray or green incolor, they grow up to 1 ¾inches long.

They have large hindlegs for jumping and promi-nent heads with large eyesand complex mouthparts.Adults have two pairs ofwings and can readily fly orjump when disturbed.

Bailey recommends con-trol methods described onthe MU Plant Sciences Inte-grated Pest Managementwebsite at http://ipm.mis-souri.edu/archive/ipcm/2012/v22n7.pdf.

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MU Extension Corner

COLUMBIA, Mo. – “I’ve neverseen Missouri corn looking thisgood,” University of Missouri Exten-sion corn specialist Brent Myers saidTuesday, July 22.

In their weekly teleconference onTuesday, MU Extension agronomyspecialists across the state echoedMyers’ outlook. The July 18 USDA

Missouri Crop Progress and Conditionreport shows 84 percent of Missouricorn in good to excellent condition.

Corn silking progressed to 79 per-cent statewide—51 percent ahead ofthis time last year and 22 percent infront of the five-year average. “It’spretty amazing,” Myers said.

“2004 was the last time we haveseen a corn crop with this much of thestate’s acres in good to excellent con-dition at this time of year, but 2014 ishigher,” Myers said. “2009 was closeby the end of the year.”

However, it’s still too early to callbushels in the bin. Missouri cornfieldsappear to have ample nitrogen, butthey need timely rainfalls to bring a

bumper crop, Myers said. Agronomy specialists across the

state said crops need rain now. Coolconditions have prevented droughtstress so far.

Myers said he encourages cornproducers to prepare precision agri-culture yield monitors at this time inpreparation for harvest, and to have a

plan for calibration. “Quality datafrom a year like this can be very use-ful for future analysis.”

MU Extension entomologistWayne Bailey also reported goodnews for corn producers at the weeklyteleconference.

Corn is mostly past the dangerzone for Japanese beetle problemssince pollination is nearly complete.The beetles feed on green silks andtassels of corn, disrupting pollinationand reducing yields.

USDA also reported good newsfor Missouri soybean producers. Soy-bean crop condition was rated 77 per-cent good to excellent with 30 percentof the crop blooming.

Corn crop looking best in yearsby Linda Geist

Grasshopper numbers growing in Mo.by Linda Geist

“2004 was the last time we have seen a corncrop with this much of the state’s acres in good

to excellent condition at this time of year ...”—Brent Myers

Page 7: Missouri Farms, Vol. 1, Issue 3

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Page 8: Missouri Farms, Vol. 1, Issue 3
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Page 10: Missouri Farms, Vol. 1, Issue 3

110 missouri farms

by Kelly MeliesStaff Writer

It seems now if farmers and ranchers continuedown the path of heavy tillage use, eventually thesoil that so many depend on will lose organic mat-ter, and ultimately, its productivity in providing thefood and sources we depend on.

There is a term being used known as conserva-tion agriculture. Information obtained from theAgriculture and Consumer Protection Departmentsimply puts it as a way to manage land for im-proved and sustained productivity in order to in-

crease food security. It is guided by the followingthree principles:– Continuous minimum mechanical soil distur-bance.– Permanent organic soil cover.– Diversification of crop species grown in se-quences and/or associations.

When we look at these three principles, theidea of no-tillage and importance of soil health be-comes more apparent. No-tillage is accomplishedby direct seeding where the seed is deliveredthrough a seed slot, which is covered by mulchafter seeding.

This is done in conjunction with using covercrops, and as anyone in agriculture should know,the use of cover crops help maintain the soil's fer-

tility and quality. It also provides some protectionagainst the elements. This leads to crop diversifi-cation or crop rotation. The purpose of crop rota-tion is to provide various nutrients to the soilmicroorganisms and penetrate different layers ofthe soil for those nutrients.

USDA Deputy Secretary of Agriculture KrystaHarden said the use of cover crops is importantbecause it spreads life and there needs to be asoil health management system in place.

The importance of soil health is evident here asit contributes to a system that sustains plants, ani-mals and humans. Information retrieved from theAgriculture and Consumer Protection Department

Asmall percentage of the earth’s surfaceactually consists of soil. But it has beensaid all living things depend on soil tosurvive. A good, healthy, rich soil can

bring forth many of the nutrients we need to sur-vive.

Healthy soil, Healthy fieldFinding the answer to successful yields begins by looking down

READ MORE ON PAGE 11 ►►

Page 11: Missouri Farms, Vol. 1, Issue 3

A table showing the amount of time and labor it takes between con-ventional farming and conservation farming.

(Photo from Food and Agricultural Organization)

missouri farms 111

(Photo from the Natural Resources Defense Council)

explains this definitionspeaks to the importanceof managing and maintain-ing soil, so it's sustainable

for future generations. In order forthis to occur, we need to rememberthat soil contains living organismsthat perform the functions needed toproduce food and fiber.

It has been said a healthy soil canoffer clean air and water, plentifulcrops and forests, productive and at-tractive grazing lands, a wide rangeof wildlife and beautiful landscapes.Soil does this by performing five es-sential functions:– regulating water– sustaining plant and animal life– filtering and buffering potential pol-lutants– cycling nutrients– physical stability and support

Advantages to conservation agri-culture include economic benefits,agronomic benefits and environmen-tal and social benefits. By the adop-tion of conservation agriculture, theamount of time and labor can begreatly reduced.

With the reduction of time andlabor, costs would decrease for fuel,machinery costs and maintenance,among other costs. A final economic

benefit would be a higher output forless input. Agronomic benefits in-clude a rise in organic matter; in-soilwater conservation, allowing the soilto hold and retain more water; andoverall improvement in the soil struc-ture, and ultimately, the rootingzone.

The environmental benefits wouldinclude the reduction in soil erosion,and then would lead to a reductionof costs to maintain road, dam andhydroelectric power plants, improve-ment of water and air quality and anincrease in biodiversity.

