BUYING USED PRECISION AG EQUIPMENT.

Fascinated with the potential new use of the used precision agricultural gear she found in boxes sitting on the backroom shelves of the John Deere dealership where she works, Ashley Babl set about to resell the electronics to “provide operators with an old steering wheel guidance system. That’s one example of an affordable way to make an upgrade,” she explains.

Acting on instinct that this gear could be resold, she encouraged Green Line Equipment to begin marketing monitors, receivers, and related harnesses and cables to farmers looking to add precision ag to their equipment while still operating on a budget. “I was surprised, at first, to discover there are a lot of farmers as well as equipment jockeys who are looking for older precision ag gear,” Babl says.

That trend is confirmed by Jon Bickel of Used Precision Ag Solutions out of Fort Wayne, Indiana, who began reselling used precision electronics in 2003. “Back then, there were very few of us in the market,” Bickel recalls. “This market segment has really taken off in the last five to seven years.”
So much so, that Bickel and assistant Brian Palmer are kept busy year-round buying, selling, and consigning all brands and all varieties (including flow controls, lightbars, yield monitors, etc.) of used precision ag equipment.

Both Babl and Bickel report that lower commodity prices have certainly spurred interest in used electronics. “It provides an affordable alternative to new if you’re looking to upgrade a used tractor or sprayer with RTK guidance, for example,” Babl says. “If we (Green Line) can help you cut input costs by retrofitting a sprayer with a used section control system, we are doing you a service.”

sell your used gear

Bickel strongly urges you to get out those boxes of old electronics in storage and consider selling that equipment. “You would be surprised at how much it’s worth,” he adds. “Some monitors we sell are 15 to 20 years old. They don’t bring much money, but they’re still certainly useful for some jobs like steering wheel guidance or basic monitoring and control.”

advice for buying used electronics

Bickel also offers the following advice when shopping for used electronic displays, controls, and receivers.

• Determine how old the monitor is. If this information is not listed at the auction or online, then obtain the serial number on the device. With this information, you can contact the manufacturer and determine how old the display is. “This is crucial when it comes to touch screens,” Bickel explains. “Screens often last only five to six years, and then they tend to wear out. If the display is older than that, you may have to replace the touch screen, which adds further expense to the purchase decision.”
• Check to see what comes with the display. “A display’s value varies greatly if it’s sold alone or complete with all cards, activations, cabling, mounts, and receiver dome,” Bickel says. “A complete unit is more valuable.” (See story below for a price comparison.) 
• Try to power up the monitor to determine what firmware is activated. “You really can’t tell what is activated on a monitor unless it can be turned on,” Bickel explains. “You may end up buying a monitor for, let’s say, $4,000 to $5,000. Purchasing the activations could cost you an additional $10,000 or more.”
• Don’t expect the display or receiver to be covered by a warranty. “Typically, warranties on a monitor extend only one to two years. If the display is still under warranty, then most manufacturers will transfer that coverage over to you after the purchase.”
• Purchase a display in its original box and with an owner’s manual, if possible. “Often, you can download the manual at the manufacturer website, or we have copies,” Bickel adds. “As for a display being sold in its original packaging, that shows effort was made to take care of it.” 

See the Pocket Price Guide for asking prices on precision ag displays.

electronics values vary greatly by how they are equipped

As Jon Bickel said in the story above, the value of precision ag equipment varies greatly depending on what is included in the sale. Below are auction price differences for John Deere GS2 2600 displays with and without various activations and ancillary gear.

• $14,000 - $17,000: 2011-2012 GS2 2600 displays, SF2-ready with Starfire ITC receiver, Autotrac SF2 and Pivot Pro activations, and with all mounts, cabling, and harnesses.
• $8,250 - $9,500: 2010-2012 GS2 2600 display only with AutoTrac SF2, Swath Control Pro or Pivot Pro activations, and without receiver, mounts, and cabling.
• $2,500 to $3,750: 2011 to 2013 GS2 2600 display only. BY DAVE MOWITZ.

