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Hello to Spring’s Possibilities

I’m delighted to say it’s February! January flies by in a snowstorm of trade shows, meetings and face to face visits with real people. When I turn the calendar to February, spring seems on a not-quite-as-distant horizon. Though it’s still the quiet of winter, I can already feel the earliest hints of the upcoming season percolating. Trade show season has come and gone, a few lucky people have gone on real holidays to a sunny warm climate and the days are getting longer. The season is still a ways away, but it’s coming. Are you feeling the possibilities of the season ahead?

February is the perfect time to start thinking about what’s going to happen next for your farm business. With the major work of the growing season on seasonal pause, now is the time to dream and scheme, plan and prepare. What do you need for a successful season ahead? What might you like to change up, throw away or try out this year? What can you plan for now to be as prepared as possible? Perhaps most importantly, what would make you excited and energized for the season ahead?

I won’t tell you that seed selection is the silver bullet to farm success and blissful life happiness. But, I really do think trying new things – be they new varieties, new techniques, new technologies – keeps farming fresh and engaging. The farmers I know who have the biggest pep in their step about farming tend to be the guys and gals who show up for spring farmer meetings, who call me up to chat about new variety options, who approach farming with a spirit of possibility and lifetime learning.

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Turning Better Feed Into Better Herds: Innovation in Forage Harvesting

Video: Turning Better Feed Into Better Herds: Innovation in Forage Harvesting


What happens when a dairy farmer gets frustrated with equipment that isn’t doing its job? In this episode, we sit down with Horning Manufacturing founder Leon Horning to hear how a problem in the feed bunk led to a globally recognized forage equipment company.

Born out of a third-generation dairy operation in Pennsylvania, Horning Manufacturing started with one goal: helping cows get more nutrition from silage. Leon shares how his father, Leon Sr., built the first kernel processor rolls in the family farm shop after seeing whole corn kernels pass through cows undigested — costing valuable feed efficiency and milk production.

We explore the company’s journey from a side project on the farm to an international manufacturer serving dairy farmers, beef operators, and custom harvesters around the world. Along the way, Leon discusses the evolution of pull-type forage harvesters, the engineering behind Horning’s “plug-and-play” kernel processor kits, and why reducing downtime during harvest can make or break a season.

The conversation also dives into Horning’s row-independent corn heads, practical equipment design, real-world customer stories, and how innovations born in the field continue to shape the company today.

Whether you’re a producer, equipment enthusiast, or simply love stories of grassroots innovation, this episode offers a fascinating look at how one farm family turned necessity into industry-changing technology.

Contact Horning Manufacturing today at 717-354-5040
https://www.horningmfg.com/