Leading Seed Stock Producer Hails Auto-Weave, Bale Kicker
| Dave Nichols grew up on his father's farm - a cattle feeder operation - and was used to hard work, dirt and sweat. When he was 11 years old, it was his job to sit behind the pickup and tie the wires on the baler. In those days, Nichols' farm consisted of 160 acres of farmland on the rolling hills of Adair County, Iowa. | |
 Today, Nichols Farms is still in the cattle business but it has changed significantly over the years. Nichols now runs the farm which, today, blankets 4,000 acres of central Iowa farmland and feeds 1,200 registered cows. Nichols' farm employs six people full time and the operation is considered the largest seed stock producer in the Midwest - exporting semen, embryos and seed stock to 28 foreign countries. In Nichols' experience, running a farm is just like running any other business - maintaining quality, employing the best people and controlling costs are the keys to success. "In ag, you have to be a least-cost supplier. We believe in good management. I expect to get a return on everything we buy for Nichols Farms. It goes back to the farm's motto passed down by my father: 'Raise all you can - feed all you raise.'" Nichols runs a tight operation. He rarely sells or buys grain, depending instead on the 1,000 acres of corn and 500 acres of alfalfa of which they get 3 to 4 cuttings. All feed is tested to analyze the nutrient levels and every animal is fed a ration that is determined by the computer. A representative sampling of bales from each field and each cutting is weighed. "It doesn't do any good to know what your input costs are if you don't know what the output is. We take the raising of feed very seriously. Hay is not just another crop we put up so our cows won't starve to death during the winter. We look at alfalfa as a valuable source of protein." Nichols has seen the evolution of baling hay. "When I was 11 years old and working behind that baler - believe me, I knew what dirt and sweat were. Then we went to a small round baler. We employed half the kids in the area to put up those bales. When Vermeer came out with their large round baler, I was sure God had saved a special space in heaven for the person who relieved me of this back-breaking, dirty work I was doing all summer. "Later we bought another Vermeer baler and thought, 'This is what big round bales are.' Then we bought another make. We discovered that not all round balers are created equal. The upkeep and breakdowns all came up with this other baler. We kept it two years, then we bought a Vermeer J Baler. It's just as important to have a modern, well-engineered baler as it is to have a modern, well-engineered combine. "We were one of the first to have the Auto-Weave. I bought it thinking it would help the bales and be easier for the operator to run - especially on the hillsides. We got bigger bales and higher quality hay. "There was a custom operator baling hay in the next field. He was using a new baler that didn't have Auto-Weave. Visually, you couldn't tell the difference between the bales - both were making over 2,000-pound bales. But the bales from our Auto-Weave were 150 to 200 pounds heavier just because of consistent packing. I can take a wooden pencil and a big cheap tablet and figure that if I get 5 percent more hay in a bale with the same amount of twine and same dimensions, I can pay for that Auto-Weave very quickly - plus, I've got a better product. "What I appreciate most about Vermeer equipment is that our downtime is at a minimum. I just can't afford downtime. A bad day for me is a piece of equipment and a good employee not running because of down-time. Little things like twine not starting can be a problem. It's not just annoying; it's also very time-consuming. Sooner or later you end up with dozens, even hundreds, of acres of alfalfa that'll probably get rained on that night - and that's big bucks. Ease of operation is really important, because that makes a person and equipment more productive." The latest additions to Nichols' haying operation are a Vermeer K-Baler and a TwinRake. "I never even priced any other balers. I was going to buy a Vermeer. I got a bale kicker on the new K-Baler because of our rolling ground. Before, we'd have some bent tailgates. We don't have that anymore. And, over a 10-hour day, it's really saved time. I'll never have a baler without it. "We've had the TwinRake for four years. This has saved us a day's time in baling because we lay down a 12-foot strip of hay. It makes a windrow just the right size for a baler. It's really helped the quality of hay because we're able to bale a day earlier. During the summer, we hire high school kids. Last year, all our raking was done by a 14-year-old girl - and she did a whale of good job! This rake works on hydraulics, so it's really easy and safe to operate. She folded it up and put it away herself - no problem." Nichols admits he no longer operates the equipment on a regular basis. "I'm the operator of last resort. The only person who would operate it after me is my mother who is 81 years old. But I still enjoy operating this machinery. The younger guys are better operators than I am, and the Auto-Weaves and automatic monitors don't bother them a bit." Nichols admits that his VCR at home still flashes 12:00, but says that proves that setting up the new monitors on the balers is easy. "If I can do it, it can't be too tough." Nichols describes Vermeer as a pioneer. "They're an innovative company. They build their products like they're building them for themselves. I'm an outcome-based person - for me, it's the results that count. Vermeer equipment is well made. Service is great. Parts are easy to get and I haven't had much down-time. I need dependable people and dependable equipment - and that's what I have. Anyone who puts out that kind of equipment is building on a rich heritage." |
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