END OF MARKETS BEARISH NEWS NEAR, ANALYST SAYS

The farm markets have been relatively quiet the past few weeks, as the holidays made trade relatively light as is typical this time of year. As we look forward to a new year, hope springs eternal for grain prices to recover and give us a chance to actually turn a profit. Farmers are still waiting for that opportunity to sell the grains produced in 2016 and those yet to be produced in 2017.


We are really in a neutral area for prices, as we saw bottoms in many grains in August for crop year 2016. Corn price lows hit the week of August 12, about 40¢ below where we are currently trading on the continuous charts.  Soybeans and wheat made similar lows (with wheat a bit later the week of September 2). But soybeans are almost in a different world than corn and wheat in that soybeans never got close to the 2014 lows, while wheat is lower and corn basically ran only about 6¢ below those 2014 lows. 


Soybeans, however, made lows of $8.44 in 2014, and the lows in 2016 were closer to $9.40 or just below it.  So, soybeans are still the bright spot in grain prices today, if we have a bright spot, as corn and wheat prices are well below break-even levels for many producers.

Today, Chicago Board of Trade wheat is still within 20¢ of its 2016 lows, and KC wheat is within 30¢ of its lows.  Minneapolis wheat is about 50¢ above its lows as the HRS variety has a bit more demand for it than the winter wheat brands, which have plentiful supplies at this point.


Corn is within 40¢ or so of its lows, and soybeans after recent price weakness is within about 50¢ of its 2016 lows. So, while prices have improved since August, they still are languishing around at price levels that are not worth getting excited about.


We still have the January final USDA report to deal with, too, and typically, large crops get larger. Since both corn and soybeans had record-large crops inprevious estimates by USDA, expectations are for perhaps a small increase from the November numbers. That would be a bit negative grains, and while that might already be built into the market for the most part, it still will be another set of negative news the market must trade.


The good news is that once the January report is out, all the bad/negative news regarding the large U.S. crops will be in the market. Finally, perhaps the market can get some good news to trade after January!


USDA will also update South American crop estimates, and although there have been recent periods where rainfall was less than normal in both Argentina (especially southern Argentina) and central Brazil, for the most part the rains returned to these areas and solved those temporary problems.
So, if anything, the crops might get a bit bigger or stay the same for South America in this report.  Northern Brazil is getting close to harvest, too, so the time for crop problems to develop there is running out.


For the time being, things look a bit on the negative side for grains for the next week. With the January 12 report likely to be neutral or bearish, there isn't much to get excited about. However, those sitting on short positions should be put on notice that after January 12, there may not be any more negative news to push markets lower.  So, it might not be a bad idea to consider covering short positions, especially if we get close to the bottoms we made for 2016 in August for corn and soybeans.  And quite honestly, if either wheat, corn, or soybeans get near their 2016 lows, it probably will be time to cover any short positions and start preparing for better prices for the 2017 season.


Can we rally like we did in 2016 in the spring of the year 2017? It’s possible, and even likely to see some kind of rally as prices of grains are currently low.  But a huge $3 rally or more in soybeans may not be in the cards, especially since U.S. farmers are likely to dramatically increase soybean acreage at the expense of corn.  Who knows, maybe corn and wheat will rally more relative to soybeans this spring. BY RAY GRABANSKI.

CORN CLOSES SLIGHTLY HIGHER TUESDAY.

DES MOINES, Iowa -- On Tuesday, the corn market ended higher, while wheat and soybeans dropped.


At the close, the March corn futures finished 3¾¢ higher at $3.55¾, and new-crop December 2017 futures closed 3½¢ higher at $3.83½ per bushel.


March soybean futures finished 9¢ lower at $9.95, while November 2017 soybean futures ended 6¢ lower at $9.83¼.


March wheat futures closed 1½¢ lower at $4.06½.
March soy meal futures settled $4.50 a short ton lower at $312.10. March soy oil futures ended 0.15¢ higher at 34.81¢ per pound.


