I had the opportunity to take a look at the Polaris utility vehicle (UTV) and all terrain vehicle (ATV) lineup for 2010 about a month ago (information embargoed until today). Although there are many new and improved models to talk about, today I want to focus on an entirely new concept from the company, which comes in the form of the Ranger EV.

When I was first introduced to the Ranger EV, I thought something was wrong because its debut came at the end of a long line of well choreographed entrances that all began with the sound of an engine starting, just before a sleek new machine burst through the curtain and onto center stage. This time, the pause seemed too long – I was worried that the hard working folks at the Polaris Research and Development facility in Wyoming, Minnesota were having difficulty getting the final entry started. Boy was I wrong. That Ranger EV came bursting through the curtain all right, but the only hum its entrance made came from the crowd of journalists and magazine editors in the audience.

The Ranger EV is based on the Polaris mid-sized chassis but it is powered with eight 12-volt batteries through a 48-volt electric motor that’s directly coupled to a Polaris transaxle. The transaxle is equipped with low noise gears and offers the operator shift on the fly AWD, 2WD and Turf Mode. The machine also has high and low speed ranges, but those are actuated by modulating the motor controls and not actual gearing. Batteries are mounted low and symmetrically along the centerline of the chassis so this machine is incredibly stable.

The Ranger EV has a 50 mile range when the Max Range driving mode is selected. And it has regenerative braking in low range. Like all Polaris UTVs for 2010 the Ranger EV comes standard with a certified ROPS – the roll cage is now a proven passenger protection device. Recharging the Ranger EV takes up to 8 hours, depending on how far you run the batteries down.

I was able to spend more than an hour putting the Ranger EV through its paces and I can tell you that the machine impressed me beyond belief. The torque-delivering electric motor motivated the nearly 2000 pound package (with me and a passenger on board) up steep trails, over rock beds and log piles with seemingly no effort at all. In low mode, the regenerative braking made long steep descents a breeze. The machine has a top speed of 25 mph, which is plenty fast enough for me, especially when using the UTV as a farm hand. The strangest thing about operating the Ranger EV is the lack of engine noise. You can wander the farm without scaring the cattle – or attracting their attention. You can also sneak up on game very easily with this machine.

In true Polaris form, the Ranger EV is not a glorified golf cart. It has a box payload capacity of 500 pounds, a total payload capacity of 1000 pounds and is certified for towing up to 1250 pounds. The Ranger EV is also the real deal in the off road travel department. It has 10 inches of ground clearance, 8 inches of travel in its front Macpherson Strut suspension and 9 inches of travel in its dual A-arm independent rear suspension. I hammered the Ranger EV over log piles and enough rocks to convince myself that getting it stuck would be a real trick. Even after an hour on the tail and obstacle course, there was no indication on the Ranger EV’s charge meter that I had run the batteries down at all.

The Ranger EV models list at $10,699 and $10,999 depending on whether you can settle for blue or really need the Mossy Oak Camo skin color. The Ranger EV is a true workhorse – and it’s easy on the ears and easy on the environment to boot. Check out the 2010 Ranger EV at a Polaris dealer near you.

They’re not the first to offer a compact tractor with a continuously variable transmission (CVT), but the folks at CASE IH have embraced the technology big time. The new CVT transmission option is now available in the company’s Farmall 40, Farmall 45 and Farmall 50 compact cab-tractor models.

The CVT is more efficient than most hydrostatic transmissions and it is designed to precisely match engine rpm with load and ground speed requirements – which essentially means it has an infinite number of forward and reverse gears, up to a fixed maximum ratio. “It eliminates the need for clutching or shifting which means operators may prefer a Farmall with CVT to their car. In fact, pulling a load with a CVT equipped Farmall is easier than driving a pickup with an automatic transmission,” says Greg Lucey, Case IH Farmall marketing manager.

While CVT is becoming more common in high-horsepower tractors, it is a technology not commonly found in compact tractors. “As a full-line equipment company, Case IH is able to utilize technology developed for larger tractors and integrate it into the Farmall line,” Lucey explains. “When Farmall tractors were first introduced in 1923, they featured a revolutionary narrow design and higher ground clearance – and more than 85 years later, they continue to lead the industry in innovation.”