“Improving soil health will makefarms and ranchers sustain and re-cover from all conditions,” Hardensaid. “Stop treating soil like dirt andstart treating it like our life dependson it.”

Very bold words from Deputy Sec-retary Harden, but very true words.Life flows from the soil. There shouldbe ways to protect and preserve thatfor the future.

For more information about con-servation agriculture, please visitwww.fao.org/ag/ca/index.html. Forother information about sustainableagriculture, log on to www.sustain-ableagriculture.net.

Page 12: Missouri Farms, Vol. 1, Issue 3

112 missouri farms

John’s Jargon Q.A.

First, I want to start off by thankingeveryone for the overwhelming re-sponse to my last article about Biologi-cals. After speaking with many of youand reading your emails, it is clear thatthis is a technology that’s of great inter-est to farmers. And it should be, be-cause of the dramatic impact thatbiologicals can have upon your yields.Below, I am going to cover a few of thequestions that you have asked me.

Q: Can you narrow down Bio-logicals to one paragraph for me?

A: I can definitely do that. Infact, I can narrow it down to one sen-tence. Here it is. “Healthier plants pro-duce more seed.” That’s it! It’s notmagic. Let’s compare plants to humansfor a moment.

It's an indisputable fact that theplanet earth is experiencing a rapid in-crease in population, growth like we’venever seen before in history. The reasonfor this is that the past 150 years havegiven creation to significant medicaladvances resulting in “healthier hu-mans” who live to produce morehealthy humans (i.e., more seed). Gen-erally speaking, medicine has removedthe diseases from the environment thathave traditionally killed humans andstunted their seed producing capabili-ties, giving rise to a whole populationof healthier, more productive people.And so it is with plants! Healthierplants produce more seed.

Biologicals can be compared tomedicine … medicine for plants! Theyare natural organisms found in naturethat do specific things to improve thehealth of a plant and its environment.Just like “healthier humans producemore humans,” so it is that healthierplants produce more seed. That meanshigher yields for your crops.

Q: Aren’t there already chemi-

cals that can make a plant healthier anddo what Biologicals can do?

A: Yes and no. There have beena few chemicals created that contributeto plant health. The problems associatedwith those chemicals are two-fold: 1)high cost; and 2) as in human medicine,chemical formulations are often just al-tered natural elements. Altering themfrom their original state allows manu-facturers to have patents awarded upontheir products. Once they’re altered,side effects can be introduced and theireffectiveness can dwindle. Biologicalsare all about natural organisms, as op-posed to chemically synthesized organ-isms, that make plants healthier andenable them to produce more.

Beyond those factors, biologicals re-searchers are finding thousands of ben-eficial organisms doing things to plantsthat chemicals can’t do. They havetaken a whole new approach to researchand development, and in some ways,are years ahead of the big boys. Keep inmind that we are at the very front of bi-ologicals research, and technology andinnovation is starting to take off on arapid pace. I expect to see some veryexciting discoveries with regard to bio-logicals and plant health in the timesahead.

Q: You say they are “finding”organisms. How does that work?

A: Envision biologicals re-searchers like the miners from the GoldRush Days in the 1800s. These scien-tists are literally searching throughplant extracts and putting plantsthrough fermentation processes as theyseek out these naturally-occurring or-ganisms. Once found, these organismsare harvested and put through tests tosee if they contribute to plant health ornot, and if so, what do they do. Afterextensive research of any one particular

organism and its health-boosting capa-bilities, it is then commercialized andmade available to growers.

In some cases, researchers are dis-covering that combining multiple dif-ferent organisms together have anexponentially more powerful impact ona plant’s environment and health thanone organism does by itself. Imagine anentire biologicals football team’s defen-sive line going to battle to protect anddefend your plant against diseases.That’s exactly what we’re seeing hap-pen within the biologicals community.

Q: What are the ways that Bio-logicals can be applied to crops?

A: There are a number of waysthat biological treatments can be ap-plied to your crops. As with any treat-ment, the effectiveness of the variousapplications depends upon your crop,your location, your soil conditions andthe timing of the application.

1) Applied as a treatment to fertil-izer, which is then broadcast to the soil.This process is known as sparging. Thisis when fertilizer granules are coatedwith a biological formulation and thendried onto the fertilizer. The fertilizer isthen broadcast to the ground wheremoisture causes the organisms to acti-vate and draw down into the soil, creat-ing a healthier environment for plants.

2) Applied as a treatment to seed,prior to planting. Treated seed has be-come quite popular in the past fewyears. Here, the same concept applies aswith the fertilizer treatment except thatthe biological formulation surrounds theseed itself and delivers its health boost-ing compounds to the seedling duringemergence. This process relies on ade-quate moisture to get to the seed beforeemergence can occur.

3) Applied directly into the row ei-ther underneath the seed, to the side ofit or on top of the seed during planting.

This process is the most effective of thefirst three I’ve listed. The reason beingthat the biological formulation is placedprecisely within the seed bed in a liquidstate that provides both moisture andhealth-boosting organisms. A healthier,protective environment combined withmoisture is the best recipe for a strongemergence.

Incidentally, I have personally donea lot of research and seen the power ofputting health and moisture into therow. I mentioned in my last article thatall of my planters are configured for in-furrow treatments. The research is clearthat a strong emergence is the first stepin having a strong yield. There’s noway around that. In-furrow biologicalapplication is one of my preferredmethods.

4) Foliar is the process of applyingthe product to the plant’s leaves duringvarious stages of development. Thisprocess is where you deliver a biologi-cals formulation to the plant’s leavesand stems with a spray application. Ihave found there are two important bio-logical foliar applications that have thebiggest impact upon a soybean plant’shealth. Using just foliar applications,without in-furrow, I am personally see-ing anywhere from an 8 to 12 bushel in-crease and sometimes more, dependingupon growing conditions and genetics.During these next couple of years I amgoing to be doing a great deal more re-search with foliar-applied Biologicals.If my current results are the startingpoint after only 5 years of testing, I amconfident that there is more yield to behad with the development of new mi-croorganisms.