In the outside markets, the Brent crude oil market is $1.34 per barrel lower, the U.S. dollar is higher, and the Dow Jones Industrials are 31 points higher at 19,803 points.


Dustin Johnson, EHedger LLC, says that the recent rainfall in the South American forecast is set to alleviate some of the dryness concerns.


“Overall, the impact of the current dry conditions is confined to an area that would still suggest +100 million MT crop is possible out of Brazil. The focus is shifting to the Index Fund rebalancing, which is supposed to shift toward corn. Also the corn-bean ratio is ultra-high leading into the January reports, so some steam could come out of them as traders position for that release,” Johnson says.
Bob Linneman, Kluis Commodities broker, says it’s worth watching the South American crop weather and outside money flow to get a handle on grain market direction.


“Areas of South America remain dry, while other areas are experiencing flooding. We may not see any major allocation of money based on the current weather as everyone awaits the upcoming USDA report,” says Linneman in a daily note to customers. BY MIKE MCGINNIS.

TRUMP LEANING TOWARD GEORGIA EX GOV FOR AGRICULTURE HEAD.

WASHINGTON, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue is U.S. Republican President-elect Donald Trump’s leading candidate to run the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a senior Trump transition team official said on Monday.


Perdue, a Democrat-turned-Republican who founded a grain and fertilizer business, served on Trump’s agricultural advisory committee during his presidential campaign.


The official gave no other details about Trump’s choice for agriculture secretary, one of the few remaining posts Trump has to fill as he assumes the White House on January 20.


The appointment must be approved by the Republican-led U.S. Senate.
Perdue, 70, led the southern U.S. state for two terms as governor from 2003 to 2011 after previously representing a rural swath of central Georgia about 100 miles south of Atlanta in the state senate.
Elected in 2002, he became the state’s first Republican governor since 1871, according to the National Governors Association.


After finishing his second term as governor, Perdue founded Perdue Partners, a global trading firm that consults and provides services for companies looking to export products.


Trump had been meeting with a number of other possible candidates for U.S. agriculture secretary, including Elsa Murano, undersecretary of agriculture for food safety under President George W. Bush, and Chuck Conner, head of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives. BY STEVE HOLLAND.


He has also met with Abel Maldonado, former lieutenant governor of California and co-owner of Runway Vineyards; Tim Huelskamp, Republican U.S. representative from Kansas; and Sid Miller, Texas agriculture commissioner.

Don’t Remove Too Much Residue

Leave enough crop residue to protect soil and to ensure nutrient cycling

When figuring the dollar value of harvesting corn stover for either livestock use or ethanol production, build a long-term hedge into the equation by first determining how much crop residue the soil can afford to lose.

“Think about residue removal in terms of the long-term impact on productivity and soil sustainability,” says Iowa State University (ISU) agronomist Mahdi Al-Kaisi.

“We’re trying to think ahead to educate farmers and agronomists about potential implications of residue removal.”

In an eight-year study, ISU researchers examined how crop yield and soil quality were affected by varying levels of corn-residue removal and differing tillage systems.

The results indicate that corn yields held steady after one to three years of total removal of residue for both conventional-till and no-till systems.

However, as little as 25% to 35% removal of residue immediately affected soil quality.

“Corn production in Iowa generally produces 4½ tons of residue per acre at harvest,” says Al-Kaisi. “To protect the soil, we found that 3 tons of residue should be left on the soil surface to maintain soil organic matter at no change. Anything below that causes the bulk density of the soil to increase and water infiltration to decrease.”

As bulk density increases, soil becomes compacted, causing soil erosion and water runoff.
With little residue on the surface, soil is particularly vulnerable to rainfall.

“In a normal rainfall, raindrops 6 millimeters in diameter hit the ground at 20 mph,” says Al-Kaisi. “The cumulative impact of raindrops can be incredible, dislodging soil particles and splashing them up to 5 feet away. The splashed particles clog soil pores, effectively sealing off the soil surface and leading to soil crusting and poor water infiltration.”

