Welp, we failed to hear from Hank or any of his cohorts on the ice fishing trip today, and I’m willing to bet it was because one of three things, either: he’s in such a remote location he couldn’t get wireless service to e-mail a blog; he ran into such good luck he couldn’t spare the time it takes to put down the rod, reel and beverage; or (God forbid, and this sounds like something that would happen to our Gritty) he fell through.

The good news is if he’d fallen through, all of us here at the office would probably know it by now. Watch this space Monday for Hank’s full ice fishing report.

Best Regards,
Caleb

I am a big fan of Swisher’s QuickSwitch ATV attachment system and have used it on the Polaris Sportsman 500 ATV with everything from a front bucket to snow plow to rear grader blade. The QuickSwitch system makes it easy to change ATV implements and helps you get the most from your ATV. The newest of QuickSwitch-compatible attachments is the Grappler – a grapple fork that’s designed to take hold of awkward cargo such as fence posts, logs, rocks and various kinds of tangled debris.  

The Grappler lists for about $390 and features bolt-together construction to save on shipping costs. The attachment can be used on either the front or rear of the ATV and requires a winch and fairlead for operation.

I haven’t had a chance to mess with the Grappler yet, but considering the value we have received with other Swisher QuickSwitch attachments, I have no doubt that the Grappler is another winner. Look for the Grappler, QuickSwitch and other ATV attachments at a dealer near you.

I am heading up the road as you read this. With any luck, I will post my blog tomorrow from the surface of some frozen lake … if I get a decent wireless connection and don’t fall through the ice that is. If I don’t make it tomorrow, stay tuned for the full road-trip report on Monday.

I have been a fan of Duluth Trading Company’s products for many years and I’ve never felt I didn’t get more than my money’s worth with any Duluth products. However, the company has thrown down the gauntlet on their recently torture-tested Fire Hose® work pants. Put simply, they challenge us to put the pants through their paces – and if we rip, tear, or fray them, or are for any reason not satisfied with them, the folks at Duluth Trading will send us another pair, no questions asked. 

Put in specific corporate language: “If your Duluth Trading Fire Hose Work Pants ever let you down, fray, tear, rip or give out, send them back to us. No questions asked, we’ll send you a brand spankin’ new pair, and the shipping’s on us.”

Wow eh? Duluth is willing to publicize this offer because they sell one of the toughest, if not the toughest line of work clothes around. And just to be sure, the company had their Fire Hose® material tested. After extensive analysis, an independent lab discovered that Duluth’s Fire Hose® Work Pants in a 10.9 oz. fabric weight, deliver tearing strength and abrasion resistance that’s a cut above top workwear brands. Ounce for ounce, the Duluth Fire Hose® Work Pants lasted three times longer than any other work pant tested.

Get your own pair of Fire Hose® Work Pants today and see if you can work them hard enough to honestly deserve a replacement pair. I know I am going to give it a shot.

For the record, I am wearing a Duluth Trading Co. shirt, belt and boots here at the office today.

Just when you think the only biofuel source will come from conventional farming with conventional crops, the scientists at the USDA’s ARS discover something new and interesting. This time the plant in question is a shrub called Guayule (pronounced why-YOU-lee) and it is native to the American Southwest. This desert shrub produces high quality latex that lacks the proteins associated with most latex allergies and the material that remains after extracting latex contains about the same amount of energy as a similar quantity of charcoal.

The medical industry is excited about guayule’s latex because it is of sufficient quality to produce premium gloves, tubing, sheets and other products that when produced from the rubber tree can cause deadly allergic reactions in some patients. What’s even cooler about this latex source is that it is extracted with water, which puts less strain on the environment than organic-solvent-dependent processes.

Once the latex is gone, the remaining sawdust-like plant material (called bagasse) could be burned directly, but it also shows excellent potential as a source of ethanol, bio-oil and synthetic gas.

Guayule is a perennial, so it need be planted only once for many years of harvest. According to ARS scientists, the plant requires no herbicide once it is established and isn’t susceptible to any significant insect, fungal or bacterial pests. The branches can be harvested as soon as two years after planting under ideal conditions. And guayule can be re-harvested every year and a half thereafter. Now that’s exciting.

I don’t think that guayule is any panacea, but it is an interesting desert shrub that’s easy and ecologically inexpensive to grow. Guayule could be part of a global solution in the long term.

Read more about guayule here.  

