Kent Smith, a Missouri farmer and hardwood flooring businessman, recently purchased one of the very first all-new Hustler’s Combi RX multi-feeder wagons operating in the United States. Strongly built and versatile, this is the machine Kent was looking for to feed his cattle.

The story of Kent Smith starts with his grandfather, Jack Smith, who grew up in the little town of Eminence. Jack Smith was working as a logger and tie hacker in southern Missouri and, according to Kent, “he didn’t have two pennies to rub together.” In 1947, he founded Smith Flooring, a company now in its third generation of family ownership.

The timber business is “what drives everything” in the Ozark Forest area, but the family decided to “purpose some of that land for growing cattle,” Kent explained. Kent is now fully in charge of the beef cattle operation since his father, Van Smith, passed away suddenly in 2005.

Since then, Kent has fully embraced his life as a farmer.

“I feel like I’ve taken off about 10 years of my life sitting in an office wondering about numbers and money, and it’s really nice to be able to get out here where it’s just so beautiful, and walking around the calves every day – out here, outside, is a good one,”

Kent admitted.

Although livestock farming and timber harvesting are very different industries, they complement one another, especially in that they share a primary industry asset – land. And,

“anything you can do to increase efficiency, to maximize your return on any investment that you have out there on the land, is a positive thing. The Combi wagon that we have is amazing,”

Kent explained.

Kent Smith farms in rugged country, and Kent chose to breed beef cattle that are hardy enough for the area (such as White Faces and Black Baldys). To feed his herd, he needed a versatile piece of equipment – something that would “feed most anything that I have.”

He found the perfect match: the Hustler Combi RX148.

The Hustler Combi RX range is a chain-less rear floor wagon able to feed out literally every supplementary type of feed, including all bale types, shapes and sizes, and any type of loose feed that can be loaded with a loader including fine chop silage, maize silage, root crops, vegetables and more. Its lateral elevator design delivers feed out of the side of the machine to feed into troughs, feed pads, bunks or open pastures.

The loading height of a wagon is often a crucial element since it could narrow the selection of machines that could load into it without damaging the sides of the wagon. With the Hustler Combi RX range, it is possible to use pretty much any front loader of any type (bucket, grab…) to fill it thanks to its low loading height – between 2430 mm (95 inches) and 2650 mm (104 inches) – depending on the model chosen.

Once loaded, the Combi wagon is quick and easy to reconnect (no need to connect a PTO), however of course you could load with an extra loader like you would need to when feeding with a TMR (this simplicity allows for efficient use with just one tractor). The operator only needs to get out of the cab twice in total, meaning 66% less cab entry and exit compared to any other 2 or 6 bale capacity bale processor. Whilst similar cab exit/entry is required when feeding with a TMR, both a tractor and a loader are required to do the job.

Once the bale wrap is removed, the hydraulics only need to be reconnected once, which takes only a few seconds.

The Combi wagons developed by Hustler are built to last.

Feed out in the field and on the feed pad with one wagon

The ultra-low center of gravity, combined with the large floatation tires, are a game-changer for stability allowing the Combi RX wagon to feed out in the roughest of terrain, the terrain you wouldn’t dare take a mixer wagon on! And Combi RX finds itself just as at home in the field as the feed pad, with a large tilting elevator to place that feed exactly where you’d like it.

Simple hydraulic drive – with out the need to a PTO shaft!

Yes, the simple design of Hustler’s Combi range is powered by hydraulics for safety, reliability, and lower power consumption. And with the oversized 12,000 lb. roller chains to the high tensile sprockets, there are no wearing parts to buy or replace for the life of the feeder! And it handles all types of feeds including balage, silage, root crops or anything else you can load in it. The powerful hydraulic ram-powered pusher blade ensures even the ugliest of bales are no contest!

