Flotation Forestry Tires

A recent decision by the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in favor of a thinning project in the Mt. Hood National Forest is a victory for the U.S. Forest Service and the logging industry—but it’s also a reminder that every move loggers make is being carefully watched and challenged at every bend in the (temporary logging) road.

Spring (Fieldwork) Has Sprung

After this year’s long, unpredictable winter, there are a couple of things we can expect as tractors, spreaders and sprayers start rolling over the next few weeks. 

The first thing, especially east of the Missouri River, is mud.

The second thing, at any farm, fertilizer plant or elevator, is unrelenting pressure to cover as many acres as possible. Fast.

Forestry Tires Grow in Importance 

A University of Wisconsin study of 65 years of climate data found that loggers are losing a key ally to their forestry operations in the woods—frozen ground.  Because of climate change, Loggers are working 2 to 3 weeks longer in muddy conditions than they did in 1948, the result of a steady shift in winter harvest conditions.

Flotation Tires and Manure Hauling 

Phillip McLain is a sharp analyst.  He tracks his stock picks on his Android phone as he walks through his family’s oilseed crushing operation near Statesville, NC. He has a running knowledge of farms up and down the roads that connect the 5,000 acres of cropland that he and his family operate.