Anyone who recently enjoyed a filling meal at Thanksgiving owes at least a little gratitude to farmers. The work ethic of farmers is legendary, and the harvest season is a great reminder of how much effort goes into putting food on our tables. But that effort has paid huge dividends: Our nation’s economic and industrial development was made possible by our ability to efficiently produce enough food to sustain a growing population.
But we should also recognize the decades of innovation which have gone into agricultural equipment, enabling significantly larger crop yields year after year. In particular, combines, which help farmers harvest important crops like wheat, corn, soybeans and barley, have played a crucial role.
Combines get their name from the fact that they combine three processes necessary to harvest grain crops: reaping, threshing and winnowing. An American invention, the first combine was developed in 1834 by Hiram Moore and was pulled by horses or mules and used a
bullwheel for power. Within a few decades, combines had a cutting width of a few yards. Straw-burning steam engines were added shortly thereafter, meaning that the harvesting mechanism was no longer dependent upon the distance and speed the combine traveled.
By the beginning of the 20th century, horses had been replaced by tractors, which used a power take-off to operate the combine. Self-propelled combines were introduced in the U.S. in the early 1900s, as gasoline and diesel replaced steam power. Various other designs and features were added through the years, with on-board electronics being incorporated in the 1980s so combine operators can monitor and optimize various factors to maximize yield. The result: a swift, sophisticated means of harvesting vital crops.
The evolution in our ability to harvest grain coincided with population shifts from rural to urban centers, with smaller numbers of farmers and farm workers working on larger plots of land to feed the nation. This in turn enabled Americans to work in other industries like manufacturing and to pursue other professions.
Our success with mechanizing agriculture has truly revolutionized our society, and high-tech combines remain an indispensible part of producing our food and sustaining our national economy.
Dealers also have an important role to play. A new combine can easily cost a farmer upward of 350 thousand dollars, and it’s more important than ever for dealers to have quick and convenient access to quality pre-owned heavy trucks and agricultural equipment. Don’t forget to check our
event calendar to learn about upcoming opportunities to buy and sell!