Q: John, what do I do now?

A: As growers, we are all partic-ipants in this biologicals gold rush. It’sa fact that we all want bigger yieldsfrom our ground. And there is no reason

Healthier plantsproduce more seed

READ MORE ON PAGE 13 ►►

Page 13: Missouri Farms, Vol. 1, Issue 3

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missouri farms 113

to try and figure allof this on yourown. My program

may not be the same as yourprogram. In fact, I’m sureit’s not. But that’s one of thegreat things about Biologi-cals. Increased plant healthand higher yields can be hadby anyone, no matter whatyour program. With thatsaid, I want to hear fromyou! Contact me at 816-773-

6018 [email protected].

By sharing our researchand our programs, and bysetting up test plots and thenresearching some more, weall benefit from the advance-ments in agricultural tech-nology. In the end, I want usall to work together to builda community of knowledgeand experience that results inhigher yields for all of us.

John Ortiz is theowner of Basic Solu-tions Research, an

agricultural researchfarm, and he is thegeneral manager ofMissouri Food andFiber in Garden City.With more than adecade of farming andresearch under his belt,John plays an activerole on grower’s pan-els and within his localcommunity as he edu-

cates farmers and dis-cusses the latest ad-vancements inagricultural technolo-gies. Among all ofJohn's passions inagribusiness, he ismost enthusiasticabout the bottom line:reducing costs andmaking growers moreefficient. If you have

comments or sugges-tions for future arti-cles, contact Johndirectly by email [email protected], or by mail atMOF2, LLC - P.O.Box 401, Garden City,MO 64747.

John can also bereached by phone at816-773-6018.

Page 14: Missouri Farms, Vol. 1, Issue 3

114 missouri farms

This year, timelyrains and coolweather haveblessed our area

with colorful corn and soy-bean fields, which pointtoward a plentiful harvest.In fact, the crops look asgood as they have since2004, when the area ex-perienced record yields.

However, as promisingas they look, it’s much toosoon to celebrate.

Long before I met afarmer, I learned that les-son through the “LittleHouse on the Prairie”books written by Laura In-galls Wilder. Those booksand the stories fromLaura’s childhood stillgive us a glimpse of thetrials, tribulations and joysof farming and rural life.

In the 1870s, soon afteran Indian treaty forced thefamily to leave their “LittleHouse on the Prairie,” Ma,Pa, Mary, Laura and Car-rie Ingalls landed in Min-nesota, settling on theBanks of Plum Creek.With the optimism of atrue farmer, Pa Ingalls be-

lieved he could carve outa good living raisingwheat.

“This is great wheatcountry, Caroline! Rich,level land, with not a treeor a rock to contend with,”he told his wife.

Pa traded his wagonand mustangs, Pet andPatty, for a small farm,which came complete witha dugout house featuringsod walls and a hay-linedceiling. Understandably,the Ingalls’ girls were lessthan impressed by theirnew home.

"It's only ‘till I harvestthe first wheat crop," saidPa. "Then you'll have afine house and I'll havehorses and maybe even abuggy.”

As his first wheat cropgrew taller, thicker andmore promising everyday, Pa made the deci-sion to buy materials oncredit and begin buildingtheir new home before hisfirst harvest.

With real glass win-dows and mill-sawedwood, the beautiful homewas finished just beforeharvest.

However, before Pacan get the wheat out ofthe field, a plague ofgrasshoppers descendedon the prairie wiping outthe Ingalls’ field alongwith anything else in theirpath. Needless to say, theIngalls were left with anew house, but no incometo pay for it.

Farmers really can’tcount their chickens be-fore they hatch — not inthe 1870s and not now.

But here is the rest ofthe story. The one notcompletely told in the “Lit-tle House” books, but intrue biographies of the In-galls family. No, Pa In-galls didn’t make it rich asa Minnesota wheatfarmer. They didn’t enjoytheir beautiful home forlong. He ended up work-ing for the railroad beforeeventually homesteadinga farm in South Dakota.When he died, Pa Ingallswas a store owner in DeSmet, recognized and cel-ebrated as being one of, ifnot the oldest, settler inthe small town.

But Pa Ingalls did be-come rich in life. Heraised four girls whoadored him, enjoyed along, happy marriage andlived a life full of love,laughter, adventure andmusic. Because of his au-thor daughter, his spirit,his stories and his zest forliving are still teachinglessons today.

Over many years, theMinnesota grasshopperplague became not adefining moment for theIngalls, but just anotherstory brought to life for allof us to enjoy.

With that in mind, I’vedecided to look at anotherlesson from Pa Ingalls,maybe the most importantof all: Life is a journey,

lived a moment at a time.Each day is only a smallpage of the full story.

We could look at ourcurrent crops and worryabout the problems thatcould arise before har-vest. There are many –bugs (yes, evengrasshoppers), fungal dis-eases, high winds, hail, ahot, dry August, and/or awet and delayed harvest.Any of those could lowerthe yields significantly. OrI could worry about cropprices, which seem toplummet every day as ex-perts predict recordyields.

I’d like to go with my in-stinct and do a little retailtherapy to lessen mystress level. But of coursethen I’m totally ignoringlesson number one. I’malso pretty sure a shop-ping spree wouldn’t goover well with Hubby.(Note, plummetingprices.)

So I’ve decided to takeanother road.

I’m going to go outsideand enjoy the weather,deeply breathe in thesmells of freshly cut hayand enjoy the sights ofhealthy green crops,slightly swaying in thewind. I’m going to enjoyeach day we are blessedwith a potential bumpercrop. In other words, I’mgoing to enjoy the desti-nation.

