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
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