Besides sheltering soils from wind and water erosion, crop residues provide a critical source of soil carbon. Soil microorganisms consume the carbon, and their feeding activity leads to final-stage breakdown of plant material. This results in the formation of organic matter and the sequestering of some carbon from the atmosphere.

“The loss of residues due to removal for any use can accelerate the loss of soil organic matter and nutrients for plant growth and soil microorganisms,” says Al-Kaisi. “In another long-term study, it was found that corn stover removed vs. stover returned had reduced the total source of soil organic matter by 20% and corn-derived soil organic carbon by 35% in a 13-year period.”

Destructive changes in physical properties of the soil can take 10 years or more to reverse by implementing conservation practices.

While corn yields may not decrease in the short term as a result of annual removal of residue, the diminished level of nutrient cycling by soil microorganisms may soon result in the need for increasing fertilization rates.

“Possible short-term impacts of corn stover removal may include an increase in application of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium nutrients. These are needed to replace the nutrients lost due to residue removal and potential deficiencies in the soil nutrients’ pool in the long term,” says Al-Kaisi.

“Seven years ago, one study estimated that these macronutrients’ replacement cost due to residue removal was approximately $10 per ton of harvested residue,” he says.

WHEAT

About Wheat
 

Indian wheat is largely a soft/medium hard, medium protein, white bread wheat, somewhat similar to U.S. hard white wheat. Wheat grown in central and western India is typically hard, with high protein and high gluten content. India also produces around 1.0-1.2 million tons of durum wheat, mostly in the state of Madhya Pradesh. 

Most Indian durum is not marketed separately due to segregation problems in the market yards. However, some quantities are purchased by the private trade at a price premium, mainly for processing of higher value/branded products.

The production and productivity of Wheat crop were quite low, when India became independent in 1947. The production of Wheat was only 6.46 million tonnes and productivity was merely 663 kg per hectare during 1950-51, which was not sufficient to feed the Indian population. The Country used to import Wheat in large quantities for fulfilling the needs of our people from many countries like USA under PL-480. 

The reasons of low production and productivity of Wheat at that time was (a) the tall growing plant habit resulting in lodging, when grown under fertile soils, (b) the poor tillering and low sink capacity of the varieties used, (c) higher susceptibility to diseases, (d) the higher sensitivity to thermo & photo variations, etc., resulting in poor adaptability, and (e) longer crop duration resulting in a long exposure of plants to the climatic variations and insect pest / disease attacks.

The Government of India appointed a commission in 1961 to assess the feasibility of increasing the crop productivity under prevailing Indian ecological conditions. As result of various steps taken by Govt. of India, the Wheat scenario in our country has completely changed. In the post Independence era, country used to import Wheat for our needs but due to bumper increase in the production and productivity of 

Wheat in the 'Green Revolution' period in late sixties, our country became self dependent in Wheat production. At present, country is producing much more excess Wheat than the requirement and Godowns are over-flooded with Wheat.

Climate requirement 

 

Wheat crop has wide adaptability. It can be grown not only in the tropical and sub-tropical zones, but also in the temperate zone and the cold tracts of the far north ,beyond even the 60 degree north altitude . 

Wheat can tolerate severe cold and snow and resume growth with the setting in of warm weather in spring .It can be cultivated from sea level to as high as 3300 meters.

The best wheat are produced in areas favoured with cool, moist weather during the major portion of the growing period followed by dry, warm weather to enable the grain to ripen properly. 

The optimum temperature range for ideal germination of wheat seed is 20-25 C though the seeds can germinate in the temperature range 3.5 to 35 c. Rains just after sowing hamper germination and encourage seedling blight. Areas with a warm and damp climate are not suited for wheat growing.

During the heading and flowering stages, excessively high or low temperatures and drought are harmful to wheat. Cloudy weather, with high humidity and low temperatures is conducive for rust attack. Wheat plant requires about 14-15 c optimum average temperature at the time of ripening. 