Or I could go just goshopping …

Marcia GorrellContributing writer

Farm

ing f

or N

ovic

es

2004 average corn yields(bushels per acre)Pettis – 152.8Saline – 179.1Lafayette – 183.1

2004 average soybean yields (bushels per acre)Pettis – 48.5Saline – 48.8 Lafayette – 52.2

2013 average corn yields(bushels per acre)Pettis – 126Saline – 153.4Lafayette – 161.5

2013 average soybean yields (bushels per acre)Pettis – 35.4Saline – 41.8Lafayette – 48

QUICK FACTS

Lessons from the Ingalls

Page 15: Missouri Farms, Vol. 1, Issue 3

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Page 16: Missouri Farms, Vol. 1, Issue 3

116 missouri farms

A glimpse inside

The Lafayette County 4-H/FFA Fair was held July 12-17at Fairground Park, in Hig-ginsville.

Clockwise from top left:Competitors participate inSuper Farmer Games; a youngexhibitor awaits direction fromthe Rabbit Show judge; girlsparticipate in the Goat Show;and tech saavy youths buildmachines in the Robotics Show.

Lafayette County Fair

Page 17: Missouri Farms, Vol. 1, Issue 3

missouri farms 117

Saline County Faircounty fair events

Above, competitors presenttheir animals during the SwineShow at the 2014 Saline CountyFair. Other events during the fairincluded (from left): a SheepShow, Shooting Sports, the DogShow and Technology Day.

Online photo galleries can befound at:www.marshallnews.com andwww.theconcordianonline.com.

Page 18: Missouri Farms, Vol. 1, Issue 3

118 missouri farms

Rural Lifestyles

The tradition of canning food has held strong for decades, and for one Slaterresident, it's a new way to continue the hobby carried by both her parents andgrandparents.

This summer is Madeline Lee's first year in learning how to can. Although shesaid she's always seen the generations before her take on the process, it's onethis wife and mother of three has recently grown an interest for.

“I never sat down and watched. Now that I have a family of my own, I real-ize the importance of it,” Lee said.

Deep into the growing season, her home garden is beginning to flourish withas much zest as her budding interest.

This year it boasts tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, peppers, jalapenos,radishes, potatoes and onions. She's also growing green beans, which is the firstvegetable she's working with.

“I read that you should pick 1 ½ quarts of beans to get 1 quart in the can,”Lee explained. “I picked enough to get 7 quarts in my pressure cooker.”

Canning green beans requires little preparation other than snapping andcleaning the beans. From there, they go into a jar and set in a pressure cooker.While a simple process, it's one Lee is learning takes more time than she origi-nally estimated. Her instructions said it would take approximately 25 minutes –she estimated a hefty 45 minutes.

“It was (eventually) a two-hour process,” she noted, explaining a person newto canning needs to allot time for boiling water and sterilization. “It took a whilefor pressure to build once I had the lid on … and it still takes a while for that pres-sure to release before you can take the lid off.”

Later in the season, Lee will can tomatoes to save and use for salsa. She alsoplans to make pumpkin pie from garden pumpkins this fall. For her, the newventure into the canning tradition has been one rich with knowledge.

“I like knowing I won't have to go buy (produce) at the store,” she said. “I cankeep the food that I'm taking so much time to grow.”

by Sarah ReedMissouri Farms

1 quart vegetable oil for frying2 cups all-purpose flour4 t. salt1 t. black pepper

1 t. garlic powder1 cup buttermilk1 pound fresh green beans

1. Heat oil in a deep-fryer orlarge saucepan to 350 degrees F.Whisk together the flour, salt,pepper, and garlic powder; setaside. Pour the buttermilk into ashallow dish.

2. Thread the green beans ontotoothpicks, making bundles ofabout 5 green beans each. Dip

the green bean bundles into thebuttermilk, then into the flour mix-ture. Shake off any excess flour.Fry in the hot oil until the flourturns golden brown, about 4 min-utes. Drain on a paper towel-linedplate. Serve hot.

(Recipe from www.allrecipes.com)

Fried Green BeansIngredients

Directions

Landowners wishing to improve theirland for wildlife and other conservation goalscan apply for technical and financial assis-tance from the Missouri Department of Con-servation (MDC). Your local MDC privateland conservationist (PLC) can come out toyour property and give you a wildlife habitatmanagement plan to help you in decidingwhat type of cost-share would be availablefor your property.

Cost-share amounts range from 50 to 75percent and are dependent upon qualificationand funding availability. There is a $6,000per landowner, per year cap for cost-sharefunding. The program is available July 1through May 30.

Trained in a wide range of habitat-devel-opment approaches, Conservation Depart-ment PLCs offer aid in pond management,stream improvement techniques, native-plantrestoration and wildlife-friendly agriculturalmethods.

Some examples of available cost-sharepractices include:

Open field management: disking, spray-ing, tree clearing (ex. Honey Locust, Cedar,Hedge), prescribed burning, nativegrass/wildflower plantings, fence (ex. fencingoff woodlands from cattle), wetland develop-ment, and wildlife watering impoundment

Timber management: timber stand im-provement (TSI), which includes (cutting outthe unmerchantable/undesirable trees andleaving the rest), crop tree release, edgefeathering, forestry stewardship plans, andtree/shrub planting

If interested, contact MDC Private LandConservationist for Saline and HowardCounties Seth Moore Private Land Conserva-tionist for Saline and Howard Counties at660-886-7447 ext. 310 [email protected]. For Lafayette andJohnson Counties, contact Steve Hoel at 660-747-8400 or [email protected].

MDC offers landowner’s financial assistance to improve wildlife habitat

>>>

“I find agriculture very,very important because if weare to feed 90 billion peopleby 2050 then we’re going tohave to pick up our agricul-ture stuff. There’s a lot ofthings that involve agricul-ture. There’s very few jobsthat you could say that youare working that doesn’t in-volve agriculture.”

