There is no question the 2020 pandemic had a significant impact on global and domestic supply chains, available labor and workforce participation, and parts and equipment inventories. And, after three years, the impacts linger. A recent AEM survey of 179 manufacturers revealed that 98% of eq…
Have you noticed that each year the soil and bodies of water in temperate climate zones shift almost overnight from warm to colder as the environment cools each fall and reverses each spring?
Our music teacher in elementary was wired differently than most. Her name was Mrs. Frakes and she had more energy than the entire class combined.
In recent years the world has experienced a steady increase in both the frequency and severity of natural disasters. Tropical weather patterns have changed, floods have become more destructive, and wildfires have expanded all leaving behind damage and devastation. In addition, Iowa has exper…
The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) has announced the winners of its 2023 AE50 awards, which recognize innovative product development in the agricultural, food, and biological systems sectors. A total of 26 companies were honored this year, with some earning…
It had been a busy day for Jake on the farm. There was a storm coming and, as a cattle feeder, Jake prepared for the days ahead. Late in the afternoon he discovered a broken piece on one of the cattle waterers and at 4:30 headed into town to get some parts.
When it comes to powering farm tractors, the diesel engine has long reigned supreme. And as any combustion engine hack will tell you, “there’s no replacement for displacement.”
Sometimes the simplest of comments can have a profound impact. This occurred to me on Thanksgiving afternoon when my son announced, “Hey, Dad, I joined AARP the other day.”
Editor’s note: Dr. Mike Rosmann asked Kaila Anderson to furnish this article as a Farm and Ranch Life guest columnist.
Since 4-H began more than 100 years ago, it has become the nation’s largest youth development organization. The 4-H pledge is simple yet effective:
What machine might be the MVP on your farm? Before you say “tractor,” consider the compressor powering your shop or your service truck.
Of all the headline items in ag equipment news over the past year, one stood out — autonomous machines. Deere officially launched its autonomous 8R tractor at the massive and influential Consumer Electronics Show in January.
Joe and Sue had been married for 45 years. It had been an exceptionally good partnership.
Sixty years ago I learned to drive in a town of 200 where the biggest challenge for motorists was when two pick-up trucks stopped in the middle of Main Street in front of Woody and Ethel’s Tavern so the drivers could chat.
Harvest is over at Bohr Farms. The last of our harvested corn this year was stored in a 45-bushel tote and shipped to a company in western Iowa that makes whiskey from local-grown corn.
With the fall harvest wrapped up — or winding down — you most likely just want to park your combine(s) in the machine shed and move on to other field chores (or maybe spend a little time in a deer stand).
Editor’s note: This is the second part of a column that appeared online September 30.
As a youngster I noticed that many older folks were still using old things. My paternal grandparents, for instance, still used an ancient oscillating fan that had a minimal guard around the blades. Our parents warned us boys to not get our fingers in the way of the blades. Curious little bro…
Agriculture and the well-being of consumers will improve together with advances in sustainable farming, according to scientific experts from around the world who met to exchange information during a conference in Odense, Denmark, this past August. The conference was entitled Public and Occup…
When storms such as Hurricane Ian strike, many people have to cope with losing water service. Power outages mean that pumps can’t process and treat drinking water or sewage, and heavy stormwater flows can damage water mains.
We often joke about our “job titles” on the farm. In the fall, my title is Director of Logistics, which translates into semi driver and grain cart operator. In the spring, my job is Manager of Seed Deposition (planter operator).
As new trends and challenges in crop production emerge — adoption of strip till, managing higher residue levels, new requirements for soil and nutrient management — tillage tools continue to transform and evolve. And while they don’t garner the headlines of a new EV tractor, these new develo…
Tom and his wife, Beth, were and always had been dairy farmers. Their two older children, a son and daughter, had both joined the farming operation after college. Their youngest son became a pharmacist, which was fine with Tom as he believed each child should get to a vocation they enjoyed.
Now more than ever, there is strong demand for a transition plan that can meet a family’s definition of a “fair” plan for land transition yet is flexible enough to change with the planning environment.
One of the scarier events of the past 40 years for some of us older baby boomers was the advent of the personal computer. We saw them coming in the ’70s, and by the ’80s many of us were expected to actually learn how to operate a PC.
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