LDI-Colby Harvest Tour

As harvest wraps up across the state of Kansas, LDI and its customers begin to reflect on the season. At LDI, we strive to keep your harvest running smoothly and successfully. This harvest, farmers reflect on their operation, their connection with LDI, and why they enjoy the LDI equipment they use in the field. During the harvest tour around the LDI-Colby area, we were able to visit three different operations in the heat of harvest. Max Ellegood, Aftersales Support at LDI-Colby, led the day of operations, stating, “Over in the Colby area, harvest is pretty much on full blast, but it depends on who you talk to. Where some guys down the road are 2/3 done or some guys up north are just getting started, and a main factor for that is the weather.”

Along our tour, we stopped at Kent and Aaron Higerd’s operation just outside of Colby. The father/son duo put in long hours farming wheat and corn throughout the year. Kent reflected upon their experience with the LDI service department, explaining, “They try their best to get out here in a timely manner to help us with problems on the equipment, they are known to stay after hours to get things done for us. I’d recommend them (LDI), they’ve shown me they Do What it Takes.” Aaron, Kent’s son, discussed the importance of Precision Planting and the impacts it has made on their operation; from emergence testing to seeing what your planter is doing for you or against you is vital to success. Overall, the Higerd duo is ready for next year and is looking forward to taking the next steps to getting a good harvest. 

The second stop of the day was in Goodland at Dan Shield’s operation. Dan runs the farm with his wife and kids, along with a few hired hands who play an important role in the functionality of the business. When looking for a combine for his operation, Dan was immediately drawn to the capacity of the Fendt IDEAL combines. The Fendt IDEAL industry-leading grain tank can hold 485 bushels on the job. Another farmer we visited was Tyler Smith out of Oakley. He, his brother, and father operate a Gleaner S97 and the Fendt IDEAL combine. The tracks on the Fendt IDEAL displayed low compaction compared to the weight of the machine when fully loaded. The Smiths were pleasantly surprised that their Fendt IDEAL compared equally with their Gleaner S97 by showing low compaction during harvest, leaving a well-prepared crop bed for the next planting season. Overall, the Fendt IDEAL is a powerhouse during harvest and one that will continue turning heads for years to come. 

As we visited with Tyler Smith further, he reflected on his experience with the Gleaner S97 Combine. “My dad grew up with the Gleaner Combines, started back in the 60s, and has always run the Gleaners. We have tried some others, but we always stuck with them. With wheat harvest, I don’t think there’s a combine that can beat a Gleaner; it’s probably one of the best ones out there,” explained Tyler. The lightweight and low compaction of the machine is what keeps the Smith crew coming back to their Gleaner Combine, proud and happy to run it in their fields each year. With the addition of the Fendt IDEAL, they are excited for the further and ready for Harvest 2026.  

Overall, the harvest is looking like a success for farmers across the state. Throughout much of the season, many rainstorms came through, causing harvest to slow down a bit; however, with a few days to dry out, many farmers walked away this year with abundance in their grain bins and smiles on their faces. LDI is proud to walk by farmers’ “Doing What it Takes” to get through the heat of wheat and allowing us to walk alongside you. We do our best to keep you safe and guide you to a plentiful year. If you are interested in learning more about the Gleaner S or T Series Combines or the Fendt IDEALs, call your local LDI today and get in touch with a team “Doing What it Takes” for you!