Mariah Harper2014-2015 Reporter, Marshall FFA Chapter

‘What agriculture means to me’

Page 19: Missouri Farms, Vol. 1, Issue 3

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The purpose of Weatherization is toincrease the energy efficiency of dwellingsowned or occupied by qualified persons;particularly elderly people with disabilitiesand families with children. The program helpshomes by insuring the health and safety offamilies and by reducing their utility costs.

Weatherization measures may includeinstalling insulation in attics and walls,air-sealing like caulking, andweather-stripping.

Weatherization provides long-termsolutions to energy problems; improved healthand safety conditions, increased comfort forthe occupants, reduction of homelessness,and extended lifetime of affordable housing.Call for more information

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Page 20: Missouri Farms, Vol. 1, Issue 3

20 missouri farms

WASHINGTON – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vil-sack announced the award of more than $2.5 million ingrants to develop wood energy teams in 11 states andan additional $1.25 million for nine wood energy proj-ects.

"Renewable wood energy is part of the Obama Ad-ministration's 'all of the above' energy strategy," Vil-sack said. "Working with our partners, the ForestService is supporting development of wood energyprojects that promote sound forest management, ex-pand regional economies and create new rural jobs."

The federal funds will leverage more than $4.5 mil-lion in investments from USDA partners. Under theterms of the agreements announced today, private, stateand federal organizations will work together to stimu-late the development of additional wood energy proj-ects in their states. Activities may include workshopsthat provide technical, financial and environmental in-formation, preliminary engineering assessments andcommunity outreach needed to support development ofwood energy projects.

Grant recipients are from: Arizona, Colorado, Ken-tucky, Montana, New Mexico, New York, Oregon,Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and West Virginia.

Secretary Vilsack also announced projects to befunded through the Wood-to-Energy grant program,which will use woody material from National ForestSystem lands, such as beetle-killed trees, to improve

forest health and aid in wildfire prevention. The grantprogram helps applicants complete the necessary de-sign work needed to secure public or private invest-ment for construction.

This year more than $1.25 million will be providedto assist projects in New Hampshire, Minnesota, Cali-fornia, Oregon, and Washington. For more informationon the projects funded by the Forest Service, pleasevisit the Statewide Wood Energy Teams (SWET) andWood to Energy Grant Recipients page.

The Forest Service Wood to Energy grant programbegan in 2005 and has provided more than $36 milliontoward various projects, ranging from biomass boilersfor schools and hospitals, to helping businesses acquireequipment that improves processing efficiencies. Sofar, over 150 grants have been awarded to small busi-nesses, non-profits, tribes and local state agencies toimprove forest health, while creating jobs, green energyand healthy communities.

For more information on the cooperative agreementprogram, visit http://na.fs.fed.us/werc/wood-energy/.For more information on USDA's renewable energyprograms, please visit the USDA Energy website.

This announcement support forest restoration andthe Obama administration's efforts to help communitiesbetter prepare for and reduce the severity of wildfires,especially in the face of climate change. Over the pastten years the Forest Service has had to borrow $3.2 bil-

lion dollars from other agency programs to supportemergency wildfire suppression costs amid longer fireseasons and more frequent and severe wildfire activity.On July 8th, President Obama requested $615 millionfor emergency wildfire suppression activities for FY2014, and a new budget approach to fund wildfire sup-pression similar to other natural disaster events, mirror-ing bipartisan legislation proposed by Congress. Theseactions alleviate the need to conduct fire transfers thisyear and in future years and will help reduce firefight-ing costs, promote long-term forest health, and main-tain fiscal responsibility.

The mission of the Forest Service, part of the U.S.Department of Agriculture, is to sustain the health, di-versity, and productivity of the Nation's forests andgrasslands to meet the needs of present and future gen-erations. The agency manages 193 million acres ofpublic land, provides assistance to state and privatelandowners, and maintains the largest forestry researchorganization in the world. Public lands the Forest Serv-ice manages contribute more than $13 billion to theeconomy each year through visitor spending alone.Those same lands provide 20 percent of the Nation'sclean water supply, a value estimated at $7.2 billion peryear. The agency has either a direct or indirect role instewardship of about 80 percent of the 850 millionforested acres within the U.S., of which 100 millionacres are urban forests where most Americans live.

USDA awards funds to promote development ofrural wood to energy projects

WASHINGTON – Chairman of theHouse Agriculture Committee's Subcommit-tee on General Farm Commodities and RiskManagement, Rep. K. Michael Conaway,held a hearing to examine the efforts of theU.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) asit implements the new commodity and cropinsurance titles of the Agricultural Act of2014, otherwise known as the farm bill.

The Agricultural Act of 2014 madesweeping reforms to the commodity title re-pealing several programs and providing pro-ducers with an option between Price LossCoverage (PLC) and Agriculture Risk Cov-erage (ARC). Neither option triggers unlessthe producer suffers a significant loss. Thefarm bill also improved crop insurance,which now serves as the core risk manage-

ment tool for producers when disasterstrikes. Members of the Subcommittee ques-tioned USDA Under Secretary MichaelScuse on the status of implementing key pro-visions.

"I commend USDA’s initial efforts toimplement the Agricultural Act of 2014 andI challenge them to fully deliver on thepromises made to our farmers and ranchersin the law. Specifically, USDA must make ita priority to implement the Actual Produc-tion History (APH) adjustment because it

provides critical relief for producers whohave struggled with severe and devastatingdrought conditions for the past four years.Producers suffering from a drought shouldn'thave to wait until the third year of a five-year

farm bill to receive relief, particularly whenCongress intended for it to be available im-mediately. Under Secretary Scuse told ustoday he is committed to exploring partialimplementation of this provision and willprovide the committee with details about po-tential timelines. That is encouraging and I

look forward to hearing those details. It iscrucial we work together to resolve some ofthese issues so that our producers have thenecessary information to make plans for theirfarming and ranching operations," Conawaysaid.