Massive drawbar clearance

The drawbar design offers great clearance and a major advantage (far superior to any wide-angle PTO shaft) in maneuverability, making life easier for operators in tight lanes and gateways. This reduces the possibility of damaged gate posts or machines due to operator error. Kent Smith’s Combi RX148 has a turning circle of 7.8 m (25 ft) compared to 20.8 m (68 ft) for the equivalent size wagon.

Impact-resistant floor

The unique heavy-duty 15-mm (3/5″) thick puck board rear floor is slippery, durable and extremely tough, it handles the impact of heavy beets landing on it without damage.

Recently Kent Smith found himself sliding backward down an icy hill, jack-knifing his Combi wagon. Thinking it was going to be out of service for weeks, turned into a $10 trip to the store thanks to Hustler’s design and strength.

“This thing is built like a tank,”

he said.

Source: Hustler 

The post [Job Story] Hustler Combi RX Multi Feeder Wagon in Action on a Missouri Farm appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

Smith is serving his fourth term in Congress and is a member of the House Ways and Means Committee. He has received the prestigious Friend of Farm Bureau Award from the American Farm Bureau Federation for each of his three completed terms.

Jinks Wynn, chairman of the Southeast Regional Endorsement Committee, said:

“Congressman Smith has been an unwavering friend of Missouri’s farmers and ranchers. As a farmer himself, he understands the needs of our members and all rural Missourians. We appreciate his work in Congress and look forward to electing him to a fifth term.”

Trustees are selected by their county Farm Bureau organizations. They interview candidates, review voting records and seek their positions on issues prior to voting on endorsements. This is the fifth consecutive election in which Missouri Farm Bureau has endorsed Smith.

Source: Missouri Farm Bureau

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Over one million rural residents in Missouri do not have access to high-speed internet, more than any state except California or Texas. Missouri ranks 41st in the nation in broadband connectivity.

The lack of rural internet connectivity causes plenty of day-to-day frustrations. But in a crisis like the current fight against coronavirus, the impact becomes even more glaring.

Several schools, including the University of Missouri, have suspended in-person classes. Many current courses will be held remotely via teleconferencing technology. Students will be expected to work on projects remotely and submit homework and take tests electronically. Many businesses are developing contingency plans that include employees working remotely. Travel can often be replaced with teleconferencing and virtual meetings. Email and paperless technologies allow information-sharing without physical, in-person contact.

Technological advances enabled by broadband internet technology are valuable in our current fight. They let schools and businesses implement recommended “social distancing” without major disruption. Unfortunately, access to broadband is a limiting factor for rural students and employees. Working or studying remotely is only an option only if you have access to broadband.

Developing broadband infrastructure throughout Missouri would help rural residents follow the best health practices during future crises. Rural broadband would also bring more options for treating patients through remote telemedicine. When keeping doctors healthy is the top priority, giving them options to assess and treat patients remotely is valuable. It would also help solve the chronic shortage of physicians faced by many rural areas.

In the face of a global pandemic, it’s definitely better to be safe than sorry. However, we look forward to the day when remote access to school, work, and healthcare is available to everyone, not only those who live in a city or town. We should see this event as a wake-up call to expand our infrastructure so that staying connected and healthy while at home is easier in the future.

Source: Missouri Farm Bureau Federation

The post Coronavirus Fight Shows Need for Broadband Infrastructure appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

While shooting this series, we met some incredible people in widely-differing jobs. Each one told us about the integral role trade plays in his or her job.

Clarissa Cauthorn is a seed salesperson for Beck Hybrids based in Audrain County. She told us, “If we don’t have trade, farmers don’t have money. … If farmers don’t have the capability to purchase a product, I’m out of a job. I’ll have to find a new job in a different industry.”

Eric Woodward manages a John Deere dealership in Marshall named Ag-Power, Inc. He said that fluctuations in trade have had a big impact on the local economy, beyond even tractor sales. According to Eric, if trade markets took a turn for the worse, “we would we would see customers shutting down all their purchasing decisions. That’s going to have a massive ripple effect … it’s going to affect the grocery stores, the clothing companies, anybody that’s in a retail business. Those folks are holding up their decisions for a reason, and that’s because they don’t know where this is going.”