Photos courtesy ARS: Top photo by Jack Dykinga; bottom photo by Peggy Greb.

Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists have discovered that some of the most cherished saltwater fish species can be raised from eggs to market size hundreds, if not thousands of miles from the ocean, or any body of saltwater for that matter. The two saltwater fish species in question, pompano and cobia, are among the most aggressively sought culinary delights in the restaurant business and natural populations run the risk of damage due to over fishing.

Using an energy and environmentally sparing re-circulating aquaculture system (RAS) ARS scientists have shown that it is possible to rear market-quality fish in water that is less than 20 percent the salinity of seawater. Compared with other sea-side salt-water fish farming methods that pump millions of gallons of seawater through rearing pens each year, the RAS method reuses most of the water more or less indefinitely and produces minimal daily wastewater (about 3 percent of the total gallons circulated through the system.

Although the RAS method of farming saltwater fish is still experimental, the possibility of setting up such an operation on acreages around the country appeals to me. Perhaps I will be a Kansas cobia farmer someday. Read more about this interesting new development here.

Photos by Stephen Ausmus – courtesy ARS.

The folks at KIOTI Tractor, a division of Daedong Industrial Co., Ltd, now offer a pair of new cab tractors to the North American market. . The DK50SE HST  and the DK35SE HST Cab bring the number of tractors in KIOTI’s popular DKSE Series up to 6 models that range from 35 – 49 horsepower.  These new tractors bring comfort and performance to KIOTI's extensive tractor lineup.

The brand new KIOTI DK50SE HST 49 horsepower tractor boasts a Tier IV, 4-cylinder, water-cooled diesel engine. A Rear PTO with optional mid-PTO allows users of this mid-range tractor to power a multitude of implements and attachments, making it capable of handling a wide pretty much any chore around the farm or acreage.  The Category I, 3-point hitch further enhances the DK50’s versatility.  “Many users have come to love our DKSE HST tractors for their ease of use and versatility,” says Ron Parrish, Market Development Manager for KIOTI Tractor.  “Anyone who can drive a car can get into the operator’s seat of one of these machines and quickly become comfortable and productive operating it.”

KIOTI’s new DK50SE HST model is available with or without a cab, although the company expects most to be delivered with the cab, which gives buyer’s the luxury of heating or air conditioning and protection from the weather.

Standard features on these new models include: high visibility glass, power steering, front and rear working lights, wet-disc brakes, rear differential lock, joy stick loader control, electronically engaged four wheel drive, electronically engaged PTO with auto and manual positions, an oil cooler and KIOTI’s 4-Year, Full-Fleet Warranty.    

All of the features found in the DK50SE HST are also found on the slightly smaller KIOTI DK35SE HST, 38 horsepower model.  “The success of our DK line in large part is due to all the standard features built into the machines,” says Parrish.  “Many competitive tractor manufacturers offer these same features at an additional cost.  When you purchase a KIOTI, they are part of the package.”

Although I have yet to operate these machines, I did get a chance to look them over and I continue to be impressed with KIOTI’s approach to growing their compact and utility tractor lines. Test-drive these new cab tractors at your local KIOTI dealer this spring.

The March issue of Farm Collector Magazine just resurfaced on my desk; there is something about the Massey-Harris Pony on the cover that makes me smile. It’s true that I am especially partial to International Harvester tractors, but I really like the little Pony because it reminds me of the Farmall Cub. If ever there was a cute tractor, this is it.

Farm Collector is one of my favorite magazines because it honors the people, machinery and companies that coalesced to form the firm foundation of world-wide agriculture. The March issue has a great story on William Galloway and his implement company. Who among old-iron enthusiasts wouldn’t love to own a nicely preserved Galloway tractor or engine?

My favorite story in this issue has to be Loretta Sorensen’s tribute to the Farmall Promenade … a tractor square dancing troupe from Iowa that has entertained thousands of spectators around the country for a decade. The group’s final performance was last August, but you can see a video of their performance art here. I am trying to be partial here, but it is true that Farmall was an IH brand.

The March issue’s centerfold is a facsimile of a breathtaking 1928 Case Plow Co. ad. Wow, what is it about agricultural-ephemera that is so compelling. Although, I will admit that I cannot imagine operating a triple hitch, much less any horse-drawn turning plow, the image is of a place that I would like to see. And it is every bit as worthy of hanging on my wall at home as the few pieces of original art we own.

