Positive Thinking (Continued from Page A 1) property was long and frustrat ing, taking a year and a half to secure the loan. “It took us 18 months to pur chase the farm from the time that we saw it to the time we made contact, until we got (USDA) to put it on the market Matt and Barbara with their dog Bosco on their Beaver Township farm. They purchased the Columbia county property in 1998. In lough economic limes the Outback .S is widely iccogm/ed as the ideal tool to icducc input costs thiough hcllci dn\ mg accuiacv On a 1 SOO icic taim with S2SO 000 in annual inputs a simple I*n increase in dii\ mg accuracy will return S 2 S(H) m sasings Now do the math on a increase in dm mg accuracy It s all possible with the Outback'S but only it you ACT NOW Outback®36o • System allows you to manage closely and cut costs on virtually every field function • Works in coniunclion with Outback'S, works to provide simple but powerful mapping and field record keeping • Keep track of field coverage, chemical rates, hybrids, seeding rales, planting depth or virtually anything you can imagine Jk and secure the financing,” said Matt. Matt also noted he spoke to 17 different banks before one would speak to him about a farm loan, because many of the larger banks have a no agriculture loan policy. While financing the farm was challenging, the Balliet’s greatest • Replaces row markers Never pay for expensive repairs again • Dramatically reduce driver error you add up the savings • Quickly adapts to tractor drawbar • Utilizes Outback'S signal to provide Implement Guidance A division oj >, Inc. The Balliets installed this grain drying system in 1999, just before the drought of that year. Photos by Charlene Shupp Espenshade challenge came after making the fateful decision to invest into the equipment to become self-suffi cient in 1999. They installed a grain drying system to store grain during har vest, allowing the Balliets to con centrate on harvest and not have to move the grain until they are done. Outback® Hitch 2005 West Oregon Street • PO BOX 394 Hiawatha, Kansas 66434 USA Phone (785) 742-2949 • FAX (785) 742-4584 www outbackgmdance com “That was one of the hardest things for us. In ’9B I was still working. I had all of my field work custom hired. In '99,1 went 100 percent on my own. We bor rowed the money and bought all of our equipment, put the grain system in, got the trucks, and bought a combine. After we got the grain system in, it really hit The Outhaek S will he one of llle e{Uiekest lUums on investment VOU II e\ el e xpei lellee I!?* 1 ? 1 ! <s& e-Dif Correction Software • The economical back-up correction signal in the event WAAS is ever not available • Provides accurate pass-10-pass guidance • Internally generates a stable DGPS without receiving any external correction signal • Keeps you running accurately when everyone else is down Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 27, 2003-Al9 Exclusive to ELIZABETHTOWN (Lancaster Co.) Mes sick Farm Equipment Inc. will exhibit moie than 30 pieces of farm equipment in its largest display ever at the Pennsylvania Farm Show, according to Jay Gainer, general manager. Messick will combine its exhibitor space with that left open by New Holland North America, Inc. who will not be represented at the show this year. However, Messick will be displaying nu merous New Holland machines, including a brand new combine and a self-propelled forage harvester. New Holland's line of hay equipment will be well represented. Visitors can expect to see differ ent types of balers, mowers, and other haymak ing equipment. A new model subcompact tractor from New Holland is to be unveiled at the Farm Show, in its “first show anywhere,” Gainer said. The rest of New Holland’s line of tractors will also be on display. Other equipment at the Messick exhibition w ill include a Case-IH tractor and skid loader. New ton Crouch stainless steel lime and teitdizer spreader, and a new sprayer and new folding ro tary rake from Miller Pro. NCFC Applauds USDA Grants For Market Development WASHINGTON, D.C. The National Coun cil of Farmer Cooperatives (NCFC) commended Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman for an nouncing more than $28.7 million in grants awarded through the Rural Business-Coopera tive Service value-added agricultural product market development program. Over 180 grants in 40 states were made, including many to farm er cooperatives. “This grant program has been a proven suc cess in terms of helping farmers and their coop eratives capitlize on value-added business oppor tunities and capture a greater share of the value of their production beyond the farm gate,” said Terry Barr, interim president of NCFC. “Farm ers today face many economic challenges; strengthening their ability to join together in co operative self-help efforts is essentia! to any long term solution.” The program allows farmer cooperatives, among other eligible participants, to qualify for up to $500,000 in matching grants for feasibility home. Because we were so busy (getting everything in), it did not really hit home how hard the drought was going to be, until then. That was a bad year to spend all of that money.” Despite the drought, the Bal liet’s investment into equipment (Turn to Page A 22) Fsiwwi I 2004 Spotlight
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