Deere has announced an alliance with Dawn Equipment Company, Inc., a Sycamore, IL-based manufacturer specializing in ground engaging tools and active control systems for planters. Their agreement allows Deere to sell and support Dawn’s hydraulic-controlled down-force systems, row cleaners and closing wheels for planters.

Equipment sales were $345.0 million for the first quarter of fiscal 2015, compared to $334.7 million in the first quarter last year. Parts sales were $68.4 million for the first quarter of fiscal 2015, compared to $62.8 million in the first quarter last year. Revenue generated from service was $37.1 million for the first quarter of fiscal 2015, compared to $32.0 million in the first quarter last year. R

Coming off one of the most successful Spring Conferences in our Association’s recent history, we are excited to announce that we have selected the Westin Hotel located in Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, as the venue for our 2015 Spring Conference. The official meeting dates are Wednesday though Saturday morning, March 18-21, 2015, with additional activities planned for those who can arrive early or extend their stay through the weekend.

The second dealership will be CLAAS-owned and operated. The new harvest center, scheduled to open in the Regina area before fall, will offer the full line of CLAAS products, service and parts support.

The USDA in May released its World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates. This report presents an initial assessment of U.S. and world crop supply and demand prospects and U.S. prices for 2014/15.

The report predicts the following:

Bush Hog announced it has hired Tony Marchese as Vice President of Sales and Marketing, effective May 5. Bush Hog is part of the Ag Division of the Alamo Group (ALG), Seguin, TX.

Deere & Co. reported a 9.5% decline in second-quarter net income in mid-May, citing lower demand for farming equipment, and cut its sales forecast for the year, Associated Press reported. With farmer income projected to decline, Deere said sales of its agriculture and turf equipment could fall . . .

Case was a colossal abuse of the justice system, in which the animal-rights groups and their lawyers apparently believed the ends justified the means. It also marks the first time in U.S. history when a defendant in an Endangered Species Act case was found entitled to recover attorneys’ fees against the plaintiffs due to the Court’s finding of frivolous, vexatious and unreasonable litigation. . .

Ag Growth International Inc. announced its financial results and Danuser Machine Co. has introduced the Hammer, a hydraulic post driver, to its production list while expanding manufacturing space by over 32,000 square feet.

The 2012 Census of Agriculture indicated that the United States is quickly losing mid-sized family farms, and U.S. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack is concerned. In early May, he said that, of the 2.1 million farms in the U.S., 68% are smaller than 180 acres and thus likely to be hobby farms or worked by part-time farmers.

According the results of the survey conducted by the USDA and the University of Maryland Bee Informed Partnership, total losses of managed honey bee colonies from all causes were 23.2% nationwide. That number exceeds the 18.9% level of loss that beekeepers say is acceptable for their economic sustainability . . .

Advance-fee loan schemes, in which self-described loan brokers demand upfront payments for loans that never materialize, have intensified since the financial crisis, as banks tightened lending standards, making it more difficult for small businesses to obtain financing, reported The Wall Street Journal. “It was a costly lesson,” said one victim. “There’s no need to pay upfront for a loan.”

While unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have ag-tech circles buzzing, promising a bumper crop of real-time imagery, satellites may steal some of their thunder if they can deliver actionable images every week across America’s heartland, reported Farm Industry News.

During the closing days of the Missouri legislative session, our Association expressed its strong opposition to language added to a House Bill dealing with all-terrain vehicles, off-road vehicles and utility vehicles, without hearings or any opportunity for public input. The substitute version, which passed the Senate, would have forced Tesla Motors to abandon its direct-to-consumer sales model in Missouri.

A Purdue Extension agricultural economist published two articles that outline what the 2014 farm bill could mean for farmers and agriculture in the Midwest, announced Purdue University. The articles, “What Will the 2014 Farm Bill Mean for Midwest Agriculture?” and “Beginning to Evaluate Choices in the Farm Bill,” are available for download free of charge . . .