The temperature conditions at the time of grain filling and development are very crucial for yield. Temperatures above 250c during this period tend to depress grain weight. When temperatures are high, too much energy I lost through the process of transpiration by the plants and the reduced residual energy results in poorer grain formation and lower yields. Wheat is mainly a rabi (winter) season crop in India.

 

Soil 
 

Wheat is grown in a variety of soils of India. Soils with a clay loam or loam texture, good structure and moderate water holding capacity are ideal for wheat cultivation. Care should be taken to avoid very porous and excessively drained oils.

Soil should be neutral in its reaction. Heavy soil with good drainage are suitable for wheat cultivation under dry conditions. These soils absorb and retain rain water well. Heavy soils with poor structure and poor drainage are not suitable as wheat is sensitive to water logging. 

Wheat can be successfully grown on lighter soils provided their water and nutrient holding capacity are improved.

Fertilizer management 
 

The time and placement of fertilizer is another area where significant progress was made. It was demonstrated that 120 kg nitrogen, 60 kg phosphorus and 30 kg potash per hectare were required for optimum productivity. 

The N was to be applied in two split doses of 60 kg as basal and the remaining 60 kg at first irrigation and full phosphorus and potash to be applied as basal. Recently, the new wheat varieties have responded up to 180 kg N/ha with optima dose around 150 kg/ha. In the Indo-Gangetic plains, application of zinc @ 25kg/ha in rice-wheat system was found to increase the yield substantially. Recently, the use of sulphur has been found beneficial for enhancing the productivity as well as the grain protein content of wheat. 

Response to Mn (pockets in the Indo-Gangetic plains) and boron (eastern and far eastern region) has also been realized.

Nutrient management 
 

With intensive agriculture, deficiency of essential nutrients has also become wide spread. The work conducted under the All India Coordinated Research Project on Micronutrient in Crops and Soils, has shown wide spread deficiency of zinc in soils in India. 

At the national level, the deficiency level in micro nutrients is Zn: 46 %, B: 17 %, Mo: 12 %, Fe: 11 % and Cu: 5%. The deficiency of sulphur has also been reported across a wide range of soils (38%).The yield response to sulphur has been obtained in more than 40 crops including cereal, millets, oilseeds and pulses etc. To realize the potential yield, strategies may include

• Site specific nutrient management for targeted yields
• Integration of crop residues, bio fertilizers etc with inorganic fertilization
• Tillage techniques like FIRBS for increasing nutrient use efficiencies
• Remote sensing for efficient Nutrient management
• Nutrient management, straw quality vis-à-vis human and animal health

for information on the different seed varieties of wheat, click here

SURGACANE

About Sugarcane
 

Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) family Gramineae (Poaceae) is widely grown crop in India. It provides employment to over a million people directly or indirectly besides contributing significantly to the national exchequer. 

Sugarcane growing countries of the world lay between the latitude 36.7° north and 31.0° south of the equator extending from tropical to subtropical zones. Sugar cane originated in New Guinea where it has been known for thousands of years. 

Sugar cane plants spread along human migration routes to Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Here it cross-bred with some wild sugar cane relatives to produce the commercial sugar cane we know today.

Cultivation of sugarcane in India dates back to the Vedic period. The earliest mention of sugarcane cultivation is found in Indian writings of the period 1400 to 1000 B.C. 

It is now widely accepted that India is the original home of Saccharum species. Saccharum barberi and Polynesian group of island especially New Guinea is the centre of origin of S. officinarum. It belongs to family Gramineae (Poaceae), class monocotyledons and order glumaceae sub family panicoidae, tribe Andripogoneae and sub tribe saccharininea. 

The cultivated canes belong to two main groups: (a) thin, hardy north Indian types S.barberi and S.Sinense and (b) thick, juicy noble canes Saccharum officinarum. Highly prized cane is S. officinarum.

