MACHINERY

Turn Daily Farm Work and Data Into a Custom Podcast With Help from AI

Fri, 08 May 2026 20:19:18 GMT

Instead of listening to music or making calls on his way to work, Mitchell Karstetter tunes into his favorite podcast. It’s not a celebrity or news pundit; it’s two digital hosts, powered by artificial intelligence, talking about data from his farm during harvest season.

“I like that it’s breaking down everything that we’re doing,” says Karstetter, the owner of RJK Farms. “It’s giving me real-time data that I can use to make decisions faster.”

A grower pulls up his HarvestReplay dashboard. HarvestReplay provides operational insights in the form of daily, updated intelligence briefing to inform real-time decision making, like where to shift a harvest crew or when to start them, based on a grower’s own data such as daily harvest labor and on-farm weather sensors.

(Innov8.ag)

Karstetter is using Innov8.ag’s HarvestReplay system to collect data and make decisions based on their workforce. Each day, it gathers data from the farm and then synthesizes and relays it to growers in the form of an audio podcast.

“ With HarvestReplay, they now have access to the kind of operational insight they have gotten used to having on the row crop side of their business,” says Steve Mantle, CEO and founder of Innov8.ag .

He says right now, this new technology is helping specialty crop growers due to the labor-centric nature of the business, but there are plans for growth into other areas of farming.

How HarvestReplay Scanners Provide Real-Time Insights

For the HarvestReplay to work, they need an automated labor and tracking system. FairPick and FairTrak , which have two ways to track how much a single employee has harvested throughout the day, are examples of these systems.. The first option is for employees to put their harvested product on a scale-like scanner, where it tracks work output, such as pounds per hour picked. The second option is to have their badge scanned by a phone-like handheld scanner to report their statistics. At RJK, they are currently using it on around 600 acres of apple and cherry trees. This allows farmers to track and follow worker’s efficiency and ultimately their productivity.

“It gives you something where you can go, ‘Why is this guy, who’s normally my best guy, not performing as well,’” Karstetter explains. “It helps you identify problems faster.”

Field laborers weigh their cherry bins using Innov8.ag’s FairPick harvest scales, ruggedized, legal-for-trade field scales that record every pick weight, time, GPS location and picker ID, creating automated, real-time harvest labor data used to inform HarvestReplay.

(Innov8.ag)

The HarvestReplay also tracks future weather conditions to help make important decisions, such as when the best times are to harvest or spray. It uses on-farm or state-operated weather sensors, such as AgWeatherNet .

It can also incorporate a grower’s harvest data from previous years to help provide insights into the farm’s historical trends. Adding it all together, AI hosts can then educate farmers on things like how early frost impacts crop volume and quality.

“It’s giving me insights into fields that were not as productive as I thought they were on cost, labor or efficiency,” says Ellie Norris, owner and CEO of Oregon’s Norris Blueberry Farms.

The Three-Tiered Power of HarvestReplay’s Data Ecosystem

The system produces three types of podcasts, depending on who’s listening and their role in the operation:

CFO/owner podcast focuses more on economics, such as comparing orders from different buyers.
The farm manager podcast can be either in English, Spanish and/or other languages. It discusses what happened on the farm and offers advice on decision-making for the upcoming day or season.
The crew lead’s podcast is typically in Spanish. This revolves around recommendations for improving operational efficiencies that affect the bottom-line economics of the farm.

It’s part of a bigger smart data interface. The podcast is only one-third of the HarvestReplay system:

Replay History looks to turn multi-year harvest and labor records into reports and goals. This shows the past performances and economics of previous harvest decisions.
Replay Live gives same-day feedback using GPS labor tracking. It can raise or flag issues such as congestion, slowdowns or misallocated crews so managers can adjust.
Replay Podcast is an AI-generated audio briefing built from the grower’s own harvest data.

“Farms don’t have data analysts, IT teams or CTOs,” says Mantle. “HarvestReplay handles the heavy lift of data aggregation and integration while keeping their data private and the decision-making customized to their operations.”

Leveraging Real-Time Data to Protect Farm Profitability

In 2025, there was a 46% increase in U.S. farms declaring bankruptcy from the previous year. HarvestReplay’s goal is to target areas where farms lose money such as labor, crop production and decision-making.

The system uses the data it collects to recommend changes in order to provide a path for growers to save money. Karstetter shares an example of quickly using the HarvestReplay’s information to switch things up.

“We can go into a block and see that some cherries have been on the smaller side, so we need to prune heavier,” Karstetter explains.

