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Posted on October 24, 2007 by Jason Petrina | Posted under Shopping and Product Reviews
Essential Farming Equipment for Farms
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There is much more to growing food than labor, seed, fertilizer, and irrigation - although all of these are also required. Farming equipment - machinery - is also required to produce the vast amounts of food that is required by the population of the country. Without the proper equipment, the farm fails. Other farms have to produce more food, and costs go up. Different equipment is needed depending on what is being produced on the farm. For instance, hay farmers need large industrial tractors with mower blades, as well as baling equipment. Corn growers need those same industrial sized tractors with planters to plant the corn, and cutters, or combines, to cut the corn down when it is ready to harvest. Cultivators are also needed to mix soil and kill weeds. Disks are needed to kill weeds as well, but also to smooth soil. Each of these pieces of equipment can cost up to $100,000 or more. The tractor is the most essential farming equipment, but the tractor alone isn't enough. There are many implements that the tractor uses to get the job done, such as mowers, balers, cutters, and planters. These implements are attached to the tractor to perform the work. In many cases, one tractor won't cut it. Think about the number of people in this country who expect to eat three meals a day. If you really think about it, you may wonder how the farmers are keeping up with the demand. Most farms have several tractors that are operated by several different laborers. On smaller farms, those laborers usually include the owners. Farming may offer a peaceful life away from the hustle and bustle of city life, but it is some of the hardest work you can imagine. Aside from farming type equipment, such as combines and tractors, heavy trucks are also considered to be essential farming equipment. The crops must be transported from the fields, and again to the processors or the market. Heavy trucks usually cost well over $100,000, and again, just one won't usually get the job done. The cost of the essential farm equipment isn't the only thing to consider. Maintenance and repair costs are also very high for this equipment. Small farmers learn very quickly how to make their own repairs, and to make due with less than perfect equipment for long periods of time. While this saves on the cost of labor, the parts still have to be paid for. Most small farmers - as opposed to farms that are owned and operated by large corporations - take out loans for essential farming equipment. They either use their farms as collateral, or use the potential profit from the crop as collateral. Small farmers are being eaten up by the larger corporations, and meeting expenses, and buying essential farming equipment, is becoming much harder for them - but without this equipment, they can't keep up with the competition of the larger corporations, or the demand for food from the consumers. There are also many government programs in place to help farmers acquire the essential farming equipment that they need. So, the next time you go grocery shopping, or stop at a produce stand, before you complain about the cost of the food, remember what it is costing the farmers to grow it! Think about the $100,000 tractor he had to purchase to get you that can of corn and go ahead and pay the dollar or so that it costs. About The Author: Jason Petrina is the Editor and Publisher of Article Click. For more FREE articles for your ezine and websites visit - www.articleclick.com |
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