If you are at all interested in the way things were handled, down on the farm in days gone by, or in learning more about your rich agricultural heritage, check out Farm Collector Magazine. If you hunt around on the Farm Collector website, I suspect you will find a subscription offer that is hard to resist. I say don’t resist … give yourself a treat today.

Bobcat recently released its latest and greatest utility-vehicle/tractor/loader and it drew quite a crowd at the 2009 National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville last week. This diesel-powered machine features four-wheel steering, four-wheel independent suspension and a smart fulltime all wheel drive system that sends power to the wheel(s) with traction. The more I learn about utility vehicles and Toolcats in general, the more I have come to believe that they have a place on the farm.

This Toolcat comes with a front-end loader that’s capable of handling more than 40 Bobcat attachments and many more from other manufacturers. Optional equipment includes a high-flow auxiliary hydraulic system, rear 540-rpm PTO, rear category 1 three-point hitch and much more. With the rear PTO, three-point hitch and the front lift arm, you can use two different attachments on the Toolcat 5610 simultaneously as long as one of the attachments is non-hydraulic. For example, a hydraulic soil conditioner can be mounted on the front while a non-hydraulic hitch-mounted seeder is used on the rear of the machine.

Missing from this highly-capable utility vehicle is a rear cargo box. In its place, the Toolcat 5610 has a pair of  rear compartments capable of carrying up to 50 pounds of load each … located on either side of the engine compartments ventilation grate. Available operator amenities include cab with CD player, heat and air conditioning as well as keyless start and tilt steering wheel.

The Toolcat 5610 was designed for heavy-duty applications around the farm, acreage or jobsite. When equipped with the rear 3-point hitch and PTO, you can expect this workhorse to list at right around $50,000. Intimidating as that sounds, this machine will do most of the work you can accomplish with a small skid loader, compact tractor and utility vehicle.

Test drive the Toolcat 5610 at a Bobcat dealer near you.

Kubota is growing its mid-size tractor lineup with four new models that were released at the 2009 National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville last week. The new releases include the M100X, M110X, M126X and M135X with 97.7, 107.5, 125, and 135 net horsepower engines respectively.  The M135X is Kubota’s most powerful M-Series tractor to date, with a 374 cubic inch, turbocharged direct injection four-cylinder diesel engine that boasts 118 PTO horsepower.

“Increased horsepower and enhanced design elements on these M-Series deluxe mid-size tractors will allow operators to be more efficient during long days in the field,” says Paul Williams, Kubota product manager. “Leading the pack is the new M135X, a deluxe, high performance tractor with advance features at an affordable price.”

Other standard features include a dual-range eight powershift speed transmission (16 total speeds forward and reverse) wide-front tread that provides an overall 70-74 inch tread spacing, making straddling wide windrows in baler applications easier.  Float links have been added to the three-point hitch, which provide lateral floatation for the use of wide implements. To provide for a smooth, comfortable ride on the M135X, especially when equipped with a loader, Kubota offers optional front axle hydraulic suspension with a toggle switch to turn the system on-and-off. These features, combined with the standard radial tires on each M-Series model, provide excellent traction and a quiet ride.

To further enhance the new M-Series designs, Kubota is also introducing two new loaders: the LA1953 and the LA2253.  Each loader is configured with Kubota’s current quick coupler system or, new to these models, is the ISO Euro-coupler system.  The LA1953 is performance matched to the M100X and the M110X and has a lifting capacity of 4299 pounds, while the LA2253 is matched to the M126X and the M135X and has a lifting capacity of 4934 pounds.

If you are in the market for a chore boy in the 100 plus horsepower range, check these new utility tractors out at a Kubota dealer near you.

I made a quick stop at the 2009 National Farm Machinery show on my way to the airport on Saturday. I had a chance to meet with Tammy Wecksler, Massey Ferguson’s marketing communications manager, before the day’s events really got under way. Tammy and I had a marvelous conversation about upcoming Massey compact tractors, the rural lifestyle market and life in general. Stay tuned for more on Massey’s new releases.

The mood at the 2009 National Farm Machinery Show was optimistic. Most folks whose product line serves the rural lifestyle reported no, or minimal, layoffs. Some companies were committed to making adjustments through attrition by not filling vacant positions. Most corporate folks I spoke with had at least one extra hat added to their portfolio of duties, but all were optimistic that the economic pain would ease in the next year or so.