President Obama on May 21 signed a proclamation designating a new monument in southern New Mexico that will cover nearly a half-million acres, the largest monument designation President Obama has made to date. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association opposes the decision, the organization announced in a news release.

The joint boards of SouthWestern Association (SWA) and Canada West Equipment Dealers Association (CWEDA) recently voted to proceed with a merger of these two associations to form the new Western Equipment Dealers Association (WEDA)

After offending farmers with its aggressive ad campaign claiming local-raised food is healthier and anything else is bad, Chipotle is feeling the effects of what some would call Karma, reported porknetwork.com.

Summer grilling season will cost meat lovers a few more dollars this year, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation

LEON’s Manufacturing Co. is selling the following pieces of used equipment from its factories:

• Press Brake
• Shears
• Lake Erie 1000 Ton Brake
• Iron Workers

After years of strong growth, agriculture is poised for a “transitional year” in 2014 as the sector digests lower commodity prices and a drop in planting acreage, predicted Paul Schickler, DuPont Pioneer president, as quoted in The Des Moines Register.

Canada’s new anti-spam law, designed to protect consumers while allowing businesses to continue competing in the global marketplace, will take effect on July 1, 2014, according to a Canadian government website. On January 15, 2015, sections of the Act related to the unsolicited installation of computer programs or software come into force.

Roughly half of the companies targeted by these patent claims have revenue under $10 million, and the number of lawsuits alleging patent claims rose 12.4% to 6,092 in 2013. Most lawsuits arise from firms that license or litigate patents as their core activity and target small companies,

Alamo Group Inc. announced it completed the acquisition of the operating units of Specialized Industries, LP, a portfolio Company of ELB Capital Management, LLC, for approximately $190 million, on a debt-free bas

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Wednesday that farmers might be able to reallocate their planting history, known as base acres, at Farm Service Agency offices by this fall and that money for helping farmers make signup decisions will go to universities and educators by the end of this month, according to agriculture.com.

Predicting the future can be fun, but divining the course of technology is not always easy. Certain ideas appear destined to come to market, but others that seem less likely can actually take hold. In Farm Industry News, Willie Vogt and Jodie Wehrspann list the top trending technologies that could impact your business in the next 10 years. . .

Remlinger Manufacturing announced it will begin marketing and selling harrows from Kelly Engineering to Wisconsin, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Vermont, Rhode Island, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, California, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, the majority of Eastern Ohio, Ontario and Quebec.

Alamo Group Inc. reported net sales for the first quarter of 2014 were $171.2 million, compared to net sales of $158.4 million for the first quarter of 2013, an increase of 8%. Net income for the quarter was $7.2 million, compared to net income of $6.9 million in 1Q13, an increase of 4%.

AGCO reported net sales of approximately $2.3 billion for the first quarter of 2014, a decrease of approximately 2.9% compared to net sales of $2.4 billion for the first quarter of 2013.

Following a four-year-long battle, Chesterman Farm Equipment Ltd. (CFEI) last month won a tribunal appeal against CNH Canada Inc. The tribunal has ordered CNH to pay Chesterman $139,846 plus $60,670.61 interest because the company cancelled the Chesterman’s CNH dealership agreement at the end of 2006.

Cervus Equipment Corp. announced its financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2014.

Revenue increased by $25.2 million or 17.8% ($15.6 million from the agricultural equipment segment and $9.6 million from the CIT segment).

Milk prices are poised for a retreat of some 15% by the end of the year, undermined by a significant supply response to high values, reported Agrimoney.com, citing a source that also blamed record raw material prices for a cut to profit hopes.

Rocky Mountain Dealerships Inc. reported its financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2014. A summary of financial results for the first quarter stated that inventory decreased by $46.9 million to $516.4 million, total revenues declined by 4.0% to $198.2 million, gross profit declined by 10% to $29.2 million (14.8% of sales), and annual dividend increased 15%.

