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Roven Farms grows nearly 1000 acres of dark red kidney beans. Some years it is less than a thousand, and other years a little more. After Labor Day each year the harvest begins. Rovens use two 8-row 22” bean pullers to windrow the beans. The beans are pulled during the late night and early morning hours, as the night moisture helps prevent the shelling of the bean pods. Unfortunately, for several reasons, I currently am not abled to display any of Roven’s bean pullers on this field display. However, there is no doubt that I will have them in the future. Moreover, the display is not “missing a part” without the pullers in the fields. Typically, the pullers are already onto the next field prior to the harvesters starting the freshly pulled beans.
Currently, Rovens use four pull-type edible bean combines to harvest the kidney beans. Three Bob Equipment Company Model 666 combines, and one Amadas Model 2105 combine. One of the three Bob combines is 4 years older than the other two. The Amadas combine is a 2004-year model, and will be completely replacing the older 1997-year model Bob combine next season. This older Bob combine has been sold to Sprucewood Farms out of Western New York. Two John Deere 8310’s pull the 2001 Bean Kings, while the 4960 is pulling the 1997 Bob combine. The Steiger Cougar 1000 is on the Amadas harvester. Three of the harvesters have just started into the field, while the forth has just arrived from finishing up the last field.
The three Bean King combines on the display I built this winter, while Mike Doctor of Rosendale, Wisconsin, built the Amadas combine.
A Steiger Cougar III ST251 is pulling a Richardton dump cart to help relieve the combines from having to dump directly into the trucks. The kidney beans are being dumped into an older International 9370 truck with a 22 ft. grain box, and an International 9900 pulling a 45 ft. grain hopper.
Lastly, I would like to answer two of the most asked questions that I’ve been asked at the shows I’ve displayed at.
Scratchcast made the irrigation systems, although, I added several things to them on my own. The Valley system is just the standard style they make, and is one of two I own. While the Reinke system I specially order from them. I grew up around a lot of pivot irrigation systems, especially the Reinke systems, and the central area of Wisconsin that I’m representing also has many of them, so, I’m very thankful to have these pieces on my displays. Now with DCP having come out with a Valley irrigation model, I hope to have 5 display fields in the future, all with pivot systems on them.
The tires on the JD 8310’s and 4960 are Standi 16.9-28s in the front and 18.4-42 in the rear. The rims on the tractors are just the standard Ertl JD 8000 series rims.
All along I have only planned to show this display, as you see it now, only twice. First, at the February Gateway Toy Show in St. Louis, and lastly at the Ripon, Wisconsin Farm Toy show that took place just recently. From this point on, I plan to change it into a different season, with all different equipment for the National Farm Toy Show Display Competition in Dyersville, IA in November. Showing this version of my display has been even more enjoyable than I had anticipated. The crowds’ reaction in seeing a model display featuring machinery, and crops that they have never seen before, has been great. On top of that, I took first place in the display competitions at both shows against other well done displays. I look forward to putting together the next version of the Bauman Field Display, as I’ve been working towards it for about three years. Expect something that hasn’t been done before…
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