Climatic requirement
 

Temperature for different critical stages of sugarcane: The different critical stages are germination, tillering, early growth, active growth and elongation. Optimum temperature for sprouting (germination) of stem cuttings is 32° to 38°c. 

It slows down below 25°, reaches plateau between 30°-34°. Temperatures above 38° reduce the rate of photosynthesis and increase respiration. For ripening, however, relatively low temperatures in the range of 12° to 14° are desirable. 

Reduction in yield of sugarcane due to rise in temperature
 

The sugarcane productivity and juice quality are profoundly influenced by weather conditions prevailing during the various crop-growth sub-periods. 

Sugar recovery is highest when the weather is dry with low humidity; bright sunshine hours, cooler nights with wide diurnal variations and very little rainfall during ripening period. These conditions favour high sugar accumulation. 

The climatic conditions like very high temperature or very low temperature deteriorate the juice quality and thus affecting the sugar quality. Favourable climate like warm and humid climate favour the insect pests and diseases, which cause much damage to the quality and yield of its juice and finally sucrose contents.

Government Should Curb Wastages in Agric Produce and Preserve Food - Experts

As the efforts to position the Nigeria’s agricultural sector to become one of the leading players in food production in world continue, experts have called on the federal government to tackle the level of wastage of agricultural produce usually experienced from distribution to the marketplace and develop innovative ways to preserve them.

Speaking during the inauguration of Fruits2go café, the Chief Executive Officer of the café, Tosan Kukoyi, said government should focus on the end product value chain, as a lot of wastages are being experienced from the farm to the market.

According to her, the wastage is huge and government has not provided facilities to preserve these agriculture produce.

She also stated that if government encourages more people and provide the necessary support, most of the agricultural produce will be better preserved thereby reduce the reliance on imported foods which she noted is most preferred by Nigerians despite the preservatives it contains, “most of these imported products contain products that are not healthy for the body.”

Kukoyi, who stated that there is need for more people to go into farming, commended government’s efforts in positioning sector, adding that Nigerians should create innovations regarding ways of preserving and packaging agriculture products.

Speaking on the café, she said the cafe was a healthy alternative to eateries in Lagos and they are focused on wholeness, noting that the products used are locally sourced in order to provide space in the healthy food options segment where every member of the family can have a good meal, snack or drink.

Kukoyi said the brand is targeted at children because there are no smoothies’ stores or café targeted children, while stressing that they have taken their services a step further to schools to package healthy lunch for school pupils.

She added: “The school authorities have also given us the opportunity to talk with the parents of these kids on the importance of eating right and not compromising with the cheaper alternatives that are in the market. 

Parents are excited to bring their children here because of what we are offering such as the popsicles which looks like ice-cream, but it is made from pineapple fruits and other fruit addition. 

The parents of these pupils reach an agreement with us and they pay for the lunch we serve their pupils, on a term basis. We have covered two major schools.

“Children love our smoothies and juices. We are creating excitement for our customers and still focused on the core of the business. We have juices, and healthy Yogurts made without preservatives. We only persevere these Yogurts with refrigeration. This is the first branch, but we are looking at opening four other locations in 2017.

“Government should evaluate the agricultural value chain, the players and know where the challenges are coming from, then address it. 

I think the challenge before the administration facing is implementation. For private entrepreneurs, we will try our best to set the stage, within our capacity. 

The bank is not helping us with the interest rates they are giving. It is difficult if you don’t have funds. There should more credit facilities to encourage entrepreneurs.”

Anxiety in Nigeria Over Fate of Tomato Paste Industry

With the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN’s) reluctance to amend its foreign exchange restriction for the importation of certain commodities, value-chain operators in the tomato paste industry have warned of the potential collapse of the N19 billion manufacturing industry before the end of second quarter of 2017, if the decision is not reviewed.

According to the operators, the value of imported tomato paste in Nigeria used to be about $170 million before the CBN ban on 41 items, out of which imported triple concentrate tomato paste used as raw material by the packers account for around $50 million.

