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 !