MID-COUNTY AGRONOMY
Page 6
www.midcountyCoop.com
Meet our new agronomy applicator
As a licensed agronomy applica-
tor, Tim Lieske is looking forward to
spending time in the fi elds this grow-
ing season.
“It’s nice just to be outside in the
country,” he said. “You get to see a lot
of different things.”
Tim joined Mid-County Co-op in
April 2011, after a year of previous
spraying experience.
Although he grew up in Maple
Grove, Tim spent much of his child-
hood at his uncle’s
farm near Chaska.
“I did fi eld work,
baled hay, and took
care of the animals,”
he recalled.
Tim
After high school,
Lieske
Tim attended South
Central College, earning an associ-
ate’s degree in agribusiness service
and management with an emphasis in
agronomy.
A better way to apply
When it comes
to nitrogen fertil-
izer application
(anhydrous amo-
nia), Mid-County
Agronomy
has
the right stuff.
Last fall, the
Scott Nelson
co-op purchased
(952) 466-3730
a new anhydrous
ammonia toolbar,
which has several advantages over the old-
er equipment.
The larger 62.5-foot-wide toolbar in-
cludes a state-of-the-art Liquimatic system,
which keeps pressure at an optimum level.
Toolbars without Liquimatic must rely on
tank pressure, which can vary with tem-
perature.
The pressure gauge tree on the system
Agronomist Joe Forner shows Mid-
County Agronomy’s new anhydrous am-
monia toolbar.
corresponds to each knife that goes into the
soil. With a quick glance at the gauges, an
operator can determine if the fertilizer is
being pumped evenly.
Mid-County Agronomy rents tractors
each spring and fall, and synchronizes the
software to the application equipment.
These units utilize GPS and auto steer
in order to avoid skips or overlap. The unit
pulls two nurse tanks on one trailer.
Typically, two nurse tanks cover about
40 acres.
The fi ll weight of two nurse tanks, in-
cluding the trailer, is about 16,000 pounds.
Each setup is weighed before and after ap-
plication. That way, customers only pay for
the exact amount that was applied.
At Mid-County, Tim has also been
trained to deliver fuel and maintain
equipment.
Tim and his wife, Ashley, will cel-
ebrate their third wedding anniversary
in June. The couple makes their home
in Chaska, where Tim has a collection
of farm toys.
“I have a sprayer similar to what
I’ve used,” he said, adding that he en-
joys attending farm toy shows with
his brother.
Advantages of
accurate application
Our EQUAPLY systems offer three main
advantages for ammonia application
1. Most important is row to row equality.
Extra N need not be applied as insurance
against a bad row. With anhydrous now
about $800 per ton, a 10% savings is sig-
nifi cant.
2. The system utilizes a centrifugal pump
which allows full speed and accuracy,
even with a cold nurse tank in the early
spring and late fall.
3. Our knife pressure gauge option lets
you know if you have a plugged row.
Including the trailer, these two nurse tanks have a
combined fi ll weight of 16,000 pounds.
The new equipment includes a Liquimatic
system that enhances application accu-
racy.