It also allows him and his managers to make decisions on the crews that are working. Karstetter says that in the latest podcast entry, it shared that one group was being more productive than the other. Now he can use this information to see what one group is doing differently and how it sets them apart.

“It’s giving you a kind of like a real-time look at what you’re doing and where you’re at,” Karstetter says. “We really don’t have that unless you sit down and input all this stuff manually.”

Farmer Builds Drone Company, Eyes Historic Breakthrough in Agriculture Tech

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 11:54:09 GMT

The farm machinery bedrock is shifting. Tractor. Planter. Drone?

“There is historic change coming to agriculture and it’ll occur in every single part of farming,” says North Carolina producer Russell Hedrick. “We’re starting an era where you literally won’t find a farm with a planter that doesn’t also own a drone, because the savings and functions are incredible.”

“Agriculture drones are a key to farm survival, all backed with simple, verifiable numbers that show a giant difference in dollars,” he adds.

Emphasizing a monumental shift, Hedrick has responded with Carolina-based Revolution Drones. “U.S.-made farm drones built by an American farmer who understands the unique needs of other American farmers.”

Gamechanger
“A lot of people are not paying attention,” Hedrick contends. “Even with the best navigation systems that we’ve ever had in the history of farming, anytime you drive a ground rig in a row crop field, you lose money.”

“I understand people don’t have time to learn new things,” Hedrick says. “I also understand the desperate need guys have now to cut costs, and running your own drone is a profitability gamechanger.”

(Photo by Revolution Drones)

“On soybeans, with every pass made, university research shows 1.4 to 2.5 bushels per acre lost. For example, if beans are $10 a bushel, and you lose 1.5 bushels, that’s $15 an acre gone when you run the rig one time. If it’s 2.5 bushels, that’s $25 an acre to run that ground rig.”

Therefore, according to Hedrick’s math, if a farmer with 6,000 acres of soybeans runs a ground rig just twice, and loses 1.5 bushels per acre in damage, the cost is $90,000.

However, Hedrick asks, what if the same farmer spent $51,000 for a spreader, spray tank, batteries, chargers, controllers, and a drone capable of covering 750 acres per day?

The 6,000 acres would take eight days to cover and conserve $90,000 in crop damage: “That farmer paid for his drone in eight days and still had $39,000 left in savings,” Hedrick explains. “This is a gamechanger like nothing else out there and its impact is only just starting to be realized. Every agriculture operation in America is going to own its own drone.”

Simple Economics
In 2021, Hedrick dipped a toe in agriculture drone use. On his Catawba County ground, just outside Hickory, in classic western North Carolina foothill country, he hired a custom applicator to put out fungicide on several corn fields, utilizing check strips to measure efficacy.

“The value of drones on the farm, as high as it is today,” Hedrick says, “will soon go up to levels not even imagined yet.”

(Photo by Russell Hedrick)

In 2022, he hired another custom applicator with a stronger drone for foliar passes in test plots to gauge a return.

In 2023, he bought his own drone, made in China, and learned the ropes. “Having someone custom spray versus owning your own drone is two different universes. I was done with paying and watching someone else. It was time for me to make the learning effort and save major money.”

However, Hedrick hit hurdles—repeatedly. “The No. 1 problem I ran into, and it’s the No. 1 problem I hear from guys today coast to coast, is drones built in China are built for farmland in China. The fairest statement I can make is, ‘They don’t know how we farm in America, and don’t understand the vastness of our fields and the necessity to cover hundreds or thousands of acres in day in a timely manner.’ I pointed out these shortcomings to the companies and asked for help. I always got the same answer: ‘We’ll take care of it.’ But nothing happened. I got fed up waiting.”

Hedrick’s solution? Build it himself. He started Revolution Drones . “Need a certain type of tractor? Some company builds that. Need a certain type of combine? Some company builds that. Agriculture machinery has always met farmers with what they need—except for drones. As a farmer, I decided to meet and exceed the needs of my fellow farmers, and at the same time, bring the manufacturing and production to the U.S.”

“Agriculture drones are a key to farm survival, all backed with simple, verifiable numbers that show a giant difference in dollars,” Hedrick notes.

(Photo by Revolution Drones)

Farm innovator to the core, Hedrick already had access to software production through co-ownership of Soil Regen . He partnered with Gteex Drones in Brazil, another farmer-led business,

“Our goal is going to be to be transparent with our customers. We say that we’re made in the U.S., and after that, we say what percentage that is. So, currently, we can build up to 60% of our parts in the U.S. Literally, that means if there’s 200 parts to a drone, and I say it’s 60%, then 120 of those pieces were built right here with American workers from Illinois to Indiana, to Iowa to North Carolina to Georgia. No selling data and we build all our own software, period.”