"I am very pleased with the hearingtoday. Under Secretary Scuse was able toprovide a critical update regarding the imple-mentation of Title I and XI. It is vital thatevery valuable piece of information is dis-seminated to our farmers in a timely mannerso that they are able to make the most edu-cated decision regarding their respective cropinsurance program. I look forward to work-ing closely with the USDA as we continue toimplement the farm bill," said RankingMember David Scott.

Ag panel examines USDA's efforts implementingreforms in the Agricultural Act of 2014

"I commend USDA’s initial efforts to implement the Agricultural Act of 2014 and I challenge them to fully deliver on the

promises made to our farmers and ranchers in the law.”—Rep. K. Michael Conaway

Page 21: Missouri Farms, Vol. 1, Issue 3

When we first tested theMahindra Max 28XL HSTflagship back in May of2012, we came away quiteimpressed. The buzz thenwas that this new lineup ofsubcompacts would begame changers. While thecompetition cried foul –“these weren’t subcompactsbut small chassis compactsin disguise” – Mahindrawent about raking up

record sales and adding toits already extensive dealernetwork. Fast forward to2014, Mahindra can becredited with adding an-other descriptive class oftractor, the midcompact.This, in the estimation ofmany, is exactly where theMax 28XL fits.

The recipe itself is sim-ple: start with a cast ironchassis strong enough to bebackwards backhoe com-patible (does not have to beinitially ordered as such),plug in a reliable MitsubishiEPA Final Tier 4 (FT4)powerplant, add powerfulhydraulics with full Cat Ithree-point hitch (3PH) ca-pabilities, and outfit the

tractor with larger tires. Forthe Max 28XL owner, thatrecipe is further enhancedby the addition of tilt steer-ing, position control on the3PH, and the option of ahydrostatic (HST) or shuttleshift transmission.

As nice a package theMax 28XL HST is, andhow competent the packageworks for tasks such asloader work, you might ask

why offer a shuttle shifttransmission. True, thereare those that just like thesimplicity of a manualtransmission. Others feelmore at home with their leftpalm on the steering wheel,left fingertips on the shut-tle, right hand on the loaderjoystick, left foot at theclutch pedal, and right footon the throttle. Sound com-plex? It’s not really, butthere is a reason hydrostatictransmissions are so popu-lar. For those not dauntedby the busy hands and feet,a manual transmission getsmore power to the ground.How much more you mightask. In the case of the Max28XL, the power take off

(PTO) horsepower is 1.5more on tractors equippedwith shuttle shift transmis-sions.

And while an increaseof 1.5 might not sound thatmuch, remember, the Max28XL is a small frame trac-tor with 28 horsepower. Al-ready a capable performer,the seat-of-the-pants feelwhen moving from a Max28XL HST to a Max 28SLShuttle is like, “whodropped the steroids in?”Top speed goes from 9.7mph forward to 10.9 mph.That is moving on a tractorof this size. And reversespeed increases even moredramatically, jumping from5.1 mph to 9.1 mph.

When we reviewed theMax 24 in May, the goodfolks at Ellington Agwaythought we also might beinterested in checking out aMax 28XL Shuttle. Hughand Matt hinted that wewould be impressed withthe greater available power.How could we resist?

The shuttle transmissionused is an 8F/8R synchro-mesh setup that utilizes aleft hand shifter in a tradi-tional “H” pattern to selectgears one through four thatis positioned next to a leverwith the low and highranges.

Forward and reverse areselected using the shuttlelever positioned just belowthe steering wheel for fin-gertip use. This isn’t apower shuttle like the 4035we tested in August of2013, so a clutch is requiredto reverse direction. Mahin-dra outfits the Max 28XLShuttle with hand and footthrottles so you can presetthe engine RPM if desired,or just use the foot throttle

to control the speed withina gear and range. Not hav-ing the treadle pedal on theright side as on hydro ver-sions allows the operator toaccess the split brakes with-out requiring gymnasticsand gets our full approval.Differential lock access ismoved to a right heel posi-tion.

Hydraulics run througha twin-pump arrangementflowing 4.6 gpm to imple-ment need and 2.7 gpm topower steering require-ments (7.3 gpm total). Thisgives the 3PH a lift capac-ity of 2,205 pounds. As onthe Max 28XL HST, the3PH has position control soan implement can consis-tently be returned to an op-erator selectable height.

Firing up the Mitsubishimill results in a smokelessidle we measured at 78dBA. This was despitebeing adjacent to busy roadwhere Ellington Agway islocated. Our test tractor wasoutfitted with 23 by 8.5-12front/33 by 12.5-16.5 rearR3 turf tires. Prospectivepurchasers will have theirchoice of turf, industrial (23by 8.5-12 front/12 by 16.5rear R4) or Ag (7 by 12front/9.5 by 16 rear R1)tires. Our test tractor wasalso outfitted with a niftyhydraulic sub frame plow,making the turf tire selec-tion an understandablechoice for use in snowywinter climates. Manufac-tured for Mahindra byBercomac, the plow hy-draulic cylinders werenicely hidden and protectedby the fabrication frame.

First gear low range gotus nowhere fast, though itwould be perfect for toughconditions with a large tiller

or for spraying a field, sowe quickly found secondgear high range. Thatseemed to be a combinationthat would work well forgeneral use and even lightloader work. Fourth gearhigh range was insane, al-most more gear than 28 HPcan handle. Good thing theMax 28XL Shuttle onlyweighs 1,819 pounds.

Other niceties include afolding ROPS, steel fendersand hood, the ability tocheck transmission fluidlevel from the operator seat(a comfortable mid-backdesign with full suspen-sion), platform access fromboth sides, and a slick hoodmechanism supported by agas strut. Options to con-sider include a mid-PTO($900), drive over mid-mount mower, and an extrarear remote. If the ML205

loader is selected, the Max

28XL is rated to lift 1,402pounds to a max height of82.7 inches. Dump clear-ance is 67.3 inches so mostsmall to mid-sized pickuptrucks should be withindump capability.