Recall that an indigenous local tomato paste manufacturer, Erisco Foods Limited, made good its threat of shutting down the $150 million plant and relocating its manufacturing base to a location outside Nigeria last month.

The Chief Executive Officer, Erisco Foods, Chief Eric Umeofia, had announced that the company was winding down operations preparatory for its final exit from the country, citing that he was moving the factory to China, where he already had a thriving business.

He added that from there, he would be manufacturing and exporting tomato paste back to Nigeria, as it was far cheaper doing so than producing locally.

Spokesman of the Union of Tomato Paste Manufacturers in Nigeria, Nnamdi Nnodebe, hinted that the tomato processing industry is in a dire position as unavailability of tomato paste triple concentrate for the industry is grinding production to a halt.

While some operators had urged government to embrace a gradual backward integration agenda to achieve its objectives, Nnodebe noted that the sudden implementation of the forex policy by the apex ban has affected the profile of the industry drastically.

He said: “It makes better economics to import the raw materials that will enable production, grow the economy and keep jobs rather than importing the finished products or frustrating efforts to get the raw materials, thereby rendering millions jobless which might further kill the economy.

“The local packing industry can also form the hub for exports to the hinterland countries as there are adequate local capacities to more than cater to the domestic requirement. Using the ECOWAS benefits, this can be a huge foreign exchange earner for the country today and in the near future. 

Through the growth of the tomato industry Nigeria can compete with China instead of buying the finished goods from them.

“It is important for the government to recognise that the packing industry is an essential component of the tomato paste value chain and without this sector there can be no link between the farmer and the final consumer. 

Even if we develop our own triple concentrate manufacturing industry in future, the bulk of triple concentrate cannot be consumed in Nigeria alone as exportation of the local production will become more lucrative.”

Farmer Makes Mineral Feeder Portable

Lee Gooder already had three perfectly good feeders, one in each of his three pastures. Why, then, did he need a brand-new one, his wife, Jill, wanted to know.

“This mineral feeder has curtains and scratchers and a large, rubber tub for salt and mineral,” he explained to her.

Still skeptical, she asked him how he intended to move it from one pasture to the next. “That was a good question. Once I made it portable, she was OK with it, and we were all good to go,” he says.

That portability has worked out extremely well, Gooder emphasizes. The transition began by mounting a snowmobile trailer axle to the self-feeder.

Son Zach helped build the axle mount and a hitch. They got help from a local welding shop with fabrication and mounting.

“That axle is removable, so when we want to take it off and make a stationary unit, we can,” Gooder points out.

switch out when fly season is over

Since dust bags and an oiler aren’t required during the winter, the Gooders can have their trailer back in time for snowmobile season.

The Cattle Saver feeder built by Easy Way Cattle Care in Decorah, Iowa, gets shedded. “I put the three old feeders back out until springtime,” he says.

The Gooders’ pastureland has steep slopes. So steep, the ground has never been used for anything but pasture. Yet, Gooder says, he’s had no trouble pulling the feeder with his Gator.

“I can easily lift the tongue even when the feeder is full of mineral. It’s nimble, but it’s stable, too. We get quite a bit of wind up there, and, so far, it hasn’t been knocked over,” he says. 

Another winner

Gooder is the last recipient of a $2,500 Firestone in-store credit offer for having his idea chosen as the Idea of the Month.

More about Lee Gooder

Family farm: Besides fall-calving stock cows, Gooder grows corn, soybeans, and alfalfa. He also feeds out Jersey bottle calves. He is a full-time road maintenance employee for Howard County in northeast Iowa.

Anticipation: The county has ordered him a new Caterpillar road grader.

Changing practices: Gooder sold his disk recently and bought a super coulter. “I’m trying to go as minimum-till as possible. The goal is to eventually do no-till,” he says. 

Family: Wife Jill works full time at the local hospital. Both of their children, daughter Shelley and son Zach, are grown.

To join in the all farm contest click here and submit your ideas