Standard Process Inc.

What do you do
to Keep Busy All Winter?

November 2006 News From The Farm SP News Article

Christine Mason,
Farm Manager

As we move out of fall and into winter, we will move out of the fields and into maintenance mode. The Standard Process Farm will be responsible for completing 123 preventative maintenance work orders this winter. Believe me, 123 separate projects is plenty to keep four men busy the four months from December through March.

While outside field work is obviously important here at the farm, in my opinion, the inside winter work is equally crucial. We have a very short growing season here in Wisconsin, and we fit everything that we can into every single day. We expect a lot out of our equipment and cannot afford downtime during the growing season. This makes preventative maintenance critical. Every tractor and every piece of equipment has a very thorough inspection. Where some farmers might wait and see if equipment can "make it one more year," Standard Process fixes anything that looks less than its best. Of course, some things are unpredictable, but these guys do a very good job.

The New Machine Shop

Preparing the site
for the new building

We also have a new shop at the Standard Process Farm. This is a very exciting addition for us, particularly during this time of year. This new shop has a separate, enclosed wash bay. The wash bay will enable us to keep the equipment clean and contain the mud and dirt in one controlled area (which will make keeping everything else clean much easier)!

The new shop includes office space as well. We will now be able to store the extensive equipment manuals that accompany every piece of farm equipment in the same area where they will be working on the equipment. The shop will also have its own computer so that all maintenance histories and work orders can be referenced at any time.

A worker unloading
the wood for the
initial frame

Finally, what is an important detail to any farmer working on equipment in Wisconsin in February? HEAT! This shop has radiant heat running under the entire floor. So, when it is -10° F and the men crawl onto a creeper and work underneath a tractor, they will be comfortably warm. (As a person that is cold for about four months straight every winter, this is my favorite detail of the shop).If you ever have a chance to visit the Standard Process Farm, I think that you will find that our equipment is clean and well-maintained. Our meticulous cleaning and the new shop help ensure that we continue the high standards that are a part of every aspect of Standard Process' tradition.