New around here - greetings from the rust belt!

Maybe I should introduce myself.. Looked for an introduction forum and didn't see one so here goes..

I'm a Michigan farmer. I primarily grow hay and some row crops as well. I own 160 acres and rent another 70 locally. I have 2 tractors, both Kubota M9000's, pre T4 units I bought new back in the early 2000's. I do 100% round bales and all are sold prior to making them (don't ever worry about selling hay as I have one customer who buys all of it and has for 5 years now. I make it, roll it up, he brings in his semi trailers, I load it up and off it goes.

Besides the 2 Kuboota's I have a complete set of hay tools (disc mower, rotary Kuhn rake, Kuhn Tedder and just bought a new Kubota round bailer this fall that replaced the 450 NH net-twine bailer I've had for years.

We have a Kubota GS 850 side by side as well (I like Kubota equipment). Do a small amount of row cropping with the guy down the road who owns a large seed corn operation (I operate his equipment as a hired hand in trade). The trade is, I get off grade to be seed corn that I burn in my 2 biomass corn burners, one in the shop and one in the house and I've heated my home with corn (and the shop) for over 20 years now.

I have 2 USSC 6039 bio mass corn capable stoves and needless to say, my fuel bills are very low as in I just pay for the electricity to operate them.

I also own and operate a fabrication shop, I rebuild excavator buckets and anything else that comes my way. I'm an accomplished welder (let my certifications lapse) but I do all processes, SMAW, TIG, Glue Gun (MIG) and gas welding and a bit of machine shop work as well.

We live in a very rural area, on a dirt road with maybe 3 cars going past per day. Have a dog (Australian Shepherd and about 10 cats to keep the mice at bay.) I'm 71 and retired from a day job so my time is now my own for the most part except when it's time to make hay or run equipment for my buddy down the road.

I like to hunt and I shoot handguns as well and shoot 50 foot indoor competition small bore pistol. Do a lot of big game hunting when I can out west and hunt whitetail in Northern Michigan on property we also own near Big Rapids, Michigan.

I'm a cancer survivor which put a severe crimp in my hunting trips but I plan on getting back into out west hunting trips next fall. Just got another draw point in Wyoming for Elk. I've hunted in New Mexico, Montana, Nebraska and Wyoming in the past and the walls in out home are adorned with mounts that my wife don't particularly like, but I do.

Kind of the long and short with me and if anyone has any questions about roasting corn for heat or the in's and out's of biomass stoves or tractor maintenance, especially concerning Kubota's or large John Deere's, I'm all ears, ears of corn that is....lol

 

Michigan, the rust belt state...lol

 

I'm good with whatever you want to do. At my age (71), I don't get excited about much anymore, well, except dinner. My wife is an excellent cook and very understanding as well. She has to be with me.....

 

Welcome corncob !!! You're in a great spot here on FHC. Not a bad guy in the bunch...

 

Good deal. Like friendly conversations with others.

 

Your in Michigan farm country, your surrounded

 

The Belt Buckle, if you will.

 

Nice to meet you corncob, and nice intro.

 

Surrounded by rednecks....lol

 

Well as a compliment yes.. Many FHC ‘ers in Michigan; plus a annual GTG that is a world renowned in area

 

I was kind of surprised this forum didn't have an intro sub forum so I went ahead and did my own anyway. I thought 'corncob' would be a fitting screen name in as much as I heat the house and shop with corn. I'd do wood heat, problem is, out here there aren't many trees to cut for wood. Everything out here is cleared for tillable cropland. I do keep our trees around the house free of dead branches and I've cut a bunch of Emerald Ash Borer infested ash trees down, which I really didn't want to do because I feel Ash trees are beautiful, but that is about it for my chainsaw work. I had zero issue giving the cut up ash trees away. Have a buddy who sells firewood to the local campgrounds and he took them all except for the little stuff which I piled up and roasted. Cut so many logs for him, I marked the bar on the 028 at the length he wanted them bucked to. He likes them a specific length, I guess so when he splits them they all come out uniform. That was last fall, not this fall. I have not even started a saw this year at all, but I will shortly. I need to clear a tree line off, on the west side of out property as I'm extending a hayfield and all the 'trees on that line are overgrown crab apple trees and I'm sure he will come get that wood as well. Dried apple wood is real popular for BBQ ing. I'll probably keep some for my own use too as we BBQ on chunk wood charcoal in the summer.

Besides the chainsaws, I have a Stihl gas powered pole trimmer. and I'll use that on the crab apple trees.

Nice to have the tractors with large front end loaders. Makes it easy to move logs and such around.

 

What town are ya close to corncob ? Glad to have ya here for sure!

 

Where in Michigan are you? I’m in Burton.
Welcome to the forum.

 

Hi from Kalamazoo and welcome!

 

Howdy from Fife lake.

 

Welcome corncob! How many cords are ya burning in one season?

 

Welcome aboard from your Hoosier neighbor to the south!