If you’re looking for something to do in the Kansas City area this weekend then consider Tractor Daze. It’s put on by the National Agricultural Hall of Fame.
Come out to the Ag Hall on Saturday, July 12 from 10am-5pm for “Tractor Daze.” This fun-filled, family event is jam-packed with activities for all! For the tractor enthusiast there will be tractor pulls, a pedal tractor display, and tractor games. The history buff in the family can tour the Museum of Farming or watch a blacksmith demonstration. For the little ones there will be a petting zoo and miniature train rides. Concessions will also be available.
This event will also feature a silent auction with gift certificates and gifts donated by local merchants and restaurants. The proceeds from the auction will benefit the Ag Hall.
Admission: Adults-$7; Seniors (over 62)-$6; Students (with ID)-$5; Youth (5-16)-$3; 4 and under is free.
New Holland has racked up some awards from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers. They got three AE50 Awards.
The AE50 Awards are based on new technology or the advancement of existing technology intended principally for producing, processing, storing, packaging or transporting agricultural, food and other biological products. To be nominated, a product must have the potential for broad impact on its area or industries. Only 50 products are chosen for the award each year.
The company received awards for the following products:
FR9000 Series self-propelled forage harvesters (pictured)
My latest road trip ended at the Michael Peterson/New Holland Celebrity Tractor Race in Nashville, TN. So this week’s program has been produced there and includes an event wrap-up with Michael.
Michael Peterson has become a good friend after I’ve had so many opportunities to work with him since this event started 3 years ago. Today he got the crowd fired up as they enjoyed the competition and seeing some of their favorite artists get up on a tractor and for the most part, do real well.
Michael got on the tractor himself at one point so I recorded that so you can watch him drive. I think his time was actually the fastest but he can’t win.
Special thanks go out to not only Michael but also Gene Hemphill and Dawn Fox at New Holland as well as Holly Fritz at H.B. Fritz & Associates who did so much work to put this event on.
You can download and listen to the ZimmCast here: ZimmCast 174 (8 min MP3)
Or listen to this week’s ZimmCast right now:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 6 or above) is required to play this audio clip. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Fans waved and hollered, calling out “Michael!” as the New Holland/Michael Peterson float rolled past during the 2008 CMA Country Music Festival Kick-Off Parade. Some fans even blew kisses to the country music singer/songwriter. Others boldly cried out their admiration for the inspirational speaker. Michael and local FFA students tossed t-shirts and waved back to an eager and excited crowd. At one point, Michael even took a phone call from a random construction worker’s phone. I believe it was Michael’s drummer on the line. I’ll have to double check that with Michael though…
I took a couple videos from float, offering a “float’s eye view” of the parade.
…or festival rather. The New Holland crew joined Michael Peterson and members of the local FFA chapter in setting up for a week of excitement at the 2008 CMA Country Music Festival. Concerts, autograph sessions, exhibitions and of course the New Holland/Michael Peterson celebrity tractor race will all be a part of this weekend’s festivities.
I interviewed Michael about the legwork that’s goes into preparing for major events like Nashville’s country music celebration. You can listen to my interview with Michael here:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 6 or above) is required to play this audio clip. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
I’ll have posts from today’s CMA Country Music Festival Kick-Off Parade online soon.
New Holland’s new TV6070 pushes and pulls.
New Holland’s new TV6070 Bidirectional tractor offers visibility and versatility that no other tractor in the market can offer. The TV6070 features a new 6.7L engine, a more efficient eight-range transmission, and other improvements designed to enhance the productivity of this unique tractor.
Like its predecessors, the new TV6070 Bidirectional tractor can be operated cab-end or engine-end first to provide unparalleled versatility, productivity and exceptional loader performance. An operator can work facing either the engine or the rear because the exclusive Turnabout™ console rotates the seat and primary controls 180 degrees so the operator always faces the work.
Both ends of the tractor can be equipped with 3-point hitches, PTO systems, hydraulic valves, and drawbars. Depending on the application, the TV6070 can push and pull implements simultaneously. Full-time four-wheel drive and 45-degree articulated steering provide excellent traction and maneuverability in any conditions.
When it comes to raising money for a good cause, Missouri’s own Tom Brand, KFEQ, is leading the way. Tom started the Show Me Tractor Cruise to raise funds for Camp Quaility, Northwest Missouri. He’s been doing it since 2003. This year’s event will be held June 28th.
The first Show-Me Tractor Cruise began in 2003. We decided to make the ride a benefit for Camp Quality of Northwest Missouri. Our expectation was for 35 - 50 tractors to make the ride the first year, with the thought of raising $5000 as a good goal. Well, the idea for that first ride grew rapidly, as 87 tractors came the first year to take part in the ride. We started in the community of Guilford (population 87) and continued into Conception Junction, Ravenwood, Hopkins, Pickering, Maryville and Barnard before returning back to Guilford. With the efforts of all the drivers, communities and the matching gift of an anonymous donor that first year, we raised $35,000 jointly for Camp Quality. It was the largest fund-raiser ever for Camp Quality Northwest Missouri and for any Camp Quality in the nation!
The event has received national attention and in fact is slated to receive support from Oprah. Oprahs Big Give is coming to St. Joseph, pledging $10,000 to match the first $10,000 raised by drivers and riders of the Show-Me Tractor Cruise.
Tom’s idea is catching on as Andy Vance and Lindsay Hill, Buckeye Ag Radio Network, have set up the first Great Buckeye Tractor Cruise which will also support Camp Quality.
The Great Buckeye Tractor Cruise will take place in scenic Auglaize and Mercer Counties on Saturday, July 26th. The approximately 40-mile tour will take drivers through the scenic area near Grand Lake St. Marys and past beautiful farms in the countryside. It will also include a stop at the Whitney Educational Farm to tour their amazing museum that houses farm equipment restored to mint condition from as far back as 1905. Drivers will also enjoy watching local antiques and classics participate in a plowing demonstration.
Sounds like Tom has a great franchise operation started.
All I can say is that the testosterone level was high in the arena for the 40th National Championship Tractor Pull which got kicked off tonight in Louisville.
I attended last year and tonight things went way smoother. You can find a bunch of photos in my online event photo album.
There’s no way to describe the sound of these tractors as they compete by pulling these sleds. I’ll try to have a video clip of it for you later.
John Deere is sponsoring my coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show so today they get all the love. I’ve done at least 7 interviews so far with more to go. Some of them will be featured on the Precision Pays website as well.
Before it got too difficult to walk through I shot a video clip of their booth for you. I think I really should have had someone walk along with me but they were all busy selling. As you’ll see, there are a lot of people here and Deere not only has a big booth but some big equipment. I really need a wide angle lens on this video camera!
John Deere has announced a new line of specialty tractors. Interesting, because I just recently was talking to a tractor dealer who was saying that he sees a real need for more attention to specialty crop producers from the manufacturers.
To better meet the needs of orchards, vineyards, nurseries and greenhouse operations, John Deere introduces a new line of specialty tractors: the F-Series Orchard/Vineyard Tractors and the A-Series Nursery/Greenhouse Tractors. These machines are specifically designed to operate and maneuver in the confined work environments and field conditions of specialty crops and plants.
“This is the most significant lineup of new specialty tractors John Deere has introduced in a number of years,” explains Owen Frederic, product marketing manager, John Deere Commercial Products. “For the orchard and vineyard market, we have three models: the 76F rated at 76 horsepower, the 85F rated at 83 horsepower, and the 100F rated at 96 engine horsepower. All tractors are powered by turbocharged VM Detroit Diesel engines.”
These tractors feature a durable transmission with 24 forward and 16 reverse speeds. This easy-shifting transmission allows the operator to work at speeds from under 1 mph and up to 20 mph in transport – an excellent range for the many jobs required in orchards and vineyards.
It sounds like things continue to progress in Iraq. This isn’t the kind of news you’ll see on the evening news. CNH International announced today the completed purchase of equipment that has restarted tractor assembly operations at the State Company for Mechanical Industries (SCMI), an agricultural machinery manufacturing facility in Iskandiriyah, Iraq. The U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD) Task Force to Improve Business and Stability Operations in Iraq purchased 200 New Holland tractor kits paired with training on the equipment. CNH competed and won the contract to provide the tractor kits as part of a partnership to revitalize industry in Iraq.
“New Holland has historically been and continues to be a leader in agriculture in Iraq. We are excited this project allows us to continue this tradition,” said Franco Fusignani, CEO of CNH International. “We are pleased to help the U.S. Department of Defense successfully provide agricultural equipment in Iraq and provide training to local Iraqis.”
The DoD Task Force to Improve Business and Stability Operations in Iraq supports the United States’ security interests in Iraq by revitalizing the Iraqi economy and reducing unemployment of the Iraqi population.
CNH will continue to provide training for 40 Iraqi technicians throughout the four Iraqi New Holland dealerships in Mosul, Erbil, Baghdad, and Kut. CNH also will provide advanced training for five Iraqi technicians at CNH’s plant in Ankara, Turkey.
Another finOvation award has been announced. This one for New Holland. Farm Industry News, a monthly magazine that provides high-income farmers with information about new products and technology for the farm, has presented a finOvation award to New Holland’s T2410 and T2420 Boomer™ tractors. The awards are presented to the best innovations of 2007 designed to help producers farm more efficiently and more profitably.
finOvation awards go to the most innovative products published in the Farm Industry News magazine or Web site in the past year based on reader responses and voting by a group of Team FIN farmers. The winners will be recognized at an awards ceremony at the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, Ky.