Drone utilization in agriculture is about to go nuclear, far beyond present use, Hedrick insists. Why? Simple economics.

“Not Even Imagined”
Custom aerial application rates vary, but often run $12-$14 per acre. Likewise, custom drone applications can hit $14-$16 per acre.

“I understand people don’t have time to learn new things. I also understand the desperate need guys have now to cut costs, and running your own drone is a profitability gamechanger.”

The math is undeniable, Hedrick contends. Agriculture, he believes, is at the get-go of historic technology change, echoing the breakthroughs of yesteryear, whether steel plow or mechanization.

“We’re starting an era where you literally won’t find a farm with a planter that doesn’t also own a drone,” Hedrick contends, “because the savings and functions are incredible.”

(Photo by Revolution Drones)

Initially, drones were viewed as a hammer searching for a nail: a single-use tool. However, drones will become a farm’s Swiss Army Knife, Hedrick insists, with an ever-increasing capacity to house more blades and tools.

“This is only starting and it’s not just about fertilizer and pesticide. We currently have drones with 30-gallon capacities, and much bigger ones are coming. We’re able to cover well over 1,000 to 1,500 acres a day with a drone. We even have heavy lift drones to deal with breakdowns in the field. When a pivot tire goes down, a drone will lift and carry a replacement out there to the section. A motor down? It’ll carry a motor. A blizzard? A drone will carry hay bales to your cattle.”

“Farmer-owned and operated drones are going to be absolutely standard in row crop operations. If a guy has a tractor, he’ll have a drone. If a guy has livestock, he’ll have a drone.”

And autonomy? Drones are tailor-made for AI technology. “You hear about autonomy all over the farm, but a lot of it is theoretical and down the road. Not so with drones. This is coming fast and its concrete. The value of drones on the farm, as high as it is today, will soon go up to levels not even imagined yet.”

Push to Profitability
In 2024, during the deadly and catastrophic impact of Hurricane Helene, Hedrick was on the scene in the worst-hit areas of North Carolina, at the forefront of relief supply delivery to stranded families—via drone.

“That was another example of how much we learned about the expansion of drones in all areas of life. In farming, that expansion is going to change the future of all our operations, because drone technology is going to push agriculture to profitability,” Hedrick concludes. “That’s how dramatic the drone impact will be.”

For more from Chris Bennett (@ChrisBennettMS or cbennett@farmjournal.com or 662-592-1106), see:

When Conservation Backfires: Landowner Defeats Feds in Mindboggling Private Property Case

Corn and Cocaine: Roger Reaves and the Most Incredible Farm Story Never Told

How the Deep State Tried, and Failed, to Crush an American Farmer

Game of Horns: Iowa Poacher’s Antler Addiction Leads to Historic Bust

Ghost Cattle: $650M Ponzi Rocks Livestock Industry, Money Still Missing

Nebraska Farmer Calls Out Agriculture Machinery Companies Over High Prices

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 11:46:13 GMT

The farm machinery math ain’t mathin’ for Mike Hynek.

Across a 50-plus-year career in the fields of extreme southcentral Nebraska, Hynek contends the gap between agribusiness and common farmers has never been greater.

“Fertilizer, chemicals, and seed creeped up over 20 years, but the past five years prices have been downright crazy, and maybe the most frustrating of all is agriculture equipment,” he says. “I’m repeating what you’ll hear from any farmer on the turn row, anywhere in the country: The big machinery companies have lost sight of us.”

Farmer hide is as hard as hickory. However, peel off a thin layer, year over year, and eventually thick skin wears to bone. “I’m speaking up about a damn shame,” Hynek adds. “We’re being driven to the breaking point.”

Dirt and Metal
Standing in his farm shop, tucked in a Cornhusker pocket just above the Kansas line, Hynek, 68, points at a combine part. “That one? It’ll cost you about three times more than five years ago.”

He next picks up a tractor part: “Costs twice what it did five years ago. But we’re expected to accept it like it’s a natural increase. If you work in the agriculture chain at any level, and you think these prices are genuinely reasonable, I’d like to ask a question, ‘Are you OK with them going even higher?’”

Robust competition, Hynek claims, exists only at the farmer level.