The Max 28XL Shuttlemeasures 109.3 by 51.3inches and comes with afive-year warranty. MSRPfor the basic tractor is$14,180, a savings of$1,115 over a Max 28XLHST. Picking up the extrapower, getting a little extraspeed, and saving enoughfor an extra implement is acombination bound to ap-peal to plenty. If you’re inthe market for a tractor ofthis size and class, checkout the Mahindra 28XLShuttle. And if you’re in thevicinity of Ellington, Conn.,make sure to stop in andvisit Hugh or Matt.

M M Land Surveying Service, Inc.806 E.Main Street • P.O.Box 83

Richmond,Missouri 64085

Terry M.McCanless, P.L.S.(816)-776-6343 • (816)-470-6343

(660)-394-2600

&

missouri farms 221

Product ReviewsMax power for the MaxStory and photos by Geof Fowler www.tractor.com

Page 22: Missouri Farms, Vol. 1, Issue 3

222 missouri farms

Horsepower is horsepower, buttrim levels can still be a bit confus-ing. John Deere first came out withE designated, or economy, tractorswith models such as the 1023E and3038E. These tractors offered sub-stantial performance, but to keepcosts down, some features had to beomitted. Likewise, John Deere re-cently introduced M (also econ-omy) designated tractors startingwith the 4M family. But for thosethat wish for all the bells and whis-tles and comfort enhancing nicetieslearned over 177 years, R desig-nated tractors are where it’s at.

The subject of this test is theentry level 2025R which replacesthe time tested and proven 2320.Don’t be fooled by entry level,though, as this is a no compromise,fully-equipped CUT. Beginningwith the engine, not surprisingly aYanmar, the 3TNV76 makes 24.2gross horsepower (round upwardsand you get the 25 of the 2025R) ata low 2500 rpm. The 1.115L millachieves EPA Tier 4 compliancewithout the need for diesel particu-late filtration (DPF) and is rated todeliver 18 horsepower at the powertake off (PTO). Output from thepowerplant is delivered to theground through a Kanzaki hydro-static transmission with two gearranges. As with the 2320 we testedin Oct. of 2012, the gear ranges areradically different than those usedin One Series tractors. Low rangedelivers all the grunt you wouldneed for ground-engaging activi-ties, but with enough speed tomow. High range delivers usabletransport speed with enough gruntto mow, perhaps in any conditionsave substantial slopes.

Hydraulic output is run througha gear driven twin pump arrange-ment that flows 2.2 gpm to thepower steering system and 3.4 gpmto implement needs (5.6 gpm total).And while the flow rate might seem

a bit low when compared to OneSeries machines, the operating PSIis much higher (2421 vs. 2000), re-sulting in a three-point hitch (3PH)lift capacity of 1,150 pounds to theindustry standard of 24 inches be-hind center link. As expected, posi-tion control is standard fare and thehitch rating is full Cat-I.

Operator control over the hy-drostatic transmission runs througha twin side-by-side pedal arrange-ment that is among the best in theindustry, though as we mentionedin our 2320 review, the new pedalposition does require more footmovement than in the previous gen-eration’s setup. Getting behind thewheel and that becomes a trivialmatter; full intuitive modulationover the entire forward and reversespeed range is the end result. Andbehind the wheel, John Deere er-gonomics are first rate. Beginningwith the levers and controls whichare differentiated by color with me-chanical and hydraulic interfaces inblack and transmission-driven(PTO) interfaces in yellow, the op-erator’s hands and feet seem to in-teract with controls at the perfectlocation. Both tilt steering andcruise control are standard.

The one negative, in our estima-tion, is a feature we’re forced to getused to. Reverse implement opera-tion (RIO) is a result of lawsuitsthat have forced manufacturers tocome up with systems protectingthe unsuspecting from harm bynegligent operation of a tractorwhile reversing with the PTO en-gaged.

While we would never wishharm to anyone, these systems be-come nuisances that in no way en-sure an operator looks rearwardbefore backing up. Both 540 rpmrear and 2,000 rpm mid PTOs arestandard equipment on the 2025R.

John Deere engineers have longpaid attention to the ease of opera-tion, which includes the ease of at-taching/detaching implements. Forthe 2025R, some of those operatingenhancements include on-rampdrive over decks, iMatch quickhitches, iMatch auto connect (PTO)hitches, and a quick park loaderwith quick attach bucket options.

Our test tractor was outfittedwith the H130 loader. This is a di-rect replacement for the outgoing200X/200CX loader and offerscomparable performance with a liftcapacity of 1,023 pounds to a full

lift height of 78.9 inches. With 3.4gpm at 2,421 psi flowing to theloader, breakout force is 2,508pounds with rated cycle times of4.73 seconds full raise, 2.88 sec-onds full lower, 4.743 seconds fulldump, and 2.88 seconds full curl.

A model 270a backhoe is alsoavailable. As with other John Deerebackhoes, the 270a can be operatedat idle, which is perfect for begin-ners to get used to digging with lesschance of damage to adjacent ob-jects. The system is sub-framebased and allows a mid-mountmower to be attached at the sametime. Another nice feature is thatthe tractor’s 3PH arms can remainattached while using the backhoe.The 270a comes with improved feeland feathering, pivot seat that canbe adjusted horizontally and verti-cally to operator preference, andcan be outfitted with 8-, 12- or 16-inch buckets.

John Deere's 2025R measures109.2 inch long and carries all1,660 pounds of its base weight ona 63 inch wheelbase. Ground clear-ance is 12.5 inches and turning ra-dius with brakes applied (left sidesplit pedals) is 6.7 feet (7.7 feetwithout brakes applied). 23x8.5-12front and 31x12-16.5 rear industrial(R4) and same size turf (R3) tiresare offered.