The USDA released a report indicating the following results for 2013 U.S. livestock production: The 2013 gross income from cattle and calves and hogs and pigs for the United States totaled $92.7 billion, up 4% from 2012. Gross income for cattle and calves increased 3% and hogs and pigs increased 6% over the previous year’s gross income . . .

JayDee AgTech now operates under the Jim Pattison Group umbrella after being acquired by the Vancouver-based private company that also owns Maple Farm Equipment, reported The Southwest Booster.

Kansas Governor Sam Brownback signed into law a bill containing two measures important to Kansas agriculture. The Farm Equipment Manufacturers Association commends the Kansas Legislature for passing Senate Bill 265.

Kentucky’s first legal hemp crop since the 1950s is ready to go into the ground this month, reported Southeast Farm Press. James Comer, the state’s agriculture commissioner, has pushed for this for several years. He told the Associated Press that Kentucky’s hemp crop will be planted this month and other states want in on some of the action.

(ASABE) has initiated a project to revise of one of its often-used standards, ANSI/ASAE S318.17, Safety for Agricultural Field Equipment.

The revision will update the reference section and standard format. In addition, anticipating eventual alignment with related documents, the revision will incorporate guarding definitions, design requirements and fabrication guidance currently included in . . .

A company in the agricultural and pressure washer business seeks a Senior Business Development Manager (SBDM) to build market position by locating, developing, defining, negotiating and closing business relationships.

It is with regret that we announce the passing of Dr. Stanley Brantley, Jr., PE, President of Amadas Industries

A member seeks a Director of Sales and Marketing to join their team. This position reports directly to the company’s CEO Company and Board. The person will be responsible for the overall management, direction and integrity of the sales and marketing department.

Farm Futures reports that, as House Ag Committee Chairman Frank Lucas looks to step down as chairman at the end of the year, he is expected to remain on the committee. One likely successor is Rep. Mike Conaway, (R-TX), who currently chairs the subcommittee on . . .

This month we thank the following companies for their membership in the Farm Equipment Manufacturers Association and their continued support. We look forward to having these companies, and yours, as members for many more years.

Raven Industries, Inc. acquired SBG Innovatie BV and its affiliate, Navtronics BVBA, according to MarketWatch.com. SBG’s headquarters will become the new home office for Raven in Europe, and Raven will offer SBG products as part of a lineup of precision ag products.

France has banned the import of all pork-based products, pigs and pig sperm from the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Japan, reported International Business Times (IBT). The IBT said French officials fear that a virus, which has killed millions of piglets, could damage European markets.

s (ASABE) seeks our members’ input regarding development of a new standard for testing drawbar pins on agricultural equipment.

The document, currently designated X625, Testing Requirements for Drawbar Pins, will establish the dimensional and minimum-strength requirements for agricultural drawbar hitch pins used in the single-point attaching of towed equipment to tractors or other towed equipment.

Many actuaries say they still don’t have a clear sense of what their health costs will be this year, even as they set prices for 2015. One chief actuary told the Journal he spends 80% of his time talking to lawmakers, journalists and others outside the company, instead of doing typical actuarial work.

The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) has completed a new standard for net wrap used in baling hay. ASABE S532 APR2014, Net Wrap for Round Balers, standardizes knitted net wrap nomenclature and dimensional and packaging requirements.

With so much useful information packed into one resource, it’s easy to see why many members keep a copy of the directory close at hand!

We will print and mail the next edition in January 2015. In the meantime, some copies of the 2013-2014 edition are still available. If you have not yet received your current directory, or if you would like a second one, contact Tricia at 314-878-2304 or tkidd@farmequip.org and ask her to send you one.

When each issue of the Shortliner newsletter is published, the Association sends approximately 800 paper copies to members, emails an electronic copy to another 500, and also posts the content on our website. We want to help you stay current on industry news and to provide the information in the format you prefer. So please tell us whether you’d rather receive your newsletter via email or U.S. Mail.