The mood of show goers at the 2009 National Farm Machinery Show was equally optimistic. Hundreds of thousands of people streamed past booths large and small. Orders were up on larger pieces of equipment, and they were holding steady on the machines geared toward the rural lifestyle market. I see this as a sign that when it comes to getting the most out of your property, people are still willing to risk a large purchase in these less-certain economic times.

A few more cautious individuals suggested that the economic-slowdown bull ride was just beginning. Their approach was to hold on for dear life in anticipation of the ride of their lives. I suspect that the reality of our current situation is somewhere between the very optimistic and the pessimistic. Much of any economic crisis boils down to attitude and perception. If the American farmer is any indication, it looks like better times are right around the corner.

My flights took off and landed without a hitch on the way home to Kansas. I was communing with the pigs by 4:30 p.m., just in time for a nice Valentine's Day evening with Kate at the farm.

Wow, this show is huge and plenty of fun. There’s still time for you to come on over to the Louisville Exposition Center … the event runs through tomorrow and ends with the tractor pull of all tractor pulls. I will be heading back to Kansas in the morning though … as much fun as this is, I really like to spend time on the farm.

I was lucky enough to get some time with friend Rodney Miller late yesterday afternoon. Rodney is a rock star of the agricultural equipment world … his title is CEO of McCormick International USA, but he is still an Illinois (and now Georgia) farm boy at heart. Rodney and I share a passion for vintage International Harvester equipment. Check out Rodney’s blog about spending a precious few hours away from the office putting his International 1206 to work in a Georgia county where farm fields are few and far between.

Rodney and I also believe that developing strong relationships with customers is important in life and for the health of any enterprise. It was a joy to watch Rodney greet folks interested in the McCormick tractor line, enthusiastically autographing pieces of literature, T-shirts and other pieces of memorabilia. How often do you find an incredibly busy and successful corporate CEO in the show booth for eight hours a day several days in a row?

I also spent some time with Peggy Horkan and Paul Williams at the Kubota booth. They gave me a tour of some cool new machines … including a big new M-Series farm tractor, a new RTV with a couple of bench seats, hydraulic dump bed and a mess of other very nice features. I will devote future blogs to some of these products individually. As always, it was fun to visit with folks who are so passionate about their products … and their company. With that kind of enthusiasm, it is hard not to get excited about their brand.

The good folks at Kioti introduced me to their brand new DK50 Hydrostat. This dual-pedal-control hydro features a 49-horsepower Daedong diesel powerplant that meets or exceeds current and near-future emissions rules. This largest cab-equipped hydro in the Kioti lineup comes with tilt-wheel, cruise control, stereo, air conditioning, heat and deluxe suspension seat. It’s not a bad place to spend a few hours by any measure … imagine listening to your favorite Bach fugue while knocking down the weeds in the meadow.

Robert Mullett, president of TYM’s Overseas Business, kindly walked me through the TYM tractor lineup and company history. TYM is the second largest tractor maker in South Korea, and they had been supplying tractors OEM to Mahindra and several other makers. A relatively new brand in North America, I expect to see plenty of interest in this bright red lineup, particularly in the compact and subcompact tractor markets.

Well, it is time for me to head back out to the show floor … I need to catch up with the folks at John Deere and Bobcat and … so many machines, so little time.

See you Monday.

I made it to Louisville late yesterday afternoon … the plane literally blew in. Seriously, I haven’t experienced such turbulence on a commercial flight in my entire life. And to make matters even more interesting, the wind has wreaked havoc with the local power grid … electricity comes and goes here at the Kentucky Exposition Center.

In spite of the power issues, folks continue to stream through the doors and past acres of machinery and other must-haves for the farm. I haven’t come close to walking the entire floor yet, but I did stop to visit with the folks at Cub Cadet Yanmar, Land Pride, and New Holland to take a look at some new products suited for smaller operators and acreage owners.

Land Pride has its relatively new All-Purpose Seeder on hand with a brand new small-seed box on it. The small-seed box allows you to sow small seeded clovers along with grass seed … seed tubes from both boxes are metered separately so you can control the relative proportions of various seed types. I am a big fan of Land Pride because their seeders, box scrapers, mowers and rotary tillers have served us so well over the years.

Cub Cadet Yanmar has its new (and now shipping) EX450 tractor and is offering a free bale spear to folks willing to commit to making a deal here at the show. They also have a number of other attachments on hand including a 36-inch-wide-bucket-equipped backhoe, several mowers, tillers and a hydraulic angled front-mount grader blade. I can’t wait to see what Cub Cadet Yanmar introduces next.