(Photo courtesy of Hynek Construction)

Eleven tractors, most wearing plenty of age, along with an assortment of other machines, are scattered across Hynek’s operation. Located in the rolling hills of Webster County, just outside Guide Rock, he grows alfalfa, corn, and soybeans (two-thirds dryland), along with brome hay and prairie hay, and runs a cow-calf operation, and markets Angus-Wagyu cross beef.

Hynek knows business—both dirt and metal. He oversees Hynek Construction, specializing in grain bin erection across the Plains and Midwest, but reaching into Kentucky and Washington state. In five of the past seven years, Hynek has been the top dealer of Conrad American/Eaton bins in the United States.

Want to track down Hynek? Expect to find him in his fields—or on the road. “I travel a lot, and I’m constantly with farmers that aren’t my immediate neighbors, so I hear perspective from all over. Everybody, whether local or distant, is pissed at the big farm machinery corporations and dealerships. Some guys are loud about it and some are quiet, but they’re all tired and turned off.”

“Frankly, I can’t imagine how pissed everyone would be at me if I ran my grain bin construction the same way.”

Plain Truth?
In spring 2025, Hynek needed a new combine draper head. He checked prices on both sides of the state line with local dealers, and got the same answer from management. No sale.

“How can anyone look a farmer in the face and say these equipment and parts prices are fair-minded?” Hynek asks.

(Photo courtesy of Hynek Construction)

“Nebraska and Kansas, didn’t matter. I was told, over and over, ‘We are not allowed to sell you a draper head.’ They said I had to buy from my designated local dealership.’”

“Here’s what’s going on: One company bought the competition. They bought all the little stores, 20 or 30 or who knows how many, in my region and now they charge whatever they want. They won’t even tell me their shop rate for work, but I would guess it’s close to $250-270 per hour. Farmers pay it because there’s nowhere else to go, and because there are digital parts of the machinery that you simply can’t fix without’em.”

Robust competition, he claims, exists only at the farmer level. “Everyone above us has moved to unprecedented levels of consolidation and passes down costs. That’s not controversial; that’s just plain truth.”

Altar of the Temporary
At five years old, Hynek began raking hay with a Ford 8N. By sixth grade, he was a man-child in the rows, working alongside adult labor. Across a career split between farming and construction, including survival during the 1980s agriculture wreck, Hynek insists the position of farmers in relation to new machinery has never been weaker.

“If you work in the agriculture chain at any level,” Hynek asks, “and you think these prices are genuinely reasonable, I’d like to ask a question, ‘Are you OK with them going even higher?’”

(Photo by Chris Bennett)

“I love the products and technology, but I’m calling a spade a spade. I see the nice profit lines of the big companies, while I see farmers terribly struggling, especially the young guys. These families are being strangled by unreasonable prices. Do the big corporations not see it? Eventually, the big names will regret it because they’ll have fewer people to buy their vehicles.”

From Hynek’s vantage point, agribusiness is sacrificing the permanent on the altar of the temporary.

“I’m not upset with the guys who turn a wrench at any of these companies or some of the great individuals working at the dealerships. I’m upset with the brass and the boardrooms who control the prices. They treat farmers like numbers, sending their lobbyists to Washington, D.C., for bailout money, so we can eventually pay them. Where are the politicians, agriculture media, and associations? How can anyone—an executive, economist, or so-called expert—look a farmer in the face and say these equipment and parts prices are fair-minded?”

Tariffs? Trade wars? Covid? Inflation? Market disruption? All of the above and more? They hold partial blame, Hynek says, but are not the root cause.

“It’s simple, I believe. Whether the farm economy is good or bad, certain profit quotas must be hit. It all passes along the chain to the last guy standing in line: a farmer. It always has. But now it drops down with the extra weight of consolidation.”

Next Generation?
In his early twenties, Hynek clawed for a toehold in agriculture. No equipment. No farming relatives for support. He taught high school ag for seven years, saving $6,000 to launch a solo farming career.

“It was hard, hard work, but it was possible,” he recalls. “But now? The starting hole is so deep for a young guy—and getting deeper.”

“I’m established. I’m one of the fortunate ones. I’m going to make it. But what about our next generation? How does a young guy stay in or start at these equipment prices? The machinery corporates are not helping, and we’ve all been too quiet for too long.”

Which color does Hynek blame? The rainbow.

“If I charge a farmer too much for a grain bin, he will go down the road and hire someone else. That’s a healthy balance for everyone. Instead, in the ag equipment sector, all the colors are letting us down. I know that from being on operations across the country.”

