Caterpillar - Finning Canada

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EQUIPMENT PROFILE continued“My view isthat if you are acontractor and notinjecting in fiveto 10 years downthe road, you’renot going to behauling anymore,”says Norm Scott ofSno-Valley ManureManagement Ltd.deploying injection ser vices versussurface application of manure. Scottexplains Red Deer County frowns onsurface application, although it is permittedwhen the ground is frozen wheninjection is impossible. Manure injectionhas advantages over surface application –potential health hazards are reduced fromsurface run off and the nutrients stay inthe soil. Furthermore, there is no nastyodour. In fact, the company calls itself‘the neighbour pleasers’.“My view is that if you are a contractorand not injecting in five to 10 years downthe road, you’re not going to be haulinganymore,” Scott says.On a typical job site, Sno-Valley’s smallertractor powers an agitator and pump atthe lagoon, liquid manure is pumped intotandem tanks. The rear tank is equippedwith the injection system. “It works likean air seeder,” says Scott. “The manuregoes through a set of hoses leading downto the shanks, where it is injected rightinto the ground.” Typically, it will beinjected between four and eight inchesbelow the surface.The MT765 hauls loaded tanks fromthe lagoon to the application site, whichcan be up to 3.5 kilometres away from thesource location. During peak operatingseason, the company will transport over100 loads of liquid manure in a 24-hourshift. Sno-Valley uses three injection systems.One suited for zero till soil, wherethe shanks and manure injection hosesare 30 inches apart, leaving 80% of thesoil undisturbed. The second unit is foruse in standard cultivated fields, wherethe shanks and injection hoses are 11inches apart. The third injects manureusing the Aer-way implement which isused primarily on pasture and hay fields.Manure is a natural fertilizer, reducingfarm input costs, offsetting the costof expensive commercial fertilizers. Butthere are issues with manure usage. RedDeer County requires soil testing of farm-18 TRACKS & TREADS • Summer 2005 www.finning.ca
If this plan comes together, Scott believesthe manure hauling operation has potential toevolve into a year-round business.land every three years. The concern withrepeated manure applications is phosphorousbuild up that can negatively affectwater quality. Soil tests help farmersmonitor phosphorus content and determineacceptable quantities of manureapplication for each acre of land. Farmersare also responsible for determining thenutrient value of lagoons. “In the past,the rule of thumb for applying manure insome parts of the county was 6,000 gallonsper acre,” Scott outlines. “That growsa pretty decent crop.” However, the applicationrate does vary depending on soiland lagoon nutrient tests, he adds.The need to transport manure greaterdistances was a major reason Sno-Valleyupgraded to the Challenger MT765. Thenew machines travel at speeds up to 40kilometres per hour versus 27 kilometresper hour with the older Series 65 tractor.The capacity to work faster allows Sno-Valley to operate with fewer employees.Scott is looking forward to putting thetractor’s electronic Tractor ManagementCentre (TMC) to use. The operator preprogramshydraulic flow and pressure,ground speed, engine rpm and poweroutput, so repetitive functions can beduplicated with the touch of a button –TMC’s One-Touch management system.When putting in long days, Scott saysoperator fatigue is an issue. Repeating afunction using the TMC avoids errors andmaintains consistency. The system alsohas the capability to learn. As the tractorperforms repetitive tasks, it “learns”to throttle down and reduce hydraulicflow as it reaches the end of the field. TheMT765 provides a smoother ride, moreoperator cab comfort and better visibilitycompared to the Challenger 65 series,Scott says.New standard equipment like the powertake-off (PTO) shift makes the tractormore versatile than the older Challenger,allowing farmers to pull a greater varietyof implements like forage cutters, balersand manure injectors, as is the case withSno-Valley. The transmission improvesfrom 10 gears in the older equipment to16 in the new generation of Challengertractors. The all-new <strong>Caterpillar</strong> C9engine, with 538 cubic inches (8.8 litres)of displacement and 306 gross enginehorsepower delivers plenty of consistentpower. Scott adds improved fuel economyis expected from the new MTs.Sno-Valley currently operates themanure business seasonally, from breakupto freeze-up, but this may change.Power generation from a manure digesteris being contemplated for the RedDeer area. Biogas is produced from themanure. The gas, which is primarilymethane (natural gas), is used to fuel agenerator to produce electricity for theAlberta power grid.If this plan comes together, Scottbelieves the manure hauling operationhas potential to evolve into a year-roundbusiness.Dutch DairyCountryGert and Jetty Niewenhuis immigratedto central Alberta three yearsago, lured from the Netherlands bycheaper land to run a dairy. Their goalwas never to grow grain, forage cropsor raise cattle. That’s why the couple,along with many other recent arrivalsfrom Holland, have contracted silage,grain and manure management servicesto others. Niewenhuis has operatedhis dairy south of Red Deer for thepast two years. He hired his neighbourand experienced Alberta mixed farmer,Norm Scott, to provide those services.Scott is co-owner of Sno-Valley ManureManagement Ltd.“We’ve contracted out these servicesbecause running a dairy takes alot of time and effort,” says Niewenhuis.“And having to purchase theequipment makes it too expensive todo ourselves.”He owned a dairy farm that milked65 cows in Holland before moving to<strong>Canada</strong>. His Alberta operation is nowan established 100-cow dairy. Thelack of land available to expand in Hollandhas led to an influx of Dutch dairyfarmers, particularly to central Alberta.Land further south in the province ismore expensive and requires irrigation,Niewenhuis says. Scott says the Dutchdairy customers have become morethan customers. They have becomefriends. “We’ve found that the Dutchpeople are very loyal,” Scott says.“Once you get in and do a good job,you have an opportunity to expand.Word of mouth is pretty good advertising.”www.finning.ca Summer 2005 • TRACKS & TREADS 19
Page 1: Field test: MT tracked tractors sho
Page 4 and 5: The Finning FocusA New Identity, an
Page 6 and 7: GROUNDBREAKERNEWS &REVIEWSGROUNDBRE
Page 8 and 9: GROUNDBREAKERMACHINIST IAN MACKAYPr
Page 10 and 11: The Tech ReportTHE DAYS OF THE CAT
Page 12 and 13: COMPANY PROFILE :: Teck Constructio
Page 14 and 15: COMPANY PROFILE :: Teck Constructio
Page 16 and 17: EQUIPMENT PROFILE16 TRACKS & TREADS
Page 20 and 21: Safety FirstBRINGING A PILLOW AND B
Page 22 and 23: SPECIAL REPORTHUMAN RESOURCESSPECIA
Page 28 and 29: MEETING THE CHALLENGEAirborne Deliv
Page 30 and 31: EQUIPMENT PROFILE30 TRACKS & TREADS
Page 32 and 33: EQUIPMENT PROFILE continued“Weyer
Page 34 and 35: FIELD TESTMulti TaskingB Y J I M S
Page 36 and 37: INDUSTRY HIGHLIGHTMINING IN BRITISH
Page 38 and 39: COMPANY PROFILE :: Marnevic Constru
Page 40 and 41: COMPANY PROFILE :: Marnevic Constru
Page 42 and 43: Count On UsMay 31, 1960Customer sup

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