John Deere gives the 2025R atwo-year bumper-to-bumper war-ranty with extended powertraincoverage to three years. Notableoptions include factory cab, addi-tional lighting, engine coolantheater, and rear fender extensions(dare we say fender flares?). Foranyone in the market for a subcom-pact tractor such as the One Seriesbut liking the idea of larger tiresand more hydraulic response, the2025R is a worthy contender. Witha MSRP of tractor-only at $15,348,the 2025R offers a lot of tractor,features, and comfort for the price.

Prod

uct R

eview

s

John Deere's entry level compact utility tractorby Geof Fowlerwww.tractor.comphoto by John Deere

Page 23: Missouri Farms, Vol. 1, Issue 3

To place your Classified Ad

660-886-8198

23

Home of theJump Start Program!Congratulations to thehundreds of customers whohave taken advantage of the

Jump Start!Program!If you have ever had some badluck with your credit for whateverreason, but need to buy a car,

call Kristina Jasper at660-826-8320.We can help!

Looking for Farrow House Manager for 3000 sowfarm. Please send resume to [email protected]

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To place your ad Marshallnews.comThen Missouri FarmsThen Online classifieds

JD 7800, 8700 h, 2WD,duals, inside 80%, ouside30%, full power shift, 3 hydoutlets. $40,000 OBO. 641-208-5059

Lexion 595R, ’07, 1,365hrs., rd. bar, ag leader,P.M.I. inspection & workdone, field ready. $185,000641-680-0805

Michigan C 1986 Wheel Ldr,4 yd. bucket, good treeclearing. $17,500. 660-663-3432

JD 850 dozer w/winch &sweeps, good runningmach.! $19,500 OBO. 641-898-2384

05 W900L 550 CAT 13speed. 563-682-7645

CIH 1988 1660 combineexc shape, 3500 hrs, 10x2020' grain head oilbath. $35,000 for both. 660-265-5827

CIH MXM 140 w/ldr, 1283hrs, 38’s, 1283 hrs, joystick.$62,500. 217-430-0837

JD 608 Stalk Master ’08chopping CH, CM, HH, hyddeck, knife rolls, stalk stom-pers, $47,000 OBO. 515-341-3188

JD 7410 mfwd, ’00, 540-1000 PTO, 3 scv’s, cleantractor! Asking $38,950.217-428-2906

801 Ford Powermaster.New paint & tires, excellentcondition. Asking $5500OBO. 573-378-9076

Allis Chalmers 1949 WD,restored, asking $3000.WD45 runs good, $1500.Allis Plow, (2) 3-bottoms, (2)2 bottoms, Allis disc andblade, asking $250 each.417-296-0682

2013 Fast 8118 applicator60’ 1800 gal, JD rate con-troller. $45,000. 641-990-2143

AgChem 1064 RoGator,90’, 1100 Gal, 1420 hrs,farm use only. $85K/obo.712-260-0251

Challenger 765D ’13 model,350 hrs, 25” tracks.$238,000 OBO 641-822-3466

Challenger 835C ’09, 4,200hrs, 3PT. and PTO, 30”belts, P.M.I., trimble auto,excellent cond. $190,000.641-680-0805

Geringhoff 12 row folding,’06, yellow poly, well main-tained and shedded.$55,000. 641-680-0805

JD 235 30’ disk ’86, 100%rebuilt, new blades/scrap-ers/bearings/everything, 9”space, $12,000 OBO. 712-542-8752

JD 4230 FWA, QR, no AC,recent engine OH, $11,000.641-757-9626

JD 608C ’12 8x30 CH 1,100total Ac. use like new,$45,000 OBO 712-542-8752

Alfalfa & Grass Hay, allsizes & lg round. LargeRound Wheat Straw. Deliv-ered by semi load. 641-658-2738

Rye Straw from the field,avail July or August. 563-568-9044, 563-568-3212

CDL DRIVER WANTEDFOR LOCAL FEED HAUL.MUST HAVE 2 YEARS EXPERIENCE WITH ACLEAN DRIVINGRECORD. Assigned truckand trailer. CompetitivelyPaid Weekly by direct de-posit. Assigned truck andtrailer. CALL DENNIS PAT-TERSON TRUCKING @573-369-2325 (M-TH 8 AM-430 PM)

Fertilizer-seed-chemicaldealer retiring. Seekingmanager/trainee to operatebusiness in W. Illinois. Also,needing applicator opera-tors. Send resume to:Dealer Retiring, 1065 SierraCourt NE Suite B, CedarRapids, IA 52402

NOW HIRING! Seekingyear round Lawn/Land-scape Maintenance presonto work on Whiteman AFB.Must have Drivers License,prefer Bi-Lingual (Span-ish/English), can NOT haveany felonies or misde-meanors. Please fax re-sume to 405-869-9688 orcall 405-869-9755.

FOR SALE: 1982 JD 4040Diesel tractor C/A 6040 hrs,serial # H012378RW. Nearnew 18.4 R38 rear tires,new tires, new batteries. Excellent Condition. Cell660-641-1299, Office 660-463-8068.

3 Angus Bulls ages 20-22months, great bloodlines,shots, poured, ready to goto work. Kearney, MO. 816-809-5758

4 large reg. Landrace boars,ready to work. DOB 5/2013.219-766-2805, 219-916-5528

Duroc, York & Hamp Boarsgood selection. Paul Martin,Shelbina, MO, 573-822-4216

LaMancha, Nubian, LM x Ncross doelings. Commercialgoat dairy. CAE, CL, Johnesneg. http://prairiefruits.com/2014-kid-sales 217-643-2314

Blk Ang hfrs, bred LBW RegAng bulls, start clvg Sept 5,all shots, Scourgaurd. Cen-tral MO. 660-221-5688

WANTED: Standing TimberCottonwood, Maple, Ash,Walnut, Oak. MID MO LOG-GING John Crooker, 816-806-5808; Dustin Allred,660-334-0701

Page 24: Missouri Farms, Vol. 1, Issue 3

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