How much does a dollar get you these days? Apparently, quite a bit.
Thanks to a program through the agricultural equipment dealer Case IH (International Harvester), New Mexico State University is renting tractors and other farming equipment for as little as $1 for six months. And that is giving researchers an edge as they conduct their work with brand-new equipment. “This type of partnership with the industry is outstanding,” said David Thompson, associate dean and director of the Agricultural Experiment Station. “Case IH is cooperating with several of our agricultural science centers by providing state-of-the-art equipment at incredible rental rates to showcase their equipment, while directly helping to promote agricultural research in New Mexico. “During these difficult financial times, partnerships like this are critical for NMSU and the Agricultural Experiment Station to continue our mission of helping the citizens of New Mexico deal with the ever-changing agricultural challenges common to our state,” he said. Through Case IH’s university short-term rental program, land-grant universities that conduct agricultural research can rent tractors and other farm equipment for six months or 250 hours — whichever comes first — for as little as $1 for six months. As the rental on one tractor ends, a replacement is ordered and when the tractor is returned to the dealership, a new tractor is delivered with zero hours to the science center. Since tractors are returned to the dealership with less than 250 hours of operation, they can be sold to farmers at discounted prices with a new tractor warranty. The Agricultural Science Center at Tucumcari was the first science center to take advantage of the program in New Mexico. Rex Kirksey, superintendent of the Tucumcari science center, said the tractor they received from the Case IH dealership in Clovis will enable them to be more efficient and cost-effective in conducting their research. The time and expense put into maintenance and repairs will be significantly less, since the tractor is brand new. The Las Cruces campus Leyendecker Plant Science Center, the Fabian Garcia Research Center and the Animal Science center will receive four tractors and a large baler this month. Tracey Carrillo, assistant director of campus farms operations with AES, called the partnership a win-win situation for NMSU and Case IH. “That money we are saving can reduce costs associated with research benefiting researchers at NMSU,” he said. Constituents visiting on field days will see the contributions Case IH is making toward research. NMSU’s other science centers around the state have already started to take the necessary steps to participate in this program. Case IH began in 1842, has dealerships throughout the U.S., and operates in more than 160 countries.
