April 4, 2024
Brandon, MB – Bushel Plus Ltd. (Bushel Plus) is officially launching The Harvest Academy, a one-of-a-kind combine education and training program in Canada designed to provide farmers and agriculture professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to optimize harvest processes.
Starting this spring, Bushel Plus Harvest Academy will offer uniquely tailored, in-person combine clinic sessions, workshops and events on how to reduce harvest loss; increase yields, revenues and efficiencies; and contribute to better global food production using more sustainable practices.
“Many people are amazed to learn from us that the combine is not a set it and forget it piece of equipment during harvest – that there are a number of tips to consider and important metrics that can be set up – and even before harvest starts,” said Marcel Kringe, Bushel Plus founder and CEO.
“Just driving your combine slower is not the key,” he added. “The combine is one of the most fascinating, important and complex machines on the farm. The season and even subtle straw conditions can influence performance, which in turn can affect yields. We are launching the Harvest Academy because of the positive feedback we received over the years from people who enjoyed learning more details from us about different settings that can achieve optimal combine efficiency.”
After years of sharing his expertise with equipment dealers and farmers at combine and seed workshops and at clinics at farms, Kringe, an expert in combine calibration, tapped his team of product specialists, agronomists and agriculture engineers to create and deliver The Harvest Academy.
Experts will deliver wide-ranging expertise in sessions and at events on pre-harvest maintenance, equipment operation, technology integration, safety, cost-effective harvest practices and resource allocation, and much more. Programs can be customized and modified to serve the needs of farmers and farm operators, seed producers, dealers, agronomists and other ag professionals. Teachings will also apply to combines with automation, where proper calibration is critical.
“Harvest Academy will present new concepts, tackle common oversights, and focus on hands-on tips and the theory of optimal combine performance,” Kringe added. “For instance, not only will we explain how to get grain out of the concaves earlier in the threshing process, we’ll get into why this is so important. Plus, organizations are always looking for new ways to add value to their farmer customers. The Harvest Academy will give staff invaluable knowledge that will enhance the customer experience.”
Bushel Plus already offers harvest training in Europe, as it recently took over the training services of German company AgrarTraining. Plans are in the works for The Harvest Academy to be offered in the U.S. and other countries, and a university and college scholarship program will support students looking to build a career in agriculture. Bushel Plus is also working with post-secondary agriculture institutions to ensure harvest optimization knowledge is integrated into curricula.
“I’m so glad I attended a combine clinic from Bushel Plus,” said Jerry Stromstad, a farmer in North Dakota, U.S. “It was very educational and informative. The set up was much appreciated, and the details learned helped so much in setting up my new combine. The tips and tricks for canola are unmatched and made a big difference at harvest.”
Bushel Plus will be an exhibitor at Canada’s Farm Show in June and Ag in Motion in July. For more information, please visit theharvestacademy.ca.