The show stealer at New Holland is the Boomer 8N. This retro-classic tractor has generated plenty of interest since the company leaked its presence to the press late last year. According to the product manager, the Boomer 8N will go into production in April and should be in dealer showrooms in May. The tractor’s MSRP should come in with a base of about $29,000 – the tractor at the show lists for $30,500 because of a number of chrome doodads and other options.

Well, I better get this posted and head back out to the show floor. I hope to have more National Farm Machinery Show news for you tomorrow.
 

It's show time in Louisville, and I am minutes away from heading to the airport as I type this. The show in question is the 2009 National Farm Equipment Show (Feb. 11 - 14) which is in its 44th year. This show is the place to look over and learn about the latest and greatest in farm equipment and plenty of other farm related tools, software and other doodads.

I really enjoy attending the National Farm Equipment show because it gives me an opportunity to learn, climb over all kinds of machinery and catch up with old friends. It's also a great place for collecting literature, press kits and photos relating to the latest and greatest from your favorite brands.

I won't make it to the show arena today, but I will be there bright and early tomorrow with cameras and notebook in hand. I won't get my blog posted until later in the day tomorrow, but my goal is to give you a glimpse of what's happening at the National Farm Machinery Show as it is happening.

Stay tuned.

Photo courtesy National Farm Machinery Show (NFMS).

It’s here and more beautiful than ever. No, I am not talking about spring I am talking about Farm Collector Magazine’s 35th Annual Show Directory. Although it feels like spring might be just around the corner, today I am more excited about the beginning of the 2009 antique farm equipment show season.

I can’t say exactly why, but I am fascinated … some would say obsessed with antique and vintage farm equipment … especially tractors from the 1940s through the 1970s. I am also a huge fan of the International Harvester Company and their construction equipment, tractors and light trucks … I am so obsessed that I have written books about Harvester and some of its equipment lines.

Anyway, back to the 35^th Annual Show Directory. This book is your guide to hundreds and hundreds of antique equipment shows, threshing bees, horse pulls, you name it … in just about every state and province in North America. I keep one copy of the book in my truck and one at home. I like to stop at shows as I travel around, so keeping the Show Directory in my truck means that no matter where I am going, I can find some show to visit between here and there.  I expect to take in a few shows this summer … probably in Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

If you have never been to a tractor show or plow day, now is your chance. Get your own copy of the 35^th Annual Show Directory and plan a fantastic family outing or 100 in 2009. For those grandparents among you, I know you have a grandson or granddaughter who would relish a chance to see how things were done in the “olden” days.

You can order your copy of Farm Collector Magazine’s 35th Annual Show Directory here.

I found a couple more New Holland Boomer 8N photos for you ... finally a decent left side view.

For more photos and specs click here.

For a Flash Media presentation on the Boomer 8N click here.

Images Courtesy New Holland.

The common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) has a knack for falling into and out of favor, depending on which way the wind blows its tufted seed.  Naturalists and butterfly gardeners sing the milky-sapped weed's praises because it's the food source for the monarch butterfly's larva. During the Second World War, Japan controlled the silk-cotton tree's (Ceiba pentandra) principal growing regions ... the fibers (kapok) obtained from this tree were used to stuff life preservers. Since milkweed also produces a hollow, wax-coated, flexible fiber it was considered to be an excellent substitute for kapok. A pound of milkweed floss could keep 100 pounds of sailor afloat for about 10 hours. So valuable was the milkweed floss that there was a national drive to collect milkweed pods at centralized processing centers ... by some estimates, more than 25 million pounds of pods were collected and processed in 1944 and 1945. Milkweed is still grown and its fiber is used to stuff pillows and for insulation in clothing.

Shortly after the war, the tap-rooted milkweed became the bane of many a farmer's existence. Although the weed doesn't generally appear on any noxious weed lists, it can be problematic with some kinds of row crop cultivation. It seems funny how a native plant species can become a weed ... it all depends on your point of view.

Today, common milkweed is about to be born again. It seems that this hardy plant's seeds are full of unsaturated oils that according to researchers at the ARS National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research can be used as a base material for sunscreen, cosmetics and skin- and hair-care products, including moisturizers and conditioners.  Getting the oils to be effective UV absorbers requires zinc chloride catalysis of the milkweed oil's triglycerides into cinamic acid drivatives.

In tests at the center's New Crops and Processing Technology Research Unit, the cinamic acid derivatives absorbed UV light with skin-damaging wavelengths from 260 to 360 nanometers -- and they worked at concentrations far below those approved for chemical additives and fillers used in today's sun blockers.  

But that's not all. Common milkweed oil might be useful for other industrial applications such as paint and epoxy manufacturing.

I am excited to see common milkweed once again in the limelight as more than a butterfly food and lovely wild flower. I am not excited by the prospect of some large chemical company trying to genetically engineer this well adapted wild plant to produce more oil. However, the entire story begs the question of when a weed is really a weed.

Photo: iStock; Tim Messick

I admit to being more than a little disappointed that Siegers Seed Co. is already playing hardball over its claim to own exclusive rights to the wart trait in cucurbits. The company evidently sent a threatening letter to Rupp Seed Company on January 12^th warning that they would seek damages if Rupp didn’t cease any and all marketing, development and sales efforts at this time … once Siegers’ patent on warts was approved.

The problem with patent pending in this case is that Siegers seems to have figured out a way to own a common cucurbit gene for several years, at the very least, by tying it up in what appears to be a bogus patent application. So even if it turns out that the patent is not awarded, by the time all of the appeals and the like are completed, Siegers can threaten other companies with action, while selling wart-gene containing seeds exclusively until the case is finally settled.

Here are some facts about cucurbit warts:

1. The warted gourds were considered to be a "race" of Cucurbita pepo already in 1786.

2. Warted pumpkins 'Nantucket' and 'Brazilian Sugar' were described by numerous authors in the 19^th century. According to Harry Paris, cucurbit expert and author, Bailey’s (1902) Cyclopedia of American Horticulture, pp. 1711–1713, has an illustration of 'Nantucket'. And Zhiteneva (1930) The World's Assortment of Pumpkins. Trudy Prikl. Bot. Genet. Selek. 23: 157 – 207 has photographs of numerous warted pumpkins.

3. Warted gourds of Cucurbita pepo have a history dating to 1587.

4. The Essai sur l'histoire naturelle des courges is the definitive scientific paper on the three major species of Cucurbita. This book was published in 1786 in French. You'll find a translation of Duchesne's 1786 description of Cucurbita pepo in H. S. Paris’s book, The drawings of Antoine Nicolas Duchesne for his natural history of the gourds, published in 2007 by the Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France.

Here is Paris’s translation of what Duchesne had to say about warts and Cucurbita pepo: Another state of alteration is what one names warts,& which would better be designated by the name of Bumps, since they are not purely exterior excrescences, but elevations of the shell, which form within as many corresponding pits, although less in proportion, considering that the shell there is of a much greater thickness. These bumps are of two kinds: sometimes wide near the base and little elevated, they mimic transitory pimples springing from the rind by accident; sometimes higher and constricted at the base, they assume the shape of knobs; sometimes they accumulate one on top of the other, as if they lack for space. And I had the opportunity to recognize that this deformity indicates a true state of disorder, since the fruits in which it is carried to such excess do not have a single good seed, but only some imperfect rudiments.

5. Warts are conferred by a single dominant gene designated Wt, non-warted plants are wt/wt. Reference: Paris, H.S. and R.N. Brown. (2005). The genes of pumpkin and squash. HortScience 40: 1620–1630.

Take a look at the Siegers webstite to discover what seeds they sell to your favorite growers … and if you care about this warty gene grab, ask your growers to avoid planting Siegers’ seeds.

Figure 1. 1770s vintage painting of a warted pumpkin.

In an interesting move in the wholesale garden seed supply industry, Siegers Seed Company in Holland, Michigan has been quietly pushing an all-encompassing patent application through the system that would essentially allow them to own a piece of genetic history in the pumpkin and squash families. Siegers’ move appears to be aimed at owning the rights to virtually all warts on pumpkins and their relatives. And they want to own the rights to all patches in which warted pumpkins appear. Huh? My ancestors grew warted gourds, pumpkins and squashes long before Siegers was even in business, and they received the seed from Native American gardeners who had warted cucurbits in their patches for who knows how long.

Figure 2. Warted pumpkin photo included in the Siegers patent application.

