In this bonus episode you'll learn how a farmer added service manager and precision ag dealer to his full resume, plus how he almost became a reality TV star. Tera talks with Conely Dugalech during a field demonstration day for Tillage Depth Control.
In this bonus episode you'll learn how a farmer added service manager and precision ag dealer to his full resume, plus how he almost became a reality TV star. Tera talks with Conely Dugalech during a field demonstration day for Tillage Depth Control.
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Speaker 2:Alrighty, welcome to top contacts agriculture. This is Tara Baker today, and we are out on the scene in the field in the middle of Michigan. Right now I'm with[inaudible] of Connelly's ag service out here, and he's a precision ag expert, a farmer, and so much more in his neighborhood. So welcome Conley. And tell me a little bit about how you got started into working with tap con precision ag products.
Speaker 1:Well, thanks for having me. Um, well, three years ago, um, actually Ellensburg come into our dealership where I work as a service manager and fascinating. And, um, my dealership wasn't interested in doing any of the precision ag stuff. They just wanted to sell equipment. So we kind of talked and he rode around with me for a day and he said, you know what, you'd be a good salesman. So I said, well, if you can tap Khan says, yes, I guess I'll start selling it. And that's kind of how it got started. Um, my, this is going on my third year now. Um, we're having a field day to day. Um, we're kind of featuring the new tillage depth control. I got it on a sunflower VT. I'm pretty excited about that. Just telling it, talking to guys about it and telling them what it is even before they see it are really interested in it. Um, just because there's no active tillers depth control, it's all passive. So hopefully today it looks like we're going to have roughly between 30 and 40 guys, I'm going to come out and hopefully be excited about, we also got headline turns going on today and, uh, we're doing, um, like zigzag guidance and different things of that sort showing guys, you know, the accuracy of top guns guys and systems. So
Speaker 2:Culture is in your area. What kind of soil types, et cetera, that make you think tillage step control would be a good solution for the farmers in your community?
Speaker 1:Well, here in central Michigan, we got a lot of Sandy loam. Um, we do got a lot of heavy clay too. So you might be in a 80 or a hundred acre field and you're running a good clay. And all of a sudden you go over and say a knob and all of a sudden your desk wants to plow the chain on because the wheels are sinking. One of the tillers depth controls active. So it'll raise the tool and not let it sink. It was horsepower. You go cross the field faster, you burn less fuel because they're not working the tractor as hard or vice versa. You hit a hard spot. It's going to raise a tool, hoping that the tool's physically heavy enough to push down and get through that hard spot to maintain that depth you want. So you get your perfect seed bed when you're planting so
Speaker 2:Well. That makes sense. Perfect seed beds sounds like you're going to have a better plant, which is going to hopefully have a better yield and a better craft and better results for farmers pocket book. Um, so let's back up a little bit though. You said about three years ago, you hung out with a fellow named Alex who is a top gun sales rep and decided that that might be a good fit for you, but it's not like that's the only thing you're doing. I mean, you're a busy guy, you're farming, you're working on equipment dealership. So maybe share a little bit with us about the different things that you're spending time on and how you thought top gun or why you thought Todd would be a good addition to that even though you're busy already.
Speaker 1:So I've been working at the dealership, I'm Matt for going on 12, 13 years now. Um, for the six years of it, I was a service tech and then I moved to the service manager position. Um, but still farming is my roots. We've been farming for almost a hundred years where we live out here in central Michigan. So if things go right, I like to pick some more land up and start farming. And then on my free time, when I'm not farming, I like to do the precision ag and salad and things of that sort. Um, I like, I really like the equipment seems to be easy to use. Um, I'm learning as I go with this whole COVID thing. I wish I could go to more trainings and things like that. So hopefully you get this straightened out by end of the year, maybe November 4th and, uh, well, that's all I got, I guess.
Speaker 2:So I heard through the grapevine that in addition to farming and working at the dealership and selling Topcon, you were also almost a TV star. What's the scoop on that?
Speaker 1:I think it was back in 2010 or 11. My wife's uncle is a producer in California and he come out for a week or two and just come out to hang out. And we do a lot of tractor pulling in different things. And, uh, he just kind liked to corral camaraderie with all the guys, you know, razzing each other and having fun and then go, you know, that might be a good reality show along about six weeks, seven weeks later for about two weeks straight, eight, about four or five of my guys. We had a camera following us around for like set of almost two weeks and they did a little reel and stuff and then ended up turning out a discovery channel that I think there was enough to go onto it, but the kind of a neat little backstory, the camera guy that was the video. And I saw doing release me anyways. He, as soon as he got no of us, he was headed down to Oklahoma to video, um, a thing about street racing while it ended up turning out to be street Outlaws. So I thought that was kinda neat. So,
Speaker 2:So you were almost as famous as street Outlaws, not even close. That's really cool. Well, Hey, it sounds like we've got about 40 guys coming out to the field the day to happen in tractor cab and experienced these head lanterns and this tillage depth control. And that's pretty impressive. And I mean, that speaks a lot to the relationships you have amongst the farmers in your community. Why don't you share with us just a little bit about how you work with these farmers, how you engage with them, how you build these relationships and, you know, gain their trust to come out to something like this?
