How agriculture works thread

[sixdogs]

Not my picture, but thought it might be interesting for some people. I remember being pretty young, 15-16? pitching in to help get wheat processed and running a combine on some pretty steep hillsides around Walla Walla area. You slide down while you are cutting but try to pick a line that will get the most width.

Wow, what a slope to combine on. I never knew that was possible.

 

[cqaigy2]

It's really interesting when the mechanism that keeps it level, malfunctions when you are on a hillside. All of a sudden you start to go over to the down hill side and think you are rolling over. Shut everything down and then you pop the downhill side door and drop what feels like 15 feet and try not to continue rolling down the hillside. Pro Tip, don't just twist the wires back together, fix it the right way.

 

[ArlyA]

Spraying crops in Ortonville MN. Gee, I know people there. Kind of neat how the spray boom height stays adjusted. Looking at there soil reminds me this is out of the Red river valley.

 

[JasperFrank]

My grandfather and all of his friends, at some point told me to never be a farmer and follow the farming history of our family. They said to do anything else. I thought it odd that they would say this. Now I understand it. No one really wants local food. They want the mega corps to make all the food, using economy of scale, that is so much cheaper.

 

[ArlyA]

My grandfather and all of his friends, at some point told me to never be a farmer and follow the farming history of our family. They said to do anything else. I thought it odd that they would say this. Now I understand it. No one really wants local food. They want the mega corps to make all the food, using economy of scale, that is so much cheaper.

It is normal for industries to consolidate over time. There was 100's steel mills at the turn of the century, in 1960 there was something like 60 snowmobile manufacturers. Railroads and farmers do the same. You might be shocked to see the acreage my family members farm, yet that property was homesteaded in tiny 160 partials.

 

[Torvy]

Spraying crops in Ortonville MN. Gee, I know people there. Kind of neat how the spray boom height stays adjusted. Looking at there soil reminds me this is out of the Red river valley.

Those are my old stomping grounds. They used to have a skating rink in Ortonville that teens from miles around would frequent.

We are driving up north right now on US81 and have seen a lot of sprayers on the road and in fields in Nebraska. Most of the corn seems to be tasseling. Lots of burning today too. Rare day with little wind.

For those unfamiliar...central Nebraska grows a lot of corn and soybeans...some alfalfa, too.

 

[Torvy]

Next year y'all can go to Cornfest.

Ortonville Cornfest 2022, an Event in Ortonville, Minnesota

Lakeside Park, Ortonville, MN 56278. Join us for fun, food, entertainment, fireworks, free hot buttered sweet corn. Weekend of excitement and family fun at the…

festivalnet.com

 

[ArlyA]

Nice video of 9 series JD combines in western Kentucky harvesting wheat with track kits on them. They are running 40ft drapper heads on them.

 

[Jstpssng]

My grandfather and all of his friends, at some point told me to never be a farmer and follow the farming history of our family. They said to do anything else. I thought it odd that they would say this. Now I understand it. No one really wants local food. They want the mega corps to make all the food, using economy of scale, that is so much cheaper.

The more necessary things are for life the more we take it for granted without wanting to pay for it. Look at the current price of gas, or the water crisis out west. Yet nobody complains much about the price of beer, wine, whiskey or cigarettes.

 

[Jstpssng]

There was 100's steel mills at the turn of the century, in 1960 there was something like 60 snowmobile manufacturers.

Most of those are just gone though, not consolidated. (You might also want to check the year on your snowmobiles... in 1960 sleds were just being developed.)

 

[ArlyA]

Most of those are just gone though, not consolidated. (You might also want to check the year on your snowmobiles... in 1960 sleds were just being developed.)

• 1920s – Carl Eliason creates the first versions of the modern snowmobile. These were first patented in 1927 and later contracted for military use. Model T conversions using skis and tracks also popped up during the 1920s.
• 1935 – Joseph-Armand Bombardier invents the first version of the modern-day snowmobile.
• 1937 – Bombardier receives his first patent for these machines.
• 1941 – Eliason snowmobiles go into official production.
• 1950 – The first Canadian-designed snowmobile, the Ingham Motor Toboggan, goes into production.
• 1956 – Polaris creates its first widely sold snowmobile, the Sno-Traveler.
• 1962 – The first Arctic Cat snowmobile goes into production, the Model 500.
• 1963 – Rubber tracks begin to be used rather than metal caterpillar style tracks.
• 1968 – Yamaha produces the first snowmobile with slide valve carbs.
• 1973 – Ski-Doo develops the ski carbide
• 1980 – The Polaris TXL Indy 340 is the first snowmobile to offer independent front suspension.

 

[ovrszd]

Wow, what a slope to combine on. I never knew that was possible.

Back when combines used shaker seives JD made a hillside model that kept the screens flat. Now rotary combines don't care so much.

 

[lman]

The more necessary things are for life the more we take it for granted without wanting to pay for it. Look at the current price of gas, or the water crisis out west. Yet nobody complains much about the price of beer, wine, whiskey or cigarettes.

We don't complain about things we don't buy. Who would waste their money on that trash?

 

[Jstpssng]

• 1920s – Carl Eliason creates the first versions of the modern snowmobile. These were first patented in 1927 and later contracted for military use. Model T conversions using skis and tracks also popped up during the 1920s.
• 1935 – Joseph-Armand Bombardier invents the first version of the modern-day snowmobile.
• 1937 – Bombardier receives his first patent for these machines.
• 1941 – Eliason snowmobiles go into official production.
• 1950 – The first Canadian-designed snowmobile, the Ingham Motor Toboggan, goes into production.
• 1956 – Polaris creates its first widely sold snowmobile, the Sno-Traveler.
• 1962 – The first Arctic Cat snowmobile goes into production, the Model 500.
• 1963 – Rubber tracks begin to be used rather than metal caterpillar style tracks.
• 1968 – Yamaha produces the first snowmobile with slide valve carbs.
• 1973 – Ski-Doo develops the ski carbide
• 1980 – The Polaris TXL Indy 340 is the first snowmobile to offer independent front suspension.

