Building Unity Farm - Automation Arrives

Over the past few months, I've asked a dozen farmers what automation is best for Unity Farm's 15 acres of woodland management, manure movement, trail maintenance, food storage, and orchard harvesting.    I received thirteen different answers ranging from:Buy John Deere, Kubota is underpoweredBuy Kubota, John Deere is mostly outsourcedBuy from your closest dealer, service really mattersDon't worry about the dealer, do the service yourselfBuy Agricultural tires, they're absolutely necessaryBuy Industrial tires, since Agricultural tires will wreck your propertyBuy a skidsteer/compact track loader for work in mud/snow and on hills.   A tractor is for pulling not pushingNever buy a skidsteer/compact track loader, they lack flexibility.What did we buy and why?I know that at least 11 farmers will disagree with me, but we bought a Terex PT30 Compact Track Loader, pictured above in our orchard.    It weighs 3000 pounds, lifts 950 pounds, yet only has 3 PSI pressure on the ground, leaving the trails and turf untouched.   The machine is the evolution of the ASV RC30 and has an advanced track system that does not slip in mud or snow.   To make the decision, I test drove several devices.   With the PT30, I was able to move 12 cubic feet of mulch, haul 400 pounds of logs up a 15 degree slope, clear the orchard road of snow, move 500 pounds of rocks, and execute numerous zero turning radius redirections on snow in less than 45 minutes.Unity Farm is a ...
Source: Life as a Healthcare CIO - Category: Technology Consultants Source Type: blogs