Speaker 1:Well, I think the biggest thing is a service after the sale. Um, I think that's why I have the success I'm because pretty much all the people I'm selling to right now is guys that either our dealership has sold equipment to, or maybe I've done some work in my shop at home built pole, Poland, tractor form, vice versa, whatever, and they farm. And then I, you know, I go talk to them and I'm like, well, as long as you're going to take care of me and your stuff looks great, I guess I'll buy it from you. So I think the biggest thing, they got great products, but you got to service the product. If you don't serve as a product, they're not going to buy it. You know, in our area where I'm at probably John Deere is probably more popular because there's gender dealers. There were well, they serve as though I'm trying to sneak in there and say, Hey, I'm going to service Topcon. I'm going to be here. You got problems. I don't care if the midnight one in the morning, we're going to straighten out and get you going again. So I think that's why is just people know, that's the way I am. Like if people call me at 11 o'clock at night and their tractor is not working, right. I try to help out her phone. I've worst case. I go out on the job and we get it going. You know, if it's sherbet you season or some of them specialty crops where they're time sensitive. So,
Speaker 2:So you mentioned sugar beets. Uh, some of our listeners are in other parts of the United States, Canada and all over the world. Um, sugar beets are pretty popular here, right?
Speaker 1:Yup. Yup. We, uh, central Michigan towards Eastern side of Michigan and a little bit Northern and do a lot of, a lot of sugar beet farmers. Um, we do a lot of vegetables and specialty crops, also, um, West side of state, uh, like asparagus and cherries and apples and all that stuff is more prevalent in that side of the state.
Speaker 2:Thanks for sharing that, uh, here in Michigan, it's the second, most diverse agricultural production state in the country, only to California. So it's a, that's an added layer of challenge being in the equipment dealership, business and the precision ag business. It's not just corn and bean country here. You've got to work with a lot of different pieces of machinery and different farming types, for sure. Um, but let's look at a little bit of your business model personally. So from what I see, you are the quintessential entrepreneur. So you are not only, you know, running the phones and turning wrenches in your dealership job, but you're pounding the pavement, getting out to the field, working with farmers, turn in dirt. I mean, you're doing it all. So why don't you share with us maybe what kind of things you've learned along this journey and what advice you might have for other young ag entrepreneurs, entrepreneurs that are trying to get their hands in different areas like this?
Speaker 1:I think the biggest thing starting out and, you know, best way to call it, hooking the guy that he likes. Ya, you gotta, what you, what, what you say is what's going to happen. You can't tell him one thing and do another, that don't work guys. Don't like that you be about one, two shots of that. And that's it. Um, another thing I did find it's hard juggling working at a dealership, fireman, we farm just shy of 500 acres and then, uh, you know, with the, with the auto-steer life. And, um, plus in the winter I do some pulling engines and things of that sort. Um, you still gotta have the family life, so you kinda gotta once or twice a week, I try to take at night or even like a Saturday afternoon or whatever, and hang out with the wife and the kids and make sure everybody's happy. And then who will, so you gotta always remember
Speaker 2:And are the wife and the kids involved in your business at all? Yeah.
Speaker 1:On the backside of my wife, like for the meal and stuff that we're going to prepare today, we're going to, she did most of the cooking on ants, all home cooked meal. Um, she does some of the bookwork, especially when it comes tax time, firemen taxes and business taxes is about a two week ordeal. She does a lot helping out there and then she takes the kids when I can, when I got to go out and fix a tractor for a guy, you know, installing a system to make sure it's right. I mean, I don't, I really don't take the kids with me, so she has to handle that burden. So she's been great in the whole process and every year we keep growing a little, a little more, so we'll see what happens.
Speaker 2:Awesome. And just as we kind of wrap up our visit here today, um, you know, making an investment into working with products, such as Topcon products is it's a big investment for you, especially as kind of a one man show stepping out and doing this. So what do you see for the future, um, in, in the top con portfolio and in your ability to work with them that made you willing to take this leap?
Speaker 1:They're fairly diversified. Um, they got two or three products that other companies don't have, um, like until I was depth and crawl and like the yield track for the conveyor systems and things of that sort and the sugar beet country, that's going to be a big thing for us. And until his death, we're going to try hopefully next week to put, uh, uh, tillers depth control on a lift system for a brief reharvest where we're going to see how that goes. But, uh, they're diverse. Um, they have great people talk about as some of the greatest people to work with, but, uh, other than that, we'll see how things go.
Speaker 2:Awesome. Well, thank you so much for Connolly to Connolly for making the investment in our products for getting a great group of farmers out here to the field today, it's going to be a great day out here, turning dirt. Uh, we've got American flags flying on the machinery and it's just beautiful weather. So thank you so much and hope to see you guys out here in the field
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Speaker 2:Well, that's a wrap for tap contacts, agriculture, I'm Tara Baker. And I'd like to thank you for joining us and ask you to hit subscribe so that you can tune right in on our future episodes.
Speaker 3:[inaudible].