Agland’s machine optimization consultant, Jason Riseley, stands in the front of the industry’s largest X9 1100 combine on display at Agri-Visions, held at the Lloydminster Exhibition Grounds Feb. 9-10. Geoff Lee Meridian Source
Agri-Visions got off to a great start at the Lloydminster Exhibition Grounds with fresh news about the easing of COVID restrictions in Saskatchewan and Alberta.
“We’re excited; it means we can host a lot more,” said Lloyd Ex agriculture manager Shelly Ann Dodgson at the start of the two-day event on Feb. 9.
“It’s great to have people in the building. It’s nice to see the farmers and the producers and industry people intermingling and synergizing.”
The doors opened with 90 per cent sold-out trade show booths and a sense of relief for local equipment exhibitors such as Tingley’s Harvest Centre after COVID restrictions cancelled the show in 2021.
“We definitely missed it last year. It is always an event we’ve enjoyed supporting and getting the community out,” said Tingley’s product manager Grant Kromrey.
“It’s a great time of the year to bring stuff inside and thaw it out and have customers look at it in the warmth.”
Tingley’s display ranged from harvesting equipment, a forage harvester, combines and front-wheel assist tractors in the CLAAS line, to construction equipment by Kubota and JCB.
“It’s a fairly broad line, so it’s a fit for all markets that we work in,” said Kromrey.
Their collection also included small recreation yard tractors for sale.
“Right now, we’ve been doing quite a few demos at the M7 series Kubota. That’s a 130 to 170 horsepower chore tractor for feeding cattle and bailing,” said Kromrey.
While spring seeding is still weeks away, Kromrey was among many exhibitors and customers on hand happy to see a lot of snow on the ground.
“That’s a bonus. We definitely need the moisture to start off this year for grassland, grain land and everything. Hopefully, we can have a good spring and start seeding,” said Kromrey.
Last year, many farmers in Western Canada faced extreme drought conditions.
Snow on the ground is also a good sign of things to come in the opinion of Jason Riseley, a machine optimization consultant with Agland.
“It should be a really good start with all this snow. All this snow has brought the optimism up for everybody,” said Risely.
Weather talk was also a good ice breaker for customers to learn more about Agland’s showcase X9 1100 combine by John Deere.
“It’s the biggest one in the industry right now,” said Riseley.
He says the dual rotor separation is one of its standout features and benefits.
“We’ve gone to two rotors. We’ve got quite a bit large shoes – we’ve got 75 sq. ft. of shoe,” he said.
The combine also has a 460-bushel grain tank for high capacity and a 4.6-bushel secondary unloader.
The machinery looks complicated, but Riseley says John Deere makes it user-friendly for non-tech-savvy customers.
“Most of our operators on the farms today are older guys, even women, so the owner-operators are the ones running around keeping the farm going,” he said.
“The older fellows and other people have to run the machine, so John Deere has to make it as easy as possible for those people to run those machines.”
Riseley was happy to get the chance to show off their equipment again with the return of Agri-Visions.
“We can get everything shined up and everyone can get a good look at it instead of out in the snowbank in winter, “ he said.
Other eye-catching equipment from Agland included the John Deere 7R 250— a 250 hp tractor with a loader and a C450 Mo-Co (mower-conditioner) for hay that just came out this year.
