Staying on Track! The H Bar H Farms Story
A few months back, we featured videos about the Howard family and their farm on our website, social media pages and YouTube channel . If you haven’t yet seen our series, here’s the gist of it.
Greg Howard, his son, Bryce Howard, and his brother own H Bar H Farms, a corn and cotton farm business, in Hartley, Texas. These third-generation farmers have one ultimate goal: to yield the best possible crops, whatever Mother Nature sends their way. That means getting great results even during an especially wet season like the one they witnessed a while back. They had to hurry to get the crops on time, but the elements weren’t playing in their favor.
They needed something that would simplify their job. After the Howards and Clint Tharp, Production, Maintenance and Repair Manager pondered the different options, one stood out : trying track systems instead of tires on their planters.
The rest is history. They thought it would be the only set of tracks they would substitute for wheels, but the great results this switch generated told them otherwise. As Greg Howard puts it, “It made us more productive and better farmers”.
They installed Camso tracks on their other machines as well (combines, 9570RX tractors, grain carts, etc.) They found that the tracks preserve the plants, they are easier on the soil—even when wet—, and they allow for more uniform emergence from the crops. The tracks on the combines now float over the sprinkler tracks and there is no slipping. The ride is smooth and furthermore, it looks prettier on the machine. The installation on the heavy equipment was a breeze and it turns out there is barely any maintenance required.
“In our opinion, these tracks are the way to go. You’re gonna spend more money getting into the tracks, but once you have them, I think you realize it was a very good investment, and the dividends are gonna pay out over time”, said Greg Howard.
“We were taught by our parents that we should always look around and see if there is a better way to do something”, he continued.
This goes to show there are still ways to surprise third-generation farmers in their own field. When asked whether they would make the purchase all over again, the big smile on their faces said it all.
To watch the videos again or for the first time:
