He likes using his four antique tractors. They clicked in meetings the farmers have, and this year they're sharing a booth at the market, which will close Oct. The late freeze caused Brewington to lose 85 percent to 90 percent of his peach crop this year, so he hasn't had a lot to sell at the market. Ken Easler was looking to make a few dollars when he stumbled across a man who would become one of his best friends. He grew up in the Beaumont community and his family bought land with peach...

PAUL At an antique farm equipment beet harvesting demonstration in Paul Saturday, those who gathered got to see first hand the evolution of technology. The first demonstration was a two-mule plow, which slightly lifted the beets from the soil and required workers to follow behind to pluck and top the beets. A drastic improvement could be seen as Fisk used a 1951 model McCormick tractor and sugar beet harvester on another row of beets. During the demonstration, a patch of beet field was...

New cotton harvesting equipment unveiled by Case IH and John Deere promises to eliminate module builders, and reduce the manpower and equipment needed to pick cotton crops. Both farm equipment giants now have harvesting equipment available that not only picks cotton but bales it as well. Once the accumulator is full, the cotton is dumped into the round module chamber where it is formed into a round module and wrapped in a protective covering, ejected onto a retractable gate at the rear of...

A mechanical grape harvester at Chateau Chantal vineyard and winery along M-37 looks as peculiar as it is efficient, as technology in the grape and wine industry evolves as did machinery that harvests wheat, corn, cherries and other agricultural products. The winery also received a state grant last year to help purchase $60,000 of other mechanical equipment to reduce manual labor needed for harvesting and maintaining its 35 acres of vineyards. Winemaker Mark Johnson still favors...

The expense of farming has also changed. Farmers were easy to spot, with either round or square spots around their eyes, depending on the shape of their goggles. James recounted the evolution of farm equipment from mule-drawn plows to the air-conditioned cabs of todays tractors. Chamber presenter recounts changes over seven generations of farming. Farmers had to be self-sufficient in the 19th century, raising enough food for themselves, and their animals. There was a time when some farmers...

He noted, however, that the seasonally dependent producer-services business also reported a 50% improvement following operational improvements and an increased market share in John Deere equipment sales. Farmers cut back on spending after a poor season or in anticipation of lower earnings, such as when a season of overproduction is expected to put pressure on the maize price or after a drought. These conditions during the past two seasons meant farmers bought less seed and fertiliser and...