Would it be surprising to find out this summery city is actually the winter vegetable capital of the world – and that agriculture is its number one industry? The city is Yuma, Arizona; one that most associate with being a dusty, desert landscape is rich and vibrant with agricultural variety and is home to one of the places growers can find RDO Equipment Co. and John Deere tractors.

If it’s hard to believe Yuma is a bountiful agricultural community, just look at Jon Dinsmore’s Instagram account (@thefarmerjon). Yuma is the place where this fourth-generation farmer learned about planting, harvesting, caring for the crops that are now his livelihood.

The Challenge: Year-Round Agriculture Requires Well-Rounded Machines

With 1,200 acres of farmland in Yuma’s diverse and year-round farming area, Dinsmore Farms grows a variety of crops throughout the year.

“We grow a large mix of lettuces and cilantro during ‘produce months’ then alfalfa, Sudan grass, and Durum wheat in the spring and summer,”

Jon said. Along with producing a large variety of crops comes the challenge of finding equipment that can handle the different practices each requires.

“It’s tough to see large tractors parked on the sidelines,”

he explained.

“If they’re not suitable for the crop we’re growing at that time, we can’t use them.”

Jon was always interested in a tractor that could handle a variety of Dinsmore Farms’ practices, particularly its various tillage needs, so it could be productive and working most of the year vs. sitting idle.

The challenge was finding a tractor that could work with the different implements, to go from tilling one season to listing up beds during produce season. If the right equipment was deployed, Jon estimated that it could get them,

“an additional two to three months of work out of the one tractor.”

Smoothing A Rocky Past

As Jon set out to find the right tractor, he had to confront some of his own preconceived opinions. The farm had historically owned and operated a certain brand of equipment, a decision that traces back years before he was ever involved in the business.

“A main reason our farm ran the color and brand we did for so many years is because we were always told John Deere was too expensive,”

Jon said. But he wanted to explore all of his options and set out to find a dealer that could help him get to the bottom of this family folklore and educate him on his options with Deere.

It was then that Jon confronted his second preconceived opinion: dealer reputation. More than two decades ago, the Deere dealer in Yuma wasn’t a great partner to Dinsmore Farms. Jon explained,

“The service aspect just wasn’t there, both my grandfather and father didn’t have positive experiences.”

It’s easy to see how this type of family tradition gets passed down. But Jon says, throughout the years, he noticed the new Deere dealer that entered Yuma in the 1990s, RDO Equipment Co., was different. The way it does business, partners with customers, even its presence in the community have all helped erase the memories of the previous dealership for Jon. That, plus the genuine approach of the team members themselves gave him ample reasons to overcome his long-held convictions. He decided he needed to give RDO the chance to earn business.

About five years ago, Brant Palmer, Precision Product Specialist, Joe Twomey, Regional Sales Manager, and Bobby Walker, Account Manager, began working with Jon, trying to build a relationship and offer solutions they believed would further Dinsmore Farms’ success and solve their unique challenges.

“They gave us opportunities to demo smaller tractors to see if John Deere machines would be a good fit for us,”

Jon said.

“We really liked how the Deere tractors ran, they’re strong machines with more power than what we’d been running.”

That initial experience gave Jon the motivation he needed. As a result of the strong personal relationship plus a new conviction in the power of Deere, Dinsmore Farms converted to three Deere machines for hay work, then made a bigger move two years ago with Deere’s 8345 tillage tractors.

Green equipment would continue to find its way into the Dinsmore Farms’ fleet with another opportunity to address one of Jon’s biggest problems, the earlier-mentioned need for a more productive, robust tractor.

The Solution: Machines

In the spring of 2020, Dinsmore Farms’ Account Manager, Bobby had been talking about Deere’s new 8RX tractor and that it might be the versatile workhorse Jon was looking for, one that could handle multiple tillage practices and give the farm the extra two to three months of productivity it needed.

