Custom Machine Work Rate Estimates Available

May 02, 2017

By Dennis Stein

Farms are gearing up for the 2017 crop production season during which farms trying to keep costs under control may utilize neighbors’ equipment to perform some production tasks.

The Michigan “Farm Machine Work Rate for 2017” summary report has been posted on the Michigan State University Extension FIRM – farm management page to be used as a reference tool. This report has been updated to provide Michigan farms with estimated values for farm machine work exchanges. This report is not an actual cost on any one farm, but is a summary of custom rate values taken from several sources. The report has been compiled and published to be a reference, or starting point for farms to use in negotiating their own farm’s actual numbers.

The one bright spot is that the price of fuel is lower than the last several year’s reports, providing some relief in the estimated operational costs.

For farms looking back, you can find a copy of the past couple years Farm Machine Work Rate reports still posted on the page.

Source:msu.edu

Video: Sweetener Effects on Gut Health - Dr. Kwangwook Kim

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Kwangwook Kim, Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, discusses the use of non-nutritive sweeteners in nursery pig diets. He explains how sucralose and neotame influence feed intake, gut health, metabolism, and the frequency of diarrhea compared to antibiotics. The conversation highlights mechanisms beyond palatability, including hormone signaling and nutrient transport. Listen now on all major platforms!

“Receptors responsible for sweet taste are present not only in the mouth but also along the intestinal tract.”

Meet the guest: Dr. Kwangwook Kim / kwangwook-kim is an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, specializing in swine nutrition and feed additives under disease challenge models. He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in Animal Sciences from the University of California, Davis, where he focused on intestinal health and metabolic responses in pigs. His research evaluates alternatives to antibiotics, targeting gut health and performance in nursery pigs.