Global Agricultural Machinery and Farm Equipment
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Jeff Esdaile
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- Tamworth NSW
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Chao Sinh,
Stephane Boulakia can be contacted at 012-305-961.
I understand that a workshop on these seed drills is being held in Cambodia on 22 July.
I think the drills will be on display.
If you contact Stephane, he may send you an invitation.
JE...
Matthew,
There is quite a bit of stuff out there on walking tractors. They are commonly referred to as 'power tillers' or 'two wheel tractors' or sometimes as 'single axle tractors'.
A lot of work has been done in India.
There are research papers ...
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Comment Wall (14 comments)
- At 4:32pm on October 7, 2009,
James C. Kenney said…
- Hello Jeff,
Thanks for the comments. One thing I didn't mention is that we intend to start bringing the farm back in 5 acre/yr increments. We fully recognize the limitations of a walking tractor. The land actually only has about 25 to 30 acres that are tillable, the rest is too shallow for effective use except as pasture for animals. Plus one section of about 2 acres tends to be quite wet except in the driest time of the year.
We are also planning to put only part of the acreage into annual crops. Approximately half will be in perennial fruits with a mix between brambles and apples and possibly pears. This area would be set up for customers to harvest their own fruits, which would be weighed at a field side stand and paid for there. This is a very popular and successful model used in our area.
The fruit trees would be a long term project, with production not being realized for several years after planting.
Another avenue would be the use of raised beds for planting, which we have both tried with very good success. Once established, the soil only needs amendments at annual or bi-annual intervals and very little tillage since compaction from equipment or foot traffic is avoided. I have been able to grow very good root crops where the general soil depth was 6" before the beds were created. Weed control is also much easier. The beds are generally 3' wide by 10" high, which is also easier on the back. I am looking at tailoring equipment to straddle the beds while planting, cultivating, and harvesting. Closer plant spacing can also be used on many crops this way, to compensate for the lost surface area between the beds. So far, we have only done this on a small scale, but trying this on a larger scale would be part of the learning process.
I have studied the machines coming from China through links on this site and have also "test driven" a BCS tractor owned by a small scale farmer north of us. I will pass on information as we move forward with our work and welcome any future suggestions you have.
Sincerely,
Jim
- At 4:31am on October 7, 2009,
James C. Kenney said…
- Hello Jeff,
Hit the wrong key and ended my comment prematurely.
The land here ranges from heavy clay that drains poorly to sandy loam that is rich and easily worked, sometimes in fields that are side by side. We have deep soil but also much thin soil over limestone deposits. The springs are generally wet with alternating warm and cold patterns, snow falling as late as mid-May. In the summers the temperatures range from the low 70's to the mid 90's Fahrenheit, with late July and August often seeing less than 6" of rain. The falls are usually dry to start, with rains becoming steady in October and November. Snow can fall as early as mid-October, although it usually does not stay on the ground until late November. Winters usually bring temperatures from 0° to -30° Fahrenheit and total snow accumulations of 6' to 15' (depending upon location), with 2' to 5' of snow cover during January and February. This snowfall is a result of being on the lee side of Lake Ontario.
I was raised on a dairy farm close to my friend's land and have that experience to build on. After graduating from college, I have worked several years in each of the following occupations: manufacturing of specialized mortars; all phases of residential construction; teaching on the primary and secondary levels; local government zoning and land use board; currently employed in the technical department of the North American divison of Roth industries GmBH, which manufactures and markets radiant heating products, solar and geothermal heating systems, potable water PEX plumbing systems, and double walled fuel oil safety tanks using blow-molding machinery. I am also an elder in my local church, which has a strong focus on providing solutions to peoples' needs, both locally and internationally. My friend has two decades of experience in the warehousing and distribution of foodstuffs, an extensive experience with intensive gardening, and the ability to establish very practical limits and goals and business practices.
Currently there is a strong movement in the United States to revive small scale farming. We see this as an opportunity to learn and practice this type of farming with an emphasis on minimal tillage and minimal use of inorganic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. We ultimately want to see this develop into a teaching program to expose young people, both in our area and from other parts of the world, who are unfamiliar with small scale farming. The idea is to help them see and experience the possibilities that small scale farming offers in building, or rebuilding, the land and the people who live on it in a less obtrusive and more sustainable way. The intent is to avoid a major mistake of the past, when mechanized farming has been merely transplanted to other parts of the world, and instead equip people with a mix of experience and concepts that can be adapted to the land, climate, and customs of any given region.
Maybe this is a tall order for a single 50 acre farm, but multiplied on enough other 50 acre farms and real change can be made in the lives of millions. Any suggestions members of the forum can make would be most appreciated.
Sincerely,
Jim Kenney
- At 3:25am on October 7, 2009,
James C. Kenney said…
- Hello Jeff,
The farm is located in northern New York State. I originally became involved in this project with the intention of helping a very good friend, who had experienced several serious setbacks in recent years, return his farmland to a profitable condition. As we discussed the various options, one concern was what type of machinery to use. I have two post WWII walking tractors that I have desired to utilize, but was unsure of the best way to do so. As we began looking at his land, I chanced upon this forum and was excited to see the possibilities that walking tractors present for limited acerage farming. Upon sharing this information with my friend, we have agreed that this presents the best opportunity to work his land without an extensive finacial commitment to equipment. This will free up money to be put into land and buildings, as needed.
- At 5:17pm on October 2, 2009,
Sebastian Nader said…
- Hello, I would like to invite you to visit Farmsphere.com (http://www.farmsphere.com), an online platform oriented on develop the opportunities and leverage the collective knowledge in Food & AgriBusiness globally, starting from thematic networks of professionals, entrepreneurs, investors, managers, researchers and students, who can only join the network through an application or the recommendation of colleagues.
Your feedback and comments are welcome. It will be very useful if you can share this information with your Ag & food colleagues. Thank You!
- At 7:13am on May 27, 2009,
Victor Chen said… - Dear Jeff,
Ok,understand.
Best regards,
Victor
- At 4:40am on May 27, 2009,
Victor Chen said…
- Dear Jeff,
Thanks for your interest in the seeder.
Will let you know the seeder box specifications this week.By the way,how many rows is of most interst to you?
Regards,
Victor
- At 5:08pm on April 28, 2009,
Michael Abonitalla said… - Hi Sir,
I'm interested of building your planter for 2WT perhaps you can send me a plan or a video of how it is made. I am a new farmer from the Philippines looking for more efficiency in my small farm. I may someday provide custom fabrication of your good farm machinery here in our place. Thanks
- At 2:26pm on March 18, 2009,
Victor Chen said…
- Dear Jeff,
Please check the seed drill with a fertilizer box.
Please keep me advised,if you need other information.
Regards,
Victor
czyzhd@yahoo.com
- At 4:35pm on February 5, 2009,
Agro Trade Group in Cameroon. i looking agreculture business partner. said…
- Hi i am Mr MASIB CEO the AGRO TRADE GROUP in Cameroon .i looking
frainds for business & Ather doman. pl give me answer if is possibal?
REGARDS
MASIB
email:infg2075@yahoo.com
- At 3:25pm on February 1, 2009,
Himanshu Dawar said… - Hi there Mr. Jeff, I am from India and i had just joined this Global Network, and going through it i got the address of you, actually we are the manufacturers and suppliers of agricultural implements. we are exporting our implements all over the world.
For more details please log on to www.krishiking.com
Please do go through our site and i hope that we definitely can be beneficial for both of us.
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