Have you ever needed to haul a bale of hay but the tractor with the spears is at the farm farthest from the barn? This is a problem I came across on a cold winter day, and the idea for hydraulic spears for a pickup truck crossed my mind. I’m Zepplin Smith, a student at Olton Independent School District, Olton, Texas.

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) has produced a new safety manual for agricultural sprayer operators and maintenance personnel. The manual covers a typical daily work environment for the equipment, outlining the latest accepted safety procedures in clearly stated safety warnings, graphics and text.

The 48-page manual was developed by AEM member manufacturers in an ad hoc agricultural sprayer committee under the auspices of the association’s Farm Equipment Council (FEC) Agricultural Safety Committee.

New Holland Agriculture has launched a free Farming Weather Forecast and Services app that the company says is distinct from the purely product-based apps already on the market.

Because accurate weather forecasting is a prerequisite for efficient and productive farming, New Holland's app provides local forecasts. Data is drawn from a network of over 71,000 weather stations. Using geo-location technology, that data is received and analyzed from the closest sub-station. Available information includes actual and "feels like" temperature, pressure, and wind speed and direction – of prime importance when spraying.

Read More

When does equipment pay for itself? Determining when a capital investment moves from breakeven to profitable is tricky. Since the useful life of the equipment is longer than one year and is often financed for a period of years, it’s a question that every producer or service provider should ask. There is a certain peace of mind knowing that your investment actually does pay.