Down at the Dealership

Written by Catherine
This is a swather, without the swathing head. It's job is to cut off canola or grain at the ground, then pile it up in rows for drying. Sometimes this step is skipped and instead farmers spray a dessicant to dry the grain instead, then combine it straight.
This is a swather, without the swathing head. It’s job is to cut off canola or grain at the ground, then pile it up in rows for drying. Sometimes this step is skipped and instead farmers spray a dessicant to dry the grain instead, then combine it straight.

Right before coming to BC, I had the chance to visit the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute in Humboldt.  It is a nice drive in the summer, with lots of chance to see lots of crops coming along.  Along with two Masters students from Queens, our host Les took us to a local farm machinery dealership to check out the merchandise.  This is like a car dealership, except everything is over $100,000.  Lots are over $500,000!  When you think that you need probably 4-5 of these things to outfit a modern grain farm, it reminds me that lots of farmers are working for the mortgage – and not just on the property.  Here are some photos, along with notes on what the things do.  Les was outstanding in that he told us what everything did, but also where the dangerous parts are, and how injuries happen.

 

This is a grain trailer for unloading the combine. You can bring this over to the grain bins or loading truck while the combine keeps going.
This is a grain trailer for unloading the combine. You can bring this over to the grain bins or loading truck while the combine keeps going.
This is like a harrower, but has a different name that I need to look up - basically all those tines comb the soil and flatten it out.
This is like a harrower, but has a different name that I need to look up – basically all those tines comb the soil and flatten it out.
This is a lawnmower fo ditches etc. It is massive, but dwarfed by everything else in the yard.
This is a lawnmower fo ditches etc. It is massive, but dwarfed by everything else in the yard.
This mini loader is for small farm tasks, like plowing snow. It is often driven by farm youth - sketch-o-matic! This one has removable roll-over protection so it can be stored in a low shed - expect I bet once the ROP comes off it doesn't go back on. :(
This mini loader is for small farm tasks, like plowing snow. It is often driven by farm youth – sketch-o-matic! This one has removable roll-over protection so it can be stored in a low shed – expect I bet once the ROP comes off it doesn’t go back on. 🙁
These grasshopper-looking guys are high-clearance sprayers. They are used for spraying fertilizer or pesticides onto crops without mashing them- the wheels fit between rows (Almost)
These grasshopper-looking guys are high-clearance sprayers. They are used for spraying fertilizer or pesticides onto crops without mashing them- the wheels fit between rows (Almost)
This is a combine without it's head on. This is a massive machine! Nearly too big for the road.
This is a combine without it’s head on. This is a massive machine! Nearly too big for the road.
This is the ladder to get up on the combine. Slipping off wet or grain-dusty machinery is a common cause on injury on the farm.
This is the ladder to get up on the combine. Slipping off wet or grain-dusty machinery is a common cause on injury on the farm.
This is the back end of the combines. These augers swing out to the side and spit the grain out into a grain bin, or even into the grain trailer as it drives alongside.
This is the back end of the combines. These augers swing out to the side and spit the grain out into a grain bin, or even into the grain trailer as it drives alongside.
This is an airdrill that plants a 100-foot wide path. It is followed by a compressor and seed trailer. You can see the big manifolds that send pipe out to each planter... I forget how much pipe there is in this thing, but more than you think. ;)
This is an air drill that plants a 100-foot wide path. It is followed by a compressor and seed trailer. You can see the big manifolds that send pipe out to each planter… I forget how much pipe there is in this thing, but more than you think. 😉
This is an old-school combine, from the days when 'combining' (reaping, threshing, and winnowing) was not done in an air-conditioned cab with satellite radio and GPS-aided tracking.
This is an old-school combine, from the days when ‘combining’ (reaping, threshing, and winnowing) was not done in an air-conditioned cab with satellite radio and GPS-aided tracking.
This friendly, self-contained, and neat little package is a bailer. IT produces round bails, the kind you see covered in white wrappers on the west coast turning them into big marshmallows. Despite its innocuous appearance, it has caused some pretty grisley injuries, especially amutations and crushings (under bails, which it spits out at intervals).
This friendly, self-contained, and neat little package is a bailer. IT produces round bails, the kind you see covered in white wrappers on the west coast turning them into big marshmallows. Despite its innocuous appearance, it has caused some pretty grisly injuries, especially amputations and crushings (under bails, which it spits out at intervals).

The scale of modern agriculture and the technology required to keep up is pretty daunting. The average farm size in Saskatchewan is around 1200 acres, compared to Ontario’s 230. The average farm size all over Canada (but especially SK) keeps growing, and the number of farms goes down. The number of farmers goes down, and the average age of operators is going up. There are more and more ‘corporate’ farms, which are crowding out the family-owned farms. When there are fewer people to do the work, there needs to be more automation, since our demand for food commodities is only increasing. As an example here is a mega-combine that harvests a 24-METRE path: