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Dealer Survey Planter Order Deliveries
Updated Report

Survey Shows Year-End Reality for Farmers, Dealers

A survey of farmers & dealers, closed on November 17, reveals a window into what the next 6 weeks will look like as farmers exit the field, meet with their accountants and make year-end purchases.
By Mike Lessiter posted on November 19, 2021 | Posted in Used Equipment Remarketing, Manufacturer & Dealer Issues, Data & Forecasts

In this most unusual year of high farm incomes, rising inputs and scarce supply of nearly everything, Farm Equipment and Ag Equipment Intelligence conducted a 48-hour survey from November 15-17 on the year-end situation, which drew 257 growers and 80 dealers.


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The No-Till Planter Race: Did IH Get There Before A-C?

International Harvester appears to have been the first to come to market with a no-till concept planter — 13 years before Allis-Chalmers’ model found commercial success in 1966. But IH exited production just 2 years later after only 23 shipments.
By Mike Lessiter posted on October 21, 2021 | Posted in Product Innovations & Introductions
As our staff was delving into research for the “Timeline of No-Till History," ​the No-Till Museum we’ll be bringing to the National No-Tillage Conference in Louisville, and an all-new history series planned in 2022 to mark the “triple crown” of no-till milestones, we discovered some mystery over the first no-till planter. And it’s the kind of discovery that’s sure to fuel additional debates.
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To the Point

Rounding the Corner to 2021

By Mike Lessiter posted on October 6, 2020 | Posted in Manufacturer & Dealer Issues
Just within the last few weeks, there’s been plenty to keep one’s attention, both in and outside of the farm economy. For a while up until the first debate, even the presidential election seemed to be fighting for attention. Here’s just a few things we’ve been watching as we put together the final edition of 2020.
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To the Point

Are We Commoditizing Ourselves?

By Mike Lessiter posted on September 21, 2020
“They’ll know more about the products than I can anyway,” he said. Yet without opportunity to contribute to decisions, it also increases the likelihood that your transaction will become “commoditized.”
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To the Point

Your 2020 Dealer of the Year ...

By Mike Lessiter posted on July 10, 2020
It was 15 years ago this summer that Farm Equipment’s Dealership of the Year (DOY) edition made its debut. Revisiting the collection of articles on these Alumni Group Members over this period provides an interesting timestamping of growth in the size of leading dealer operations.
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To the Point

What 2020 Has to Teach ...

By Mike Lessiter posted on May 4, 2020 | Posted in Best Practices, Dealer Succession
The only thing that sounds as crazy as offering someone a congratulations in advance of persevering through an ongoing economic crisis is the idea of accepting it. But if you don’t (or attempt to avoid it altogether), you’ll miss what a hardship promises to teach — as well as tomorrow’s reward for having endured it.
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Dealer Day in the Life Series

Today's Recap: Ty Rankin, GM at Lone Star Ag, Friona and Dalhart, Texas

By Mike Lessiter posted on April 21, 2020
Ty Rankin is the GM at Lone Star Ag (previously known as Parmer County Implement), a 2-store operation carrying Kubota, Claas, MacDon, JCB and Oxbo. Lone Star Ag is specialized in its product offering and doesn’t deal with planters and sprayers like dealers in other parts of the country. Its business is very much harvest related. “All of our equipment, with the exception of Kubota, focuses on silage.”
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Farm Equipment Videos

Stories from Independent Farm Equipment Innovators, Episode 1

Stories from Independent Farm Equipment Innovators, Episode 1

This inaugural episode in plans for a new docuseries introduces father-son duo Ward and Marc McConnell who’ve led farm equipment manufacturer Art’s Way Manufacturing and other businesses. Filmed in Texas in 2017, this 13-minute video is one of 25 in-person interviews on the legacies of family-run equipment manufacturers collected over several years. This pilot is being early-released to mark the 1-year anniversary of Ward’s passing in May 2021.
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Built on 90 years of expertise, Yetter Farm Equipment leads the agriculture industry in designing effective and innovative equipment for residue management, seedbed preparation, precision fertilizer placement, harvest attachments, strip-tillage, and more.
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Machinery Scope offers premier risk management tools for farm equipment. We provide timely, personalized, and flexible solutions to protect more farm equipment investments than anyone in the industry. We add value and peace of mind when you are buying, selling, or managing your farm equipment by offering extended warranty plans.
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