Mike Hynek, with Kysen in his shadow, grows alfalfa, corn, and soybeans, along with Brome hay and prairie hay, and runs a cow-calf operation, and markets Angus-Wagyu cross beef.

(Photo courtesy of Hynek Construction)

Farmer struggles in Arkansas and Mississippi have captured recent headlines. Nebraska growers are in the same rut, Hynek asserts. “I know of a bank pulling the rug on four farmers. If the big bailout money doesn’t come, there’ll be at least eight more. That’s just one small bank in southern Nebraska.”

Where to begin to find a solution? The numbers, Hynek advocates. “We need to start with our lawmakers asking the corporates to explain the steady price creep over the last 20 years and explain the big price climb over the past five years.”

“According to what we’re told by the companies and giant dealerships, everyone in the agriculture chain is suffering. Kinda strange, because I don’t hear about anyone going bankrupt but farmers.”

For more from Chris Bennett (@ChrisBennettMS or cbennett@farmjournal.com or 662-592-1106), see:

Outraged Farmers Blame Ag Monopolies as Catastrophic Collapse Looms

Family Farm Wins Historic Case After Feds Violate Constitution and Ruin Business

County Shuts Down 15-Yr-Old’s Bait Stand on Family Farm, Threatens Daily Fines

Corn and Cocaine: Roger Reaves and the Most Incredible Farm Story Never Told

How the Deep State Tried, and Failed, to Crush an American Farmer

Game of Horns: Iowa Poacher’s Antler Addiction Leads to Historic Bust

Ghost Cattle: $650M Ponzi Rocks Livestock Industry, Money Still Missing

Farmer Unearths Lost Treasure, Solves WW2 Mystery

UPDATE: John Deere Releases Q3 Earnings as Mass Layoff Notice for Illinois Plant is Posted Then Removed

Thu, 14 Aug 2025 16:21:29 GMT

UPDATE: An Illinois WARN notice, posted on Wednesday, showed John Deere was laying off 819 employees at its John Deere Harvester location in East Moline. However, by Thursday afternoon, the notice had been removed.

EARLIER: The posting showed the notification was received on Aug.13, 2025 and July 1, 2024.

But Dustin Lemmon, public relations manager for John Deere, released a statement to Farm Journal saying, “If there is a workforce reduction, we will first communicate directly with our employees.”

Earlier this year, Deere reported a significant drop in first-quarter profits. It also predicted a 30% decline in large agricultural equipment sales in the U.S. and Canada in 2025.

On Thursday, Deere released its third quarter earnings summary — reporting a net income of $1.289 billion, or $4.75 per share. That’s compared with a net income of $1.734 billion, or $6.29 per share, at the same time last year. The results topped Wall Street predictions.

For the first nine months of the year, net income attributable to Deere & Company was $3.962 billion, or $14.57 per share, compared with $5.855 billion, or $21.04 per share, for the same period last year.

Worldwide net sales and revenues dropped by 9%, to $12.01 billion, for the third quarter and decreased 18%, to $33.290 billion, for nine months.

2025 Farm Journal Corn and Soybean College: Making A Stand

Mon, 14 Jul 2025 22:38:21 GMT

A record-breaking harvest of corn or soybeans is built on the foundation of a good stand. That concept is the focus for the 2025 Farm Journal Corn and Soybean College.

Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie and team will be addressing some of the key agronomic practices and tools farmers use to accomplish high yields during the two-day event – slated for July 22 through July 23 – near Heyworth, Ill.

“We’re going to focus on what the elements of a good stand are in corn and soybeans and how you can achieve them through agronomic decisions and the tools you use,” Ferrie says.

The program includes a variety of both in-the-field sessions as well as inside, classroom sessions.

Planter Selection For Your Farm

One of the key topics being addressed this year for corn growers is the planter and how to select one that’s a good fit for your specific farm.

“There are so many different systems out there today, and when it comes to making planter purchases, add-on purchases and such, you have to think through the whole process and how they will work for you,” Ferrie says.

Farm Journal Field Agronomist Missy Bauer will also be on hand to help farmers identify the impact of planting practices on corn and soybean stands.

“Missy will be talking to us about how to identify a good stand and also what contributes to a poor stand,” Ferrie notes. “We’re going to talk about hybrid characteristics and different aspects of the rooting structure of corn. We’ll then blend that information all in with farmers’ tillage practices, including strip-till, no-till, and also cover crops.”

Success With Early-Planted Soybeans

On the soybean side of the two-day program, Ferrie and team will be addressing early-planted soybeans and how to build a systems approach to growing them – from variety selection and planting preparation through harvest.