The T2410 and T2420 tractors are the biggest Boomer™ compact tractors New Holland has ever offered. At 55 and 60 horsepower, they have the muscle to power through tough jobs. Both models have a convenient, maneuverable frame size, FWD axle, and ample power. These utility tractors can handle the long list of chores on any job site or farm fast and efficiently.
I’m sure most of you didn’t know this, but I haven’t quite made it back home from the Agritechnica event I covered in Germany in early November. In fact, I’ve only ventured further from home… all the way to Thailand.
My first impression of farming in Thailand left me thinking that most of the farming operations were small and local, with little use for big machinery. But, after I went trekking and witnessed villages farming on the extremely local scale, a visit to the the second largest city in Thailand - Chiang Mai - revealed that there is a market for larger farming equipment in Thailand. Here are a couple of snapshots of the New Holland outlet in Chiang Mai.
Agriculture is a huge part of the tourist attractions in Thailand. Many guest houses and travel agencies offer one-day cooking courses where you go out to an authentic Thai farm, pick herbs and vegetables by hand and use them to cook traditional Thai dishes.
The ag equipment division of John Deere has realigned it’s advertising and marketing communications jobs in the Lenexa, KS office. Here’s a list of the changes which take effect immediately.
David Pauli is Division Manager, Large Ag Equipment, including large frame 7000, 8000 and 9000 series tractors, combines, cotton harvesters, seeding equipment, tillage and spray equipment, as well as John Deere Ag Management Solutions and John Deere AgriServices.
Rick Haun is Division Manager, Small Ag Equipment, including 5000, 6000 and small frame 7000 series tractors, and hay and forage equipment.
Mike Gustafson is Division Manager, Co-op Marketing, Parts and Special Projects, including branch marketing, dealer support and sign-up and John Deere Day.
Bill Burgweger is Division Manager, Operations, including audio-visual production, SAP, supply management, Adix production and contract production purchases.
Russ Walker is Division Manager, Publications and Direct Communications, including production of The Furrow and Homestead publications and other direct and electronic communications activities.
Barry Nelson, Public Relations Manager, will continue to support all John Deere ag equipment marketing and media relations activities.
It sounds like it could be a movie. It sounds like this tractor won’t be getting all muddy and scratched up out in the field either.
Jerry Forsythe must feel like King Midas these days. That’s because he’s the proud owner of the world’s only all-gold Case IH Magnum™ 305 — a tractor that’s normally painted the signature red color of other Case IH farm equipment.
Forsythe, a farmer and businessman from Marshall, Ill., is a long-time collector of unique Case IH tractors. “I got the idea for the all-gold model after learning that Case IH would be producing special edition tractors to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Magnum’s introduction,” said Forsythe.
Case IH is manufacturing 100 Gold Signature Edition Magnum tractors for 2008, but those are painted both red and gold. Forsythe wanted something different — and worked with his dealer, Kurt Edens from Casey Farm Pride, to specially order a one-of-a-kind, all-gold edition.
Although Forsythe mainly uses Case IH equipment on his farm, his all-gold Magnum will not join the working ranks of the primarily-red fleet used to maintain his 28,000-acre operation. Instead, it will be one of many tractors in his private collection of Case IH and Farmall equipment, which also includes the 100,000th Magnum produced and the very first tractor his dad purchased new, a 1948 Farmall H.
Here’s another blue tractor in the news. This one’s a Polar Express special that’s up for auction to benefit the Christmas Spirit Foundation.
The Christmas SPIRIT Foundation is committed to keeping the spirit of Christmas alive and growing memories for the next generation of children and families. To achieve our mission, we focus programs for children, families and the environment … all designed to enhance the Christmas spirit.
The Christmas SPIRIT Foundation is the charitable branch of the National Christmas Tree Association. The Christmas SPIRIT Foundation is incorporated in the State of Missouri and has received IRS 501(c)3 charitable organization status.
Besides the Polar Express Boomer there are other items in the auction too.
I am not familiar with a Landini tractor but they must be doing something right. Landini USA is proud to announce that the Landini Rex 85 S received the 2008 Tractor of the Year Award in the “Best of Specialized” category. The award was presented to Landini during a special ceremony at the Agritechnica Trade Fair in Hanover, Germany.
Judged by a panel of machinery specialists from 17 European countries, the “Tractor of the Year” award is regarded as one of the most prestigious honors within the agricultural engineering industry. Tractor designs are assessed on design features, benefits, and practical driving appraisals.
The 82 hp Rex 85 S, designed to operate in the narrow rows of the orchard industry, was chosen for its engine performance, innovative four-wheel hydrostatic brakes, electro-hydraulically engaged four-wheel drive, and easy-to-use transmissions. The judges also praised the tractor’s maneuverability within the narrow rows of an orchard.
