05/20/2022
A very hard working farmer (and show me one that doesn't) farms over 10,000 acres of corn in the Midwest. The property is spread out over 3 counties. His operation is a "partnership farm" with John Deere They use the larger farm operations as demonstration projects for the promotion and development of new equipment.
He recently received a phone call from his John Deere representative, and they want the farm to go to electric tractors and combines in 2023. He currently has 5 diesel combines that cost $900,000 each that are traded in every 3 years. He also owns over 10 really BIG tractors. John Deere wants him to go all-electric to satisfy the liberals.
He said: "Ok, I have some questions. How do I charge these combines when they are 3 counties away from the shop in the middle of a cornfield, in the middle of nowhere?”
"How do I run them 24 hours a day for 10 or 12 days straight when the harvest is ready, and the weather is coming in?" "How do I get a 50,000+ lb a combine that takes up the width of an entire road back to the shop 20 miles away when the battery goes dead?"
There was dead silence on the other end of the phone.
When the corn is ready to harvest, it has to have the proper sugar and moisture content. If it is too wet, it has to be put in giant dryers that burn natural or propane gas, and lots of it. Harvest time is critical because if it degrades in sugar content or quality, it can drop the value of his crop by half a million dollars or more. It is analyzed at time of sale.
It is standard procedure to run these machines 10 to 12 days straight, 24 hours a day at peak harvest time. When they need fuel, a tanker truck delivers it, and the machines keep going.
John Deere's only answer is "Gee, I think we're working on it." They are being pushed by some in the government to force these electric machines on the American farmer.
They are messing with the production of food crops that feed people and livestock... all in the name of their "green dream" with no thought about how to achieve their objective.
Thank you for this post Farm Life & Gene McAvoy