“We want to talk about row spacing, population, soybean characteristics, when can we stress plants and when to not stress plants,” Ferrie says. “We want to help farmers adopt a systems approach to early soybeans versus just planting them early and then trying to treat them like you would normal beans.”

In addition to these topics, the in-field and classroom sessions at the event will address:

Science behind spray nozzles: selecting the right nozzles for the job and making sure they perform well in the field.

Establishing corn ear count: examining the differences in rooting depth and stand establishment across a variety of tillage practices.

Closing systems: analyzing a variety of systems in different agronomic conditions to demonstrate how such systems impact stand establishment.

Put everything together, corn edition: evaluating everything from hybrid characteristics, leaf orientation, ear flex and how plant height affects light interpretation to ear development and plant stress in conventional corn and short corn.

Put everything together, soybean edition: looking at planting date, variety characteristics, tillage system, plant nutrition, row spacing and population all play a hand in bean stand establishment, overall light interception and yield.

The two-day event brings together presenters, farmers, and industry personnel that are passionate about raising the bar in farming, Ferrie says. “This is an unsponsored event making more time for our agronomists to spend with attendees, getting their questions answered, and more time to spend in the field,” he says.

Day 1 of the Farm Journal Corn and Soybean College starts at 8 a.m., Tuesday, July 22, and runs through happy hour/dinner.

Day 2 starts at 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday, July 23, and sessions will go through lunch.

“We will finish the second day with a Q & A following lunch. Our agronomists will be available to answer questions until your questions run out, so be sure to come with your list,” Ferrie says.

Price: $625 (includes access to one-day virtual event in January 2026).

Get the complete agenda details and register here .

Don’t Get Scammed: Essential Advice for Safely Buying Used Farm Machinery

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 18:22:40 GMT

If you end up on the receiving end of a questionable looking email from a Nigerian prince, who just so happens to have this can’t-miss, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you — all you have to do is go buy this used baler, sell it for thousands of dollars more than you paid for it, and then send a few thousand dollars to your new friend in Africa and you get to pocket the rest — you’re probably going to laugh, delete that email and move on with your day.

It would be nice if all used equipment scams were that easy to spot in the wild, but scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in how they put their grifts in motion.

One recent, well-publicized case appears really concerning on its face, because the fox was loose in the hen house.

Dustin Echelbarger, 43, was arrested in June on 17 felony counts of fraud and forgery in Indiana. Echelbarger, who is presumed innocent until proven otherwise, is accused of using his position as a sales rep at the local John Deere dealership, Truland Equipment, to rope a handful of farmer customers across two states into a used farm machinery buying and selling scheme. You can brush up on the sordid details here. The case is set for jury trial this fall.

Zach Bosely, founder and CEO of TractorTuesday.com, and Aaron Fintel, used equipment specialist with 21st Century Equipment, spoke with us about issues they have encountered in the used market and how buyers can protect themselves.

Here are a few common issues farmers should be aware of:

Lien Complications: Many transactions involve blanket liens, and sometimes multiple liens, which can complicate or invalidate a deal if the equipment is not cleared for transfer. Some sellers might even be unaware of existing liens on machinery.
Bankruptcy Issues: When sellers file for bankruptcy it can lead to hiccups with the sale and ownership transfer. For example, if farm equipment was sold before a seller’s bankruptcy declaration but still carries a lien, the buyer could find themselves entangled in a legal dispute with creditors.
Long Processing Times: When a lien needs to be cleared, it often involves lengthy delays in the transaction. Buyers might even find themselves unable to secure financing.

Here are some insider tips to help you stay safe in the used equipment marketplace:

UCC Diligence: Buyers should conduct UCC (Uniform Commercial Code) searches to identify existing liens, just as many of the big online auction houses will do before listing a machine for auction. To search for Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) filings related to farm equipment, locate the state’s UCC database and search for filings using the previous owner’s name. In Ohio, for example, you can perform online UCC searches on a database maintained by the Secretary of State office.
Research the Seller: Before making a purchase, ensure you are dealing with reputable sellers or auction houses. Do your homework by conducting online research (social media, local court records, Google searches) before you sign anything binding.
Verify Equipment History: Use the equipment’s serial number to perform online searches, looking for issues or conflicts. This includes checking for outstanding liens or claims.
Engage Local Dealers: Consult local dealerships and sales representatives that you trust. Bring the serial number with you so the dealer can verify the history of the machine and pull any service records.
Obtain a Lien Waiver: If there is a lien, the previous owner should seek a lien waiver from the lender, confirming they are authorized to sell the equipment and plan to satisfy the lien once the transaction goes through. Proper, open communication between buyer, seller and lender is key here.
Still Red Flags? Walk Away: If there are confusing terms or conditions that just don’t feel right, trust your intuition and take some time to review everything. Walk away from the transaction if your concerns aren’t satisfied.
Legal Advice for Large Purchases: You can save yourself from headaches if you have a trusted local attorney look over any large equipment purchase deal before signing on the dotted line.