The pumpkin patent application states: In a large commercial field of multiple unknown pumpkin varieties, a single fruit was discovered displaying a greater degree of warting than has ever been observed in prior experience by the inventor [the inventor is listed as the director of marketing for Siegers]. On rare occasions in years prior to this discovery, pumpkin fruits had been observed to possess rumpled or bumpy surfaces as described in FIG. 1. The discovered fruit had a high frequency of bumpy skin as described in FIG. 1, and a lower percentage of warting as described in FIG. 2. The fruit was collected and seed was saved. 

I am surprised that Siegers' inventor seems so unaware of the long warty history of pumpkins, squashes and gourds … at least as I read the patent application. I don’t have an issue with Siegers wanting to protect their investment in a particular pumpkin hybrid, but it bothers me to no end that they seem to be attempting to own the warty history of all members of the squash family.

Read more about this patent application here.

Read the Siegers press release on the new pumpkin family here. 

What do you think? Should Siegers own the warts on a random pumpkin line you develop in your backyard and prevent you from selling it at your farm stand?

The color plate is from: Botanical illustration, ca. 1770, reproduced from H. Paris, “Paintings (1769-1774) by A. N.Duchesne and the History of Cucurbita pepo,” Annals of Botany 85, 2000, p. 820.

The black and white is reproduced from U.S. patent application US20080301830A1.

Although a lot of folks don’t know it, Swisher helped pioneer the zero-turn concept more than 50 years ago, before many of today’s mower manufacturers were in business. And though the company is known for much more than mowers today, their commitment to the ZTR mower has never waned. Today, Swisher’s commitment continues with a full line of innovative, rugged, dependable and hard-working zero-turn mowers.

All of Swisher’s zero-turn mowers are built with a mid-deck design providing a true 360° turning radius and the low center of gravity and profile provide excellent maneuverability and stability. This easy handling makes mowing around trees, shrubs and other obstacles a breeze. Up to 8.5 MPH operating speed dramatically reduces mowing time … however, with our less-than-smooth lawn, mowing at that speed would be downright scary.

Swisher’s new 42-inch ZTR is called the ZT18542A and comes with the following features:

• Powerful 18.5 HP Briggs & Stratton engine
• 42-inch stamped cutting deck great for residential or commercial mowing
• Cutting height is adjustable 1" to 4" with manual lever, spring assisted deck lift
• 1.1 gallon fuel capacity keeps you mowing for longer periods of time
• Eaton commercial grade hydrostatic transmission
• Stationary front axle
• 8-8x6.5" rear tires and 4-41x3.5" front tires for greater traction and stability
• Two blades cut grass into fine clippings
• Comfortable 15-inch mid-back seat
• Electric PTO clutch
• Automatic parking brakes on ergonomic steering handles
• Sandpaper grit mats on deck for operator safety
• Convenient storage compartment

When you are in the market for an affordable, new mower, check this  model out at a dealer near you.

Just when you think you have squeezed all the utility from your ATV that’s possible, the folks at Moose Utilities come up with something new. The EZ-Load Drop Rack is among their latest innovations. The EZ-Load Drop Rack converts virtually any full-sized ATV into a very capable all-terrain micro-sized pickup truck, complete with tailgate to make loading and unloading easier.

The heavy-duty EZ-load drop rack mounts easily over the ATV’s existing OEM rack. The drop rack can hold up to three five gallon buckets and since it is constructed from ¾ inch square tubing and 16-gauge perforated steel mesh, it can withstand plenty of abuse around the farm or homestead. This new accessory measures 41 inches wide by 14 inches long by 11 ½ inches deep. It retails for $282.95 … look for it here.

To learn how to get even more out of your ATV, click here.

Read part 1 of this project here.

The second … and final day of building the new farm pond commenced without a hitch. Jay installed the stock watering pipe and valve through the dam and the grading was completed. This new pond is shaped a little like a kidney bean and should be full after the spring rains hit later this year. Although we don’t need it for stock water just yet, it makes our most isolated piece of pasture more useful because of water availability. As with our other ponds, we will fence the cattle out to protect the pond structure and water quality. And I suspect we will create a small picnic/reflection area inside the fence.

Kate got so excited about this project, and the fact that we hadn’t completely killed the pond-work budget, that she wanted to redo our most leaky pond before the machinery went away. This project has been two days in the works and looks like it has one more day to completion. In the process of digging out the third pond’s bowl, the bulldozer opened up a lovely free-flowing spring that immediately began to pool. I will report on this project sometime in the future.