“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
That sage adage has been passed down generationally since the first caveman picked up a stick, stuck it in fallow ground and called it a “hoe.” Sure, there are exceptions.
We, Homo sapiens, wouldn’t be the technologically advanced species we are today without innovation. And in this modern, tech-forward ag landscape we suddenly find ourselves in, with stressors encroaching on all sides, evolution is necessary. We can’t farm the same way our ancestors did because it’s not sustainable.
Meeting the moment, ag tech is glittering brighter than ever — and it’s easy to get swept up in the latest gadgets and newest, coolest machines. Some are too far-fetched to be beneficial, but others can really drive down costs. They’re worth the investment. Even so, that wise proverb your grandpa first told you on the jump seat of his old Minneapolis-Moline G-1355 still rings true, perhaps more than ever.
I was recently reminded of this by fifth-generation farmer Brian Thalmann, a Minnesota native and owner of Thalmann Seeds in Plato. He’s been using the same tried-and-true seed-sorting technology for decades — dating back to when his grandfather purchased a small fanning mill to clean wheat seeds. These days, Thalmann cleans and packages soybean seeds for Stein Seed Co. from November to April.
He implements a three-step cleaning process:
- Chaff is removed in a large air screen mill.
- It’s sorted by weight in a gravity table separator, which Thalmann describes as “an air hockey table on steroids.”
- The seed goes through a rotary spiral, which flings out good, round kernels, while oblong seeds slide down the middle.
While some of the machines are newer, all are legacy designs.
“We would rather have machines that are mechanical instead of those that might be subject to change,” Thalmann says. “What we have has worked well. We consistently have, in our opinion, very good seed quality.
“Everything is more complicated today. We’d rather have machines that are reliable.”
Consistency over complexity
This mentality extends to Thalmann’s farming operation, where he prioritizes consistency over complexity. And it’s one that can sustain farmers through both good and challenging times when checkbooks are tight.
If that old tractor can still pull the tillage implement your dad bought, why upgrade? Some legacy machines are just as reliable as something new.
Take Big Bud, for example. First built in the 1970s in Havre, Mont., the white tractors are renowned for their durability. Scott Sloan, product manager at Titan International, estimates that 290 are still in operation today. Some farmers are “using frames that have been out in the field for 35 years and have 40,000 hours on them, and they’re still running strong,” he says.
Titan is showcasing a Big Bud at this year’s Farm Progress Show on Aug. 26-28 in Decatur, Ill.
“They’re infinitely rebuildable because they’re just so simple to work on,” Sloan says. “The body’s not built around the tractor. The engine and transmission are on a gen pack. You can actually slide them in and slide them out. You can do an engine swap on a Big Bud 747 in less than four hours. That’s how they designed it. It’s that simple.”
Yes, it’s true that modern technology can reduce margins, but it comes at a price. New and newer used machines are more expensive than ever. And while they might pay themselves off eventually, there’s nothing cheaper than the fully paid off legacy machine that’s sitting in the shed. Chances are, it still has a lot of life left.
So, in these trying times, consider your grandpa’s advice: Don’t change what’s working.