VIDEO: The story’s the thing: Machinery Pete on farm auctions

VIDEO: The story’s the thing: Machinery Pete on farm auctions

After speaking with Greg Peterson, aka ‘Machinery Pete,’ you may walk away with the sense that you’d just been talking with the Garrison Keillor (of past Prairie Home Companion fame) of farm machinery. The two men have something in common: both are Minnesotans and know the power of story-telling to make a connection. In this

Dr. Danny Mann speaking at a seminar on automated tractors in February at the University of Manitoba.

The autonomous age will require human interface

Surprisingly ergonomics is going to be important as machinery automates

The era of the autonomous tractor is upon us, says Danny Mann, head of Biosystems Engineering at the University of Manitoba. However, there will be limitations. Mann says liability concerns mean that for the foreseeable future, there will have to be some level of human involvement in the technology. Mann was speaking to an audience at a University of


Greg Peterson, also known as Machinery Pete, speaks at Manitoba Ag Days in Brandon.

What’s old is new again in farm machinery

The high-flying used market likely won’t be coming down to earth any time soon

Machinery Pete expects high prices for used equipment could be around for a while. The farm machinery auction guru – Greg Peterson, when he’s off the clock – attracted a packed house during his presentation at Manitoba Ag Days in Brandon this year. Like many producers grumbling about equipment prices, he has noted the staggering

John Deere has set some ground rules for right-to-repair that farmers say are fair.

Right to repair proposal gets a boost

John Deere signs document giving access to equipment technology and tools to diagnose and fix it

John Deere is allowing U.S. farmers to repair their own tractors. In early January, the company signed a memorandum of understanding with the American Farm Bureau Federation that many say signals what could become an industry-wide trend that spills over the border. “I think this is very positive news,” says Bill Campbell, president of Keystone


“One of the things that Versatile has been known for, and this goes back to the first tractors that we produced back in the 1960s, is collaboration.” – Adam Reid.

Versatile benefits from ‘sum of the parts’ model

Real time monitoring system follows company history of collaboration

For Winnipeg-based tractor manufacturer Versatile, developing and maintaining business partnerships is what allows it to keep pace with competitors. The latest example is a partnership between Versatile, its engine supplier, Cummins, and two tech companies, Elevāt and STW Technic. The arrangement has given the tractor manufacturer a sophisticated, real-time diagnostics and support system for its

Yield data is commonplace but fully leveraging it isn’t happening yet on most farms — but that will change rapidly, say some experts.

The era of uniform application is ending as data drives change

The technology behind precision application isn’t the finished article yet, but it’s getting close

Glacier FarmMedia – The days of applying fertilizer and other inputs in a blanket fashion across entire fields are coming to an end. With the advent of GPS integrated data loggers and yield maps, farmers no longer need to guess when it comes to applying expensive inputs, said precision agriculture expert Alex Melnitchouck. “Yield is


A common phrase for tech leaders and companies is “data-driven agriculture.” But which interests does farm data serve?

The way we talk about digital agriculture obscures interests behind it, says author

Facebook users pay for use with data. Farmers pay with data and for using it

Treating farm data like it’s a natural resource or comes ‘from on high’ makes it harder to see the forces that shape and profit from it, contends a new book. “In agriculture, just like in other contexts… there are really powerful interests behind the collection of data and the use and misuse of data,” said author Kelly Bronson

The sticker price of new equipment is bad enough but it’s the cost of used machines that has many farmers shaking their heads, says Jason Lenz.

No end in sight for soaring farm equipment costs

It’s not just new equipment prices that’s shocking, it’s also the spillover in the used market

Glacier FarmMedia – Prices for farm equipment continue to rise. And it’s not just fancy new iron that’s causing farmers to do double takes. How does $62,972 sound for a 1994 New Holland 9680 tractor? How about $49,995 for a 1995 John Deere 1850 air drill? Or $80,000 for an older tandem axle grain truck?


The RoamIO HC was one of many autonomous technologies attendees of the recent AgRobotics Working Group field tour could see in action.

Ironing out autonomous logistics

AgRobotics Working Group field day shows challenges, benefits of autonomous equipment

Glacier FarmMedia – Logistics carry the day, not tactics – or so goes the military adage. However true on the battlefield, the saying also has resonance in crop production. It holds true for autonomous field implements, just as it has for analog equipment, though tech developers don’t always get the message right away. Why it

“I’ve had people come to our booth and tell us we bought them new half tons. If you’re losing three bushel(s) and you can get that down to one, that’s a considerable amount of money.” – Trevor Scherman.

Calibrate your combine to boost profits

An hour or two spent properly calibrating your machine could be the most lucrative time you spend this harvest

Farmers will spare no expense when it comes to tending their crops and maximizing production. So why do they spit so many of their profits out the back end of their combines at harvest? It’s a mystery to North Battleford farmer and inventor Trevor Scherman, one of the speakers at the recent Ag in Motion