“It is really important you do your due diligence as a buyer, and it could be as simple as getting the serial number and using a search engine. Start there and see if there’s any smoke,” Bosely advises. “And even if there’s not, continue down the path — talk to your local dealer and ask them to help you out, help make sure you’re not buying a lemon, because you’re going to use them for service anyways.”

“My final point to hammer home on all of this would be, there are ways to check things out when you’re buying equipment, so utilize them. Take your time and do your do your due diligence,” Fintel adds. “And keep this in mind: there is no such thing as having too many things in writing, whether it’s an email, a text message or whatever. Those are all documents that can be shown in court.”

Your Next Read: How Farmer Stories and 4WD Row Crop Tractors Push Used Equipment Values Higher

Tennessee Farmer Penalized by County for Parking Ag Equipment in Soybean Field

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 11:57:55 GMT

Farm equipment, parked on a farm, is illegal?

“It’s as crazy as it sounds,” says Danny Kitzman, “but it’s happening to me right now.”

In rural western Tennessee—Kitzman’s trailers, tillage implements, and track hoe sitting alongside a soybean field are a threat to code, claim officials in Madison County, a locale consistently ranked among the highest in the nation for per capita crime.

“Just when you think you’ve heard it all, you haven’t,” Kitzman adds. “We’ve got murders and robberies in serious numbers in this county, but I’m the one facing fines or seizure or who knows what, all because I parked my agriculture equipment on my own land. This could happen to you, too.”

Hell of an Irony
Soybean production, farm equipment auctions, land sales, and house construction, Danny Kitzman, 34, keeps a lot of irons in the fire. “I’m just a guy trying to make a living in agriculture and I’m willing to do anything and everything. I’m a small, small farmer, but I hope to farm fulltime somewhere down the road.”

“I love farm life. I do whatever it takes to make a buck and I don’t get in anyone’s business. Every time I save a dollar, it goes into equipment or land.”

As the first half of a historically wet 2025 rolled along, Kitzman—mirroring thousands of Mid-South producers in Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas, and Mississippi—had major planting issues. On a particular 11-acre soybean field parallel to Highway 70, a stone’s throw from the boundary line between Madison County and Haywood County, Kitzman threw in the towel on a small portion of the acreage.

“Maybe it’ll end up getting planted this year; maybe not. I took a tiny bit of the field, put down some gravel, and parked some vehicles—equipment I use for or in all my agribusiness operations. I live and have my business headquarters in Crockett County, so this was a great overflow location for me. It’s a rural parking spot so far out that it’s almost not in Madison County.”

Surrounded by cultivated fields, a requisite Dollar General, a house just visible through a tree line six acres distant, a sawmill across the highway, and flanked by an approximately 200-acre solar farm, Kitzman placed an assortment of agriculture machinery atop his gravel strip, from dirt buckets to tillage equipment.

Beyond the equipment, his acreage contained no buildings; no signs; and no electricity.

On March 18, Kitzman’s mailbox clinked with a letter from Madison County officials referencing a code violation. Essentially, Kitzman was ordered to remove all agriculture machinery from the farmland.

“I got a call from the codes department and they said the presence of the equipment was violating their code and I was running a business. I said, ‘Farm equipment on a farm is breaking code? What the hell are yall talking about? I use this machinery in my farm income every year, one way or another.’”

“Long as I live, I’ll never forget their reply: ‘You don’t farm enough or make enough money for that amount of equipment, so you have to move it from the side of the highway.’”

“Kinda odd, when you consider what’s in eyesight of my soybean field,” Kitzman continues. “That 200-acre solar farm, which sure as hell isn’t farming and sticks out as an eyesore like nothing else—that meets all the county’s zoning requirements. I’d bet everything that if I had solar panels sitting on my farm instead of farm equipment, the county would be in full support and make certain I had full code approval. That’s what I call a hell of an irony.”

By the Code
Move the machinery or else. Or else what? Per a Madison County attorney: “Failure to comply may lead to my office taking legal action, seeking an injunction and a judgment against you for all costs related to enforcement of the Zoning Resolution, including possible civil penalties set forth under the law.”

