Resurrection of the small farmer?

The emergence of the organic farming and “local food” movements has helped to actually increase the number of small farms.  Some of these farms need harvesting equipment, but alas as the equipment manufacturers followed the “get big or get out” siren song, they abandoned the small scale harvesting business.  Its not that there was no demand for pull-type pickers and combine, just not enough to sustain their business model.   Todays small scale farmer who needs harvesting work is left with scavenging older small scale machines with limited parts availability (with a few notable exceptions wink*wink) , purchasing older larger equipment, or hiring out the work to custom operators.  All of these options have their pluses and minus’s but I do wonder how sustainable they are in the long term.  Ever so slowly there  are less and less small workable machines to choose from with even fewer parts availability. “Overkill” notwithstanding, the older, large self propelled machines can be money pits assuming the parts can be found and don’t cost  your firstborn.  These self propelled machines also have a LOT more to maintain than a pull-type. Think engines/clutches, etc. Getting a custom operator to do your 15 acres is nothing to be counted on ad infinitum. 

With that in mind I have been toying with the idea of rebuilding All-Crop harvesters, the model 72’s in particular.  I would think it would be more cost effective to build all new sheet metal and angle iron for the frame and seperator instead of tearing one down, blasting and putting back together. Salvaged would be the castings, grain tank, gear boxes; basically those parts that would be expensive to reproduce. I would think the rebuilt machine could go for $6-10K.  Question is, would there be any takers? I have heard “your crazy”, and perhaps I am.   But as time marches on the alternatives look less and less appealing for the small farmer when it comes to harvesting.  But heck, maybe I’m just fishing for an excuse to do one..What do you think?

On a happy note I have finally landed a job in town after 5 months of searching. Good to be back in the saddle again.