That's a small list compared to the mid '60s to early '70s. Some of the earlier machines weren't what most consider to be a asnowmobile; otherwise you also could include the Lombard Log Hauler, among others.
According to Bombardier,

Joseph-Armand Bombardier never abandoned his dream of inventing the perfect personal snowmobile. His persistent experimentation eventually spawned a brand-new industry: snowmobiling. In 1959, he launched his world-famous Ski-Doo.

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Vintage Flashback: How Many Were There? | SnoWest Magazine

Whenever someone visits the Sweeten Snowmobile Museum in Lindon, UT, they always ask the same two questions: “Do all of these run?” and “How many snowmobile manufacturers were there?”

www.snowest.com

 

[Jstpssng]

We don't complain about things we don't buy. Who would waste their money on that trash?

You're just one person. There is a lot of money spent on "that trash".
Hence my comment that people don't complain about the prices. Yet neither this, or my comment about snowmobiles have much to do with the original topic. Thread drift is common, yet I vote that we get this one back on track.

 

[ovrszd]

You're just one person. There is a lot of money spent on "that trash".
Hence my comment that people don't complain about the prices. Yet neither this, or my comment about snowmobiles have much to do with the original topic. Thread drift is common, yet I vote that we get this one back on track.

One man's treasure is another man's trash.

 

[Creamer]

Back when combines used shaker seives JD made a hillside model that kept the screens flat. Now rotary combines don't care so much.

Not sure what you are talking about - maybe the straw walkers that separated the grain from the straw? The entire grain separation sieve system has not changed a lot in the last 100 years - the sieves today are basically the same as what was used in the threshing machines and are very much susceptible to overloading one side and then throwing the grain over. In fact the photo of the sidehill machine that was posted is a rotary combine. This is not to say that the newer machines have not made improvements to the sieve system to better keep it from overloading, plugging, and also increasing capacity dramatically but the basic system is the same.

The only real stab at a major change was Gleaner's first rotary machines came out (1980 timeframe) with what were called accelerator rolls which were essentially geared rubber rollers that engaged each other and essentially threw the grain onto the front of the sieve system into a major air blast in an attempt to do about 60% of the separating right at the front of the sieve but they had some issues with this system and I do not know if they ever go them worked out. Other makers have created a series of troughs sometimes with augurs to dump the grain on the sieves versus the old flat grain pans in an attempt to keep the grain from sliding to one side. This is an issue on relatively minor hillsides in heavy grain.

 

[ArlyA]

Not sure what you are talking about - maybe the straw walkers that separated the grain from the straw? The entire grain separation sieve system has not changed a lot in the last 100 years - the sieves today are basically the same as what was used in the threshing machines and are very much susceptible to overloading one side and then throwing the grain over. In fact the photo of the sidehill machine that was posted is a rotary combine. This is not to say that the newer machines have not made improvements to the sieve system to better keep it from overloading, plugging, and also increasing capacity dramatically but the basic system is the same.

The only real stab at a major change was Gleaner's first rotary machines came out (1980 timeframe) with what were called accelerator rolls which were essentially geared rubber rollers that engaged each other and essentially threw the grain onto the front of the sieve system into a major air blast in an attempt to do about 60% of the separating right at the front of the sieve but they had some issues with this system and I do not know if they ever go them worked out. Other makers have created a series of troughs sometimes with augurs to dump the grain on the sieves versus the old flat grain pans in an attempt to keep the grain from sliding to one side. This is an issue on relatively minor hillsides in heavy grain.

I didn't think that had changed the shakers/walkers much as well.

 

[Hay Dude]

My grandfather and all of his friends, at some point told me to never be a farmer and follow the farming history of our family. They said to do anything else. I thought it odd that they would say this. Now I understand it. No one really wants local food. They want the mega corps to make all the food, using economy of scale, that is so much cheaper.

A farm right next to my property diversified. Not only do they row crop, but co-op with me producing hay. They also do farm-to-table dinners. They own a produce stand. They host weddings, too. That keeps them going when they know 450 acres just doesn’t make enough to keep going in today’s world.
Farming ”takes your life” in many ways. You lose a lot of freedoms to farm. In some ways you gain the freedom of not being chained to, lets say working at a parts store counter, but you lose the freedoms of being able to take off from work when you want. Weekends are just another work day. My son and I frequently work 12 hours on Saturdays & Sundays. Always seems to be the best baling days…..lol
The danger of injury or worse are always just around the corner.
Up early, late to bed. Constant equipment issues. Too much rain, too little rain, but over the decades of farming it seems to even out. I have been lucky to make a decent profit by being diversified (mowing, construction, property maintenance) and having the help necessary to run side businesses that generate extra income to make it all worthwhile. I am really lucky to have a couple connections off-farm where I have been fortunate to gain their trust and in return been given steady property maintenance contracts.
Outside of the mega farms, it seems like diversification is what is going to keep the smaller farmers going. If I was only making 400 acres of hay per year, it wouldn’t be enough to sustain the lifestyle I want to have for my family.

 

[ArlyA]

Hillside combining in Switzerland. That is really, really some hills they are doing! Or paste this onto Ytube

Wheat Harvest on the abyss Cabview | Special Combine Harvester Deutz-Fahr M35.75 ​