(The Madison County Property Code Enforcement Department did not respond to Farm Journal interview requests.)

The threats stunned Kitzman. “What? There are farmers all around me with dozers and track hoes and cultivators, and I’ve never heard of the county dictating anything about equipment matching acreage. Bottom line, according to my countless calls with county officials: I don’t have a real agriculture business by the code.”

“This is nuts,” says Danny Kitzman. “There’s nothing out here in any of these fields to begin with—except farm equipment.”

(Photo courtesy of DK)

Kitzman dove into the code book. On May 19, he emailed Madison County officials a listing of code justification: To further support our status as an agribusiness, I am providing the relevant Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes that correspond to our primary activities:

Farming Operations: SIC 01: Agricultural Production — Crops; SIC 011: Cash Grains (e.g., Wheat - 0111, Corn - 0115, Soybeans - 0116); SIC 013: Field Crops, Except Cash Grains (e g., Cotton - 0131); SIC 02: Agricultural Production — Livestock (e.g., Beef Cattle - 0212, Dairy Farms - 0241)

Farm Equipment Auctions: SIC 3523: Farm Machinery and Equipment (including auction and sales of agricultural machinery)

Farm Real Estate Auctions: SIC 6531: Real Estate Agents and Managers (covering real estate sales and auction services for farm properties)

These SIC codes demonstrate that our business is fundamentally engaged in agricultural production, farm equipment sales, and farm real estate transactions, all of which are recognized components of the agribusiness sector.

On May 30, Kitzman received a certified letter from the county: Move it all within two days or face legal action.

Except Farm Equipment
As the legal clock rolls, Kitzman asks multiple questions .

“Is the county going to try and ruin me because I parked tractors in my soybean field? How did we get to a point where the county gets to decide how many pieces of equipment I can park? Does the county want my land? Is someone else pushing this?”

He offers a warning to landowners and agriculture producers: “Who’s to say you won’t be next with some code violation for putting seed equipment or a spray trailer or bin storage beside your turnrow?”

“This is nuts,” he concludes. “We’re talking about rural Tennessee. There’s nothing out here in any of these fields to begin with—except farm equipment.”

For more from Chris Bennett (@ChrisBennettMS or cbennett@farmjournal.com or 662-592-1106), see:

Ghost Cattle: $650M Ponzi Rocks Livestock Industry, Money Still Missing

Game of Horns: Iowa Poacher’s Antler Addiction Leads to Historic Bust

How a Nazi-Fighting Oklahoman Rejected NFL Draft and Went Home to Farm

Sisters of Farm Fraud: How 4 Siblings Fleeced USDA for $10M

Tractor Terrorist: How a Forgotten Farmer Attacked Washington with Fertilizer Bombs

Farmer Unearths Lost Treasure, Solves WW2 Mystery

How The Deep State Tried, And Failed, To Crush An American Farmer

Organic Implosion: How Two Grifters Cooked $50M In Fake Fertilizer and Rocked Agriculture

Corn and Cocaine: Roger Reaves and the Most Incredible Farm Story Never Told

CNH, Starlink Announce Satellite Connectivity Expansion To Case IH And New Holland Machines

Thu, 15 May 2025 20:50:53 GMT

CNH has an agreement in place with Starlink, a subsidiary of SpaceX, to bring industry-leading satellite connectivity to farmers.

The company says this new collaboration will provide customers of Case IH, New Holland and STEYR, with robust high-speed connectivity – further unlocking the benefits of a fully connected fleet – even in the most remote rural locations around the world.

“We’re thrilled to offer our customers access to industry-leading satellite connectivity, enabling them to maximize the potential of our full suite of precision technology in even the most challenging rural environments,” said Stefano Pampalone, Agriculture Chief Commercial Officer at CNH.

(CNH Industrial)

Starlink’s Low-Earth-Orbit (LEO) satellite network offers reliable, low-latency internet. This enables today’s smart machines to communicate and coordinate efficiently , enhancing productivity. The connectivity module will seamlessly integrate with CNH’s FieldOps digital platform, giving farmers visibility of their machines and providing data from anywhere, anytime. It also enables greater data streaming capabilities by keeping farm management devices consistently connected, regardless of location.

CNH says this collaboration underscores it’s ongoing commitment to equipping farmers with reliable, tailored solutions that meet the unique demands of agriculture, while amplifying the capabilities of precision technology.

You can read the full announcement here.