Scarlet, gray, and green go together around The Ohio State University’s agricultural facilities, especially when the last color comes from donated tractors, sprayers, and other equipment.
The College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences thanks JD Equipment Inc. for its recent annual gifts-in-kind totaling $497,800 in new John Deere equipment. The largest donation went to the Molly Caren Agricultural Center, which hosts the Farm Science Review.
“It has, without a doubt, improved our efficiencies immensely on farm operations and on care-and-maintenance of the exhibit area,” Farm Science Review Manager Chuck Gamble said.
Among the recent gifts are new weed eaters, push mowers, leaf blowers, small tractors, large power tractors, a four-wheel drive tractor, self-propelled sprayers and a combine, Gamble said.
”Scarlet and gray and green at the Farm Science Review means JD Equipment,” he said.
JD Equipment also designated gifts-in-kind to the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center and the Department of Animal Sciences.
The central Ohio-based equipment sales dealership has been supporting the Ohio State University through an annual gift of agricultural equipment to the college for more than ten years, said Norm Murphy, chief financial officer of JD Equipment.
“We want to support the agricultural industry in the state of Ohio in numerous ways. We view our annual support for the college as an important way for us to give back to the community,” Murphy said.
Just as in the computer industry, technology and efficiency of agricultural equipment is improving constantly, Murphy said. “We think it’s important that students are using new equipment and technology so that they are learning about the future of farming.”
During last year’s Farm Science Review, JD Equipment ran hands-on equipment demonstrations in a field laboratory for students from Ohio State’s agricultural systems management classes.
In 2012, the Farm Science Review showed a rescue training CART that quickly evacuates seeds from grain silos. The training device was developed by Ohio State students in the Agricultural Safety & Health Program. At that time, JD Equipment donated part of a power generator for the project.
The college appreciates the generosity of all its donors, be they gifts-in-kind or monetary. Donate on the web by clicking here.