JD Seller Bridge Collapse Update?

Hey JD Seller, I want an update on the harvest bridge fell in situation. Does the old man have a way to get in this Spring? What about the kid, does he have any ground to farm this year?

I am also interested, Was thinking about asking you about it, Also heard anymore about LeRoy?

I'm interested in hearing how it's played out so far. never heard how it played out, just what happened initially and possible solutions.

Well here it is in a short version.

1) The county rebuilt the bridge like I posted. They split the cost four ways. 1/4 The land owner,1/4 the renter (young kid), 1/4 the BTO (his insurance paid his) and 1/4 the county. Total cost was $60,000. Everyone has paid but the renter/kid. He did not have any kind of insurance other than crop insurance.

2) The BTO laid the kid off just as soon as harvest was over. So the kid tried to get back on where he had been working and they told him no way. So he is out of work and can't draw unemployment. I kind of feel sorry for him but he has gotten head strong and will not listen to anyone. So he can lay in the bed he made.

3) The kid/renter missed the 1st. half 2013 rent payment on the ground. So he violated the contract. So he is out.

4) The land owner wanted my sons to rent the ground. I advised them not to do it. I don't want to get in the middle of a land war so to speak. Instead we offered to custom farm it like we used to do for the landowner. He is leaning toward doing it.

The only good thing that came out of this is my youngest son got a job with the company that rebuilt the bridge. He likes the job and is making pretty good money. He already has gotten a raise and the owner has told me he is doing a good job.

This is the last I will post on this subject. This is the post that got me called a lier more than any other because I would not post pictures of what happened. The land owner did not want much publicity of what was going on. So it was kept pretty quite. There was not even anything in the local papers. Keep in mind this was in a Grade "B" farm lane. So it really was not new worthy as a stand alone story. It was the whole back story that made it interesting to those that have much to do with farming.

Good luck on trying to get the custom work.

Thanks again for another update. Sorry to hear about the idiots. That's a problem with this virtual coffee shop. The idiots are really brave hiding behind their computer.

We really do not need the extra work. We do not do any other custom work anymore. Between my sons, myself and my brother we will have close to 3000 acres to plant and harvest. This is split between six people so it not that much when you look at it that way. My brother owns his own combine. The boys bought one last fall so I just do my own ground with the JD 6620 side hill now. The planters do plant all of the ground though.


The land owner is an old friend. His ground really is not the type to be farmed with real large equipment. It would kill him to have his waterways and such torn out. That is what he will get if he rents to most of the cash renters around here.

When I was a kid that farm had gullies that where ten feet deep in places. In the 1970s they put in terraces,cosy damns and grass water ways. It would not take a few years of full farming for it to be back with gullies.

I have advised him to keep involved himself so he can control the fields. He is a tight wad and just sees the high cash rents as pure profit without any risk. He really should just sell now while the prices are high. None of his family wants anything to do with farming. His house and twenty acres are on one side of the country road so he should just sell the rest off.

Thanks for the update.Was curios about the outcome.Glad it has worked out so well for your son.Steve

Don't know why people are so negetive. Their lives must be messed up. I worked with a guy who was alwys trying to find fault in what I did. He didn't find much. Another forum I go on about classic cars, I posted a famous drag racer stopped by to see our stuff which could be seen from the road. One of the first posts was, unless I see a picture it didn't happen. Just my thoughts, nothing else Stan

Thanks for the update. Thats really an interesting ordeal.

If he does rent it then he should have in the agreement that all water control structors are maintained and that nothing can be taken out and anything that is damaged in any way is repaired. And the ones that think they have to have pictures to believe something need to have a picture taken of their head and it would probably show it to be empty. Just don't pay any atention to the problem makers, I know it is hard to do. Lester (Leroy) Helmlinger

Thanks for the update. I was at the Highwy 64 auction sat. and wondered about how the bridge deal worked out.I wonder if you were there sat,we had to leave early but I wish I knew what the 3950 chopper and the two sharp 714 wagons sold for.Do not pay any attention to the nasty replies as I always enjoy reading what you posts and the stories you write.Your posts help me to think about was is really most important in life and that is God,family and friends. Tom

Tom: I did not go to Highway 64 auction Sat. I have one heck of a cold and just did not want to stand around in the rain to watch the jockeys run their stuff up. There are 5-6 guys that own 80% of the good stuff at highway 64 auction. They buy bid it so bad that you can never tell if there is a "real" bid on the stuff.

I trust Powers about as far as I can throw him. There are a two others that are crooked that are always there too. So I only go to about a 1/4 of Highway 64 auctions.

The original post:
Bridge vs. Grain Cart