Landini USA, based in Norcross, GA, was founded in 1884 by Giovanni Landini in Fabbrico, Italy. The aim of Landini was to design and manufacture machinery capable of towing agricultural equipment, in particular the plow. Today Landini offers a full range of tractors for the row crop, livestock and specialty crop market.
We reported several weeks ago on our Domestic Fuel site that New Holland is backing biodiesel 100%. Now it looks like sister company Case IH is coming on board with that idea.
Case IH has extended its recommendations on use of biofuels to include B100 — or pure biodiesel — on even more of its farm equipment models.
Farmers now can use B100 on nearly all Case IH medium- to high-horsepower tractors, combines, windrowers, and most self-propelled sprayers and cotton pickers — so long as proper protocols are followed for engine operation and maintenance.
“With record prices for crude oil, Case IH committed to exploring better ways to use environmentally-friendly biofuels made from renewable raw materials. We have conducted rigorous laboratory and in-field tests to evaluate how our engines perform with various biodiesel blends,” says Don Rieser, Case IH director of tractor product management. “As always, our ultimate goal is greater productivity for our customers. That’s why we also are committed to educating our dealers and customers on how to get the best results with biodiesel fuels — especially when using higher-level blends.”
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a news release about a new sign but Case IH sent one out. This is one big looking monster of a sign. I guess the size of your sign is an indication of the size of your equipment?
The Case IH Benson manufacturing facility is sporting a big, bright new sign these days — 33 feet tall by 20 feet wide. Nearly twice as tall as the former sign, “It truly is impressive,” says Plant Manager Kim Heiden.
“It predominantly features the Case IH logo, which symbolizes the company’s renewed focus on our customers and the brands that serve them,” Heiden adds. “In fact, the bold red ‘Driver I’ in the logo represents our one-on-one working relationships with customers. It’s also a tip of the hat to our International Harvester roots.”
Heiden says the first shift starts at 6 a.m., “So most of our workforce comes in before the sun comes up. The sign literally lights up the night for us.”
It’s certainly no surprise that crops are cultivated in Germany, but some of the country’s farms, equipment and practices held a few surprises. Both the German Agricultural Society and John Deere hosted a visit to the BASF Gutsbetrieb Rehhütte, or the BASF Deer’s Den Farm, in Limburgerhof, Germany left a couple reporters from our group incredulous at how clean a farm could be. Stone tiles paved a courtyard of sorts between equipment garages, sheds and farms silos. Some not-so-familiar looking equipment also prompted some curiously raised eyebrows. Though, I must admit, we all recognized the three John Deere tractors in Albert’s shed and he was very excited to show them off. The history of the farm was also an attribute that’s rather atypical for an American farm. The Limfburg Estate was first documented in 1035. BASF took over the land and began farming it in 1899. (more…)
If you’re looking for something to do in the Kansas City area this weekend then consider Tractor Daze. It’s put on by the National Agricultural Hall of Fame.
My latest road trip ended at the Michael Peterson/New Holland Celebrity Tractor Race in Nashville, TN. So this week’s program has been produced there and includes an event wrap-up with Michael.
Michael Peterson has become a good friend after I’ve had so many opportunities to work with him since this event started 3 years ago. Today he got the crowd fired up as they enjoyed the competition and seeing some of their favorite artists get up on a tractor and for the most part, do real well. 
When it comes to raising money for a good cause, Missouri’s own Tom Brand, 
Tom’s idea is catching on as Andy Vance and Lindsay Hill, 
All I can say is that the testosterone level was high in the arena for the 
It sounds like things continue to progress in Iraq. This isn’t the kind of news you’ll see on the evening news.
Another finOvation award has been announced. This one for 
The ag equipment division of 
It sounds like it could be a movie. It sounds like this tractor won’t be getting all muddy and scratched up out in the field either.
Here’s another blue tractor in the news. This one’s a 
I am not familiar with a Landini tractor but they must be doing something right.
We reported 
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a news release about a new sign but 
It’s certainly no surprise that crops are cultivated in Germany, but some of the country’s farms, equipment and practices held a few surprises. Both the German Agricultural Society and John Deere hosted a visit to the BASF Gutsbetrieb Rehhütte, or the BASF Deer’s Den Farm, in Limburgerhof, Germany left a couple reporters from our group incredulous at how clean a farm could be. Stone tiles paved a courtyard of sorts between equipment garages, sheds and farms silos. Some not-so-familiar looking equipment also prompted some curiously raised eyebrows. Though, I must admit, we all recognized the three John Deere tractors in Albert’s shed and he was very excited to show them off. The history of the farm was also an attribute that’s rather atypical for an American farm. The Limfburg Estate was first documented in 1035. BASF took over the land and began farming it in 1899.
Digital cattle news pioneer, Rob Cook, is now working for Vance Publishing after the company acquired CattleNetwork.com.
