PLANTING
& HARVESTING EQUIPMENT
MANUAL
LABOR
Today
a farmer couldn't do enough with his hands to make a living at farming unless
he works in an area like Lancaster where the the Amish farm. The Amish don't
buy the expensive heavy motorized equipment or have to worry about the
equipment's upkeep. Even sweet corn growers in our area are going to harvesters
to pick this corn. Modern small farmers cannot afford to pay the wages of
laborers to do the work by hand.
Machines
do not effect the quality of the product, not even a sweet corn puller.With
intense agriculture, people will pick the crop by hand. The crops for intense
agriculture may be string beans, sweet corn, lima beans, vegetables and fruits.
These farmers have to deal with the general public and can make a good living.
They are able to control the price of their produce.
EQUIPMENT
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Special equipment is used
for most farming operations. Most equipment is pulled by a separate power
unit such as a tractor. Each machine makes the farming process easier.
Equipment for planting includes machines to loosen the soil, pack down and
firm the soil. Five to six acres of land can be prepared for planting in an
hour. |
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The equipment is very
expensive. A new combine will cost over $200,000. A big tractor will cost
$100,000. A corn planter $28,000, $20,000 for a disc, and a no-till drill
will cost $24,000. The only things done by hand are setting up the machines,
loading seed, repairing the machines, and climbing up and down the machines
to drive them. |
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A farmer has to have the
proper equipment and the job will go well. Most of the equipment holds up
well. If the farmer has mechanical failures at harvest time, it can cause a
lot of problems in bringing in the crop. |