Coincidentally, Jon had been doing his homework on this tractor. All the online reviews he saw were good. He also follows Precision Product Specialist, Brant on Twitter and enjoyed all the photos and experiences in the valley he was sharing of the tractor.

“Plus,”

he said with a laugh,

“it looked like a cool tractor. It kind of draws out the little kid in you when you see it.”

As they had done in the past, the RDO team arranged for Jon to demo the tractor. Jon was interested to see how the tractor would handle the farm’s various implements, how much impact it had on the field, and how it integrated technology and data management.

The Results Are In

When it came to Jon’s goal of less field impact, the 8RX performed as he’d hoped, saying,

“With the 8RX, I was really surprised it could turn as sharp without leaving as much of a trace. Our experience with two-track tractors was they’d leave a mound of dirt after pivoting at the end of each row.”

In addition to fields looking more aesthetically appealing, the performance cut down on added clean-up work of the mounds.

Jon was pleased with the tractor’s performance, both in terms of having the power to handle implements, as well as the added bonus of comfort.

“It’s a good, stable tractor in the field,”

he said.

“It really grabs the ground and distributes that power.”

Jon continued, pointing out the 8RX could handle a variety of implements, while being fuel-efficient and providing a smooth, comfortable ride.

The technology aspect also impressed him, saying,

“We had no GPS issues. When trying to get an A/B line, the tractor didn’t waver off point, which is a big deal, because with other systems, we’ve experienced down moments when they drop the satellite signal.”

Jon further commented on this key aspect, noting the ease of data sharing from the machines to their devices.

“I can pull up everything right on my phone, be able to monitor hours, keep track of where the machine is, watch all the data easily. RDO also has access so Brant can send us breakdowns and make it easier to understand the usage reports. It takes the pressure off us because, we all know that when work gets busy, you can get complacent. But the reports make it easy to understand the data and get us to best usage.”

Speaking of usage, the real benefit xperienced from the 8RX demo was the one that he’d hoped for and directly affected the bottom line.

“Using the 8RX, we realized we can downsize from running two competitive-brand tractors because it does everything we need,” he said. Jon also recalled his earlier comment, his father’s and grandfather’s previous concern with Deere equipment being too expensive.

“There’s a lot of available technology that gives us more opportunities. That’s on top of the savings that come from getting more production out of a single machine. Overall, it saves us money.”

While not a drawback of the machine, Jon acknowledged one adjustment they’ll have to make with the 8RX is monitoring hours and maintenance due to the tractor running more hours than they’re used to.

“With two tractors we’d normally share the workload, so with the increased hours per machine, we’re cautious not to over use it.”

The demo period went so well that Jon decided to move ahead with a purchase of the 8RX tractor. He’s eager to have it as a permanent fixture in the fleet so he can keep doing what he loves – farming.

The Future of Farming

Jon’s long family farming history is certainly a point of pride but he’s glad he further investigated the family’s folklore on Deere and the local dealer. In selecting his Deere equipment, Jon is starting new family traditions and using those machines to power them forward.

“It wasn’t until I got a little older I really started to grasp and understand what a blessing of an opportunity it was to grow up on the farm,”

he said.

“I always wanted to follow my grandpa and dad, and now I get to provide that same opportunity for my kids.”

Jon says that, even if they don’t share his same passion and follow in the family’s farming footsteps, the lessons learned on the farm will serve them well, no matter the path they take.

“I don’t know if any of them have it in their heart but I hope they find whatever it is that lights the fire like farming does for me,”

he said.

SIDEBAR – Making Farming Social

With more than 5,000 followers and dozens of photos and videos shared every month, Jon has done something many farmers haven’t – in fact, something many Instagram users haven’t: created an engaged fan base that gets a behind-the-scenes look at the hard work and beauty that is farming. And for Jon, the value of social media has nothing to do with how many likes and comments he gets.

“I love to connect with other farmers on Instagram, from everywhere,”

he said.

“It’s especially fun when people tell me my photos remind them of their farm where they grew up, even if they’re not still in the business.”

As a professional farmer, part of the Dinsmore Farms family, Jon also appreciates the business aspect that comes with the connections he has built, opportunities to share ideas and best practices, and see new equipment.

“There’s real business that happens on social media,”

he added.

In addition to Instagram, Jon is also on Twitter (@thefarmerjon).

Source: RDO Equipment Co.

The post RDO Equipment Co. and John Deere Tractors Team Up for a Yuma Farmer appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

The new Austoft models combine the best of its predecessors and the most advanced solutions to the sugarcane harvesting sector to create a machine that offers easier operation, improved harvest quality and increased productivity.

The Austoft 8010 and 8810 sugarcane harvesters, with a raft of new features and improvements, were introduced in Australia, South East Asia and China last year after 18,000 hours of testing on the field. The two models are now ready to be commercialised also in Africa and Middle East.

Marcin Ruppert, Case IH Marketing Manager Middle East and Africa, commented: “The new Austoft 8010 and 8810 models further extend our product offering, meeting an increasing demand for innovation in the sugarcane harvesting industry. We are confident sugarcane growers will appreciate the improvements in these new machines which will lead to more profit for the farmers and increased output for sugar mills.”

Among the new features are LED work lights, a raised cab position for better operator visibility which doesn’t add to the overall height of the harvester and new rearview mirrors, footrests and operator seat to improve driver comfort.

Other features and improvements include:

• Optional ‘Auto Float’ function (crop divider height control): This function automates the control of both crop divider lift cylinders, keeping the toe in contact with the soil at all times, while also preventing ‘ploughing’. It can stop inexperienced operators from accidentally lowering the crop dividers too deep, while letting experienced operators focus more attention on other harvesting functions. Activation has been integrated into the Auto Tracker control, so no additional operator actions are needed to use the system.
• Larger diesel fuel tank: The tank has 29 per cent more capacity and an adjusted position within the machine to increase the number of hours in the field, reduce maintenance costs and improve serviceability.
• Three operational video cameras: These are now standard, positioned on the sides and lower part of the machine and able to be easily monitored on the AFS® Pro700, with adjustable screens that provide easy interaction and switching of views.
• Improved engine protection software: This software improvement is designed to reduce the risk of engine damage due to a high cooling system temperature, and these events are now recorded to help identify issues with improper operation or inadequate maintenance.Sugarcane harvester

World-class sugarcane harvesters

The new Austoft 8010 and 8810 models are the latest arrival in the Case IH product family. The Austoft Series has a long history of leading the world in cane-harvesting technology, promoting excellent cane quality and ultra-clean samples. It has also earnt a solid reputation for its advanced solutions, performance and high levels of customer satisfaction which have been proven the world-over.

With this release, Case IH now offers a full range of harvesting equipment for all sugarcane varieties and growing conditions in the world. Today, Case IH’s sugarcane harvesting solutions are:

• The Austoft 4000 Series: specifically designed for small to medium landholdings or big plantations with reduced row spacing. This harvester is a superb option for sugarcane fields with reduced spacings of 1.0 and 1.1 meters, and for those cane growers who need or wish to start harvesting mechanically, or for big plantation areas where the Austoft 4000 can harvest short rows or low productivity soils.
• The Austoft 8000 Series: capable of harvesting up to 100 tonnes per hour. Its output, and the cleanness of the sugarcane billets delivered to the mill, enable the exceptionally efficient production of high quality sugar. The high performance and reduced cane loss are due to a combination of factors: a powerful yet efficient engine, industry-leading cutter, chopper and extractor design, and operator-friendly features that make driving easier and more precise.

To complement its product offerings, Case IH also offers extensive training for operators and customers, plus unrivalled technical support and after-sales service. For bigger agricultural businesses Case IH expert advisers also help formulate mechanisation plans tailored to their individual needs, taking into account variations in climate, soil type and terrain.

Source: Case ih news

The post Case IH launches new sugarcane harvesters appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.