Preserving a Good Reputation
Monte Bordner carries the generational responsibility of raising and selling Angus breeding bulls and females. The family name carries a reputation known for cattle with superior growth rates, phenotypes that are prized in any herd and leadership across the board in agricultural organizations.
Heart surgery and hip/back injuries strained Monte’s stamina and ability to continue the legacy using the aging equipment and infrastructure on the farm. Operating older equipment is often a fact of life for farmers. Older equipment can still be functional but often lacks the ergonomics of current generation models.
Luckily, adaptations exist that make better economic sense than purchasing new models.
Ned identified several improvements that would add ergonomics to Monte’s entire equipment fleet at less than half the cost of upgrading just one piece of equipment. A lever modification provided better ergonomics inside one of the tractors to accommodate a shoulder impairment. Air suspension seats and extra entry steps for two tractors, rear view camera kits, grab bars and bucket step for the skid loader all simplified entering and exiting equipment, and addressed back, muscle and joint strain caused by hours spent in equipment that moves with little forgiveness over rough terrain.
A quick attach kit installed on a tractor and feed wagon reduced the number of times Monte had to climb in and out of tractors.
Delivering cattle to clients is an expected piece of the marketing equation. A power trailer jack eased the heavy work of hand cranking the stock trailer up and down during hitching.
Throughout the year, cattle need to be corralled for vaccinations, observations, medical exams and more. When the cattle are at the home farm, the permanent facilities are available. When the cattle are in other locations, moving them back to the farm for treatment and returning them to the remote pasture takes a lot of time and plenty of extra help. Free standing portable fence panels created the option to handle cattle in remote locations safely and easily.
All these items are portable and can be moved or used in different pieces of equipment should a tractor need to be replaced.
The initial evaluation encompasses all parts of the farm. Portable items were the simplest part of the equation. The permanent working corrals were workable but locked into a dirt corral that became muddy when wet and rough when frozen. The footing was dangerous and Monte was at the mercy of family availability to help work cattle in the worst conditions. State vocational rehab resources support portability; permanent things like cement and foundations, and intangible grading to prepare the surface and improve drainage aren’t often recognized or funded in a farm assistive technology plan.
However, Ned helped the local counselor understand that the existing facilities on the main farm were still in good shape, but the conditions surrounding them made it impossible for Monte to work cattle on his own. Grading and cement also turned out to be the lowest cost option in this situation.
The modifications described here have allowed Monte to continue to raise cattle under the Bordner name and provide him with many additional years in the cattle industry without depending on busy, younger family members.
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