We caught up with Steven Douglas, a tugboat captain and pilot on the Missouri River, as he was cruising past Boonville and McBaine. He told us how past trade disruptions affected his industry. “In the early ‘80s after the Carter grain embargo, a lot of boats were idled,” he said. “A lot of people had to go do lesser jobs and go to factories and go to truck drive and leave the industry. … when I started on the river (in 1989), all those stories were still fresh in everybody’s mind. … A lot of boats stayed idled for years.”

The downstream impacts of trade are broad. Missouri exports $4 billion of agriculture products annually, supporting over 32,400 jobs in our state. Trade remains one of our economy’s best growth opportunities as well. Our farmers have the capacity to serve the rising middle class in nations like China and India, plus begin to reach growing markets in sub-Saharan Africa.

Trade is crucial to the entire nation. President Trump recently announced a preliminary agriculturally-focused trade agreement with China that could be a boon for American farmers. He also is expected to deliver a massive new free trade agreement with Mexico and Canada to Congress for consideration in the coming weeks. The U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement, or USMCA, would modernize the countries prior trade agreements. It would also further open markets for American products to Mexico and Canada.

A final vote may not occur until after the new year, and the ongoing saga of impeachment could derail even the best-laid plans. However, Missouri’s Congressional delegation has expressed almost unanimous support for USMCA. Once the vote is called, we anticipate our elected representatives will stand with the tens of thousands of Missourians who are Paid by Trade.

Source: Missouri Farm Bureau

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“I remember sitting in my middle school history class when I was 13 years old and learning about the Civil War and cotton production, and everyone said it was impossible to grow cotton this far north,” says Heil, currently a 17-year-old junior at Norborne High School in Norborne, Mo. “I told them I was going to grow it, and after a lot of research and hard work, I made it happen.”

Heil had a hard time finding cotton seed to plant, initially having to use seed from a discarded bag in a local warehouse, and his first crop was ruined in a flood. However, he wasn’t deterred; if anything, he only grew more determined.

“I started by planting just 5 acres of cotton on my family’s farm, C&N Heil Farms Inc., and since then, I’ve gotten up to as many as 130 acres,” Heil says. “Growing cotton not only has been a supervised agricultural experience (SAE) project for me, but also has been a way for me to generate an income after it’s been ginned and graded. Producing this crop has taught me that taking chances can really pay off, especially if you’re doing something you have a passion for.”

Thanks to Heil, cotton is now being grown in Carroll County for the first time in roughly 150 years, and he hopes to inspire other farmers in nearby communities – even those farther north – to follow suit.

“If you put your mind to something, you can almost always make it happen,” Heil says. “Nearly anything is possible if you have the right attitude.”

Source: Futures Farmers of America

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Missouri Farm Bureau President Blake Hurst said, “Rural Missouri’s roads and bridges are in desperate need of attention. Our transportation system is underfunded and falling further behind every year. Governor Parson’s actions show that he understands how critical our situation is, and I applaud him for his leadership in getting this issue moving forward.”

Last Wednesday Hurst spoke to the Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission in support of increased funding for rural freight corridors, also known as “farm-to-market” roads and bridges. These routes generate an enormous economic impact for rural Missouri and need to be maintained at a higher level to allow our rural economy to continue to grow.

Hurst said, “Missouri agriculture is the economic engine of rural Missouri, generating over $88 billion in annual sales for our state. Today’s farmers haul heavy loads of grain, timber, cotton and other products on our rural roads and bridges. Our rural infrastructure needs to be built to support modern agriculture. We have asked the Highway Commission to study designating the highest-impact rural freight corridors for increased investment, and hope they will recognize the need to prioritize these roads to keep our industry growing.”

Missouri Farm Bureau is the state’s largest general agriculture organization, with over 131,000 member families across every county in the state.

Source: Missouri Farm Bureau

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