If you are looking for a tractor that is less intimidating to operate than one with a manually selectable, sliding-gear transmission and more fuel efficient under load than one with a hydrostatic drive, then the CVT-equipped Farmalls might be just what you need. Before taking the plunge, be sure to drive them all – and if you want to compare CVT compacts of different colors, check out the CVT-equipped Boomers at your local New Holland dealers.

I have driven CVT-equipped compact tractors and I regularly operate hydros and standard-shift tractors. I am impressed with the CVT for its engineering and performance innovation – check them out yourself at a local CASE IH dealer and see what you think.

Although I haven’t seen any official results from the Chicken Choosin’ event at Ayrshire Farm on Monday, I did remember to bring my notes and scorecard to the office today … so I can tell you how the people voted. Celebrity judges scored their favorites separately, and I am not sure how the final results will be tallied. However, I can report on what the event invitees voted for … in the top three slots that is.

As I reported on Tuesday, the top tasting heritage chicken was the Dorking. This bird is known for its fine-textured, very white meat. It is also known to be docile, calm and adaptable. They are good foragers and would make a fine addition to most backyard or farmstead flocks. I actually gave the Dorking second place – by a mere quill to the Buckeye, which didn’t do well overall.

Second place honors were awarded to the Rhode Island Red and the commercial Cornish X Rock broiler cross. My second place choice was the Dorking. The CornRocks were raised with access to pasture the same way the other birds were … they were slaughtered at a younger age though because they wouldn’t have been able to survive much beyond 12 weeks of age. Rhode Island Reds are one of the most successful dual-purpose fowl out there. They are known for their hardiness and an uncanny ability to thrive and produce eggs in less than ideal conditions. They make excellent farmstead and backyard birds. The CornRock fowl were bred to gain weight quickly – even their intestinal lining is thinner and more permeable – all the better to absorb nutrients. They have leg tendon difficulties, may die of heart attacks, thinner feathering and difficulty getting around. CornRocks are not the best birds for a sustainable flock but they are pretty efficient at making meat.

Third place was also a tie – this time to the Dominique and the Buckeye. My third place choice was the Favorelle. The Buckeye has the honor of being the only American chicken breed created entirely by a woman. This dual purpose bird is cold hardy and shows very little fear of humans and is very committed to chasing down mice. The Dominique is recognized as America’s first chicken breed. Although it is used as a dual purpose breed it performs very well as an egg layer – hens typically produce from 230 to 275 medium-sized brown eggs a year.

Other heritage chicken breeds put to the test included Orpington, Plymouth Rock, Sussex and Delaware.

I can attest to the fact that all the fowl were tasty, due in part because of the way they were raised and processed, but also just because they are all chickens. But I now know that to say that something tastes like chicken really has little meaning, because not all chicken tastes the same.

The Chicken Choosin’ was sponsored by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, Humane Farm Animal Care, Slow Food U.S.A, Chefs Collaborative and Ayrshire Farm. If you care about good food check these folks out.

I just returned from an excellent couple of days exploring the innovative agricultural and marketing practices associated with Ayrshire Farm in Upperville, Virginia. I’ll have plenty to say about Ayrshire’s practices and gracious staff in another post, but today I want to report on the Chicken Choosin’ heritage chicken tasting event that was held there yesterday. I was among the privileged to receive an invitation and believe me, I feel privileged.

Sponsored by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, Humane Farm Animal Care, Slow Food U.S.A, Chefs Collaborative and Ayrshire Farm, this first-ever heritage Chicken Choosin’ was designed to highlight the culinary value of the chickens less processed in this country. And the people’s choice was hands down the Americanized version of the English Dorking, a chicken that’s historically associated with some of the best eating there is in Britain.

I found the organically raised Dorking to be lovely to look at with sumptuous flavor in both the light and dark meat. I also thought it had some of best textured breast and thigh muscling in the entire Chicken Choosin’ taste test. I selected the Dorking as my second choice, by only half a point behind … bird number 9.

Stay tuned as I unravel the rest of the Chicken Choosin’ in a future post and for much more about my Ayrshire Farm experience.