Ask a Farmer: Helpful Harvest Info from Austin Debusk

With harvest just around the corner, we reached out to a few of our knowledgeable farming partners to get some insight on the harvesting process. Austin Debusk grew up helping out on his grandfather’s farm and currently works on a family corn and soybean farm in Southeast Kansas. He spoke to Midland recently about the best comms to use during harvest.

How did you get into farming?

I have always helped here and there on my grandpa’s farm growing up as a kid. I kinda shied away from it once I started playing sports but later got back into it when I got the opportunity to go on a custom wheat harvest crew when I was 19. I did that for 2 years and that’s when I realized that farming and running equipment is what I loved to do and enjoyed doing! I have worked for a few farms since then and have been at this one for the last 4 years now and still help on my grandpa’s farm when I am able to.

 

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A post shared by Austin Debusk (@austindebusk) on Apr 27, 2020 at 6:04am PDT

What Midland comms equipment do you use and for what?

We are currently using the MXT115s, MXT275s, and some of the handheld radiosas well to communicate around the farm and during harvest we use them to communicate back and forth between the combines, grain cart, and semis to be as efficient as possible!



What kind of range are you getting with your comms equipment?

We get great range with the 6db gain antennas. We are pretty spread out for the most part on our acres so being able to communicate with the semi drivers when they are at the elevator or on their way back is super important and we get all the range we need with that antenna!



How many acres are you harvesting?

This year we will be harvesting around 2500-2700 acres of corn and soybeans.

What Midland product is essential for farmers during harvest?

To me the 6db gain antenna along with the MXT series radios are super essential during harvest because without the range that the antenna gives us it would not be worth using in my opinion.

What other products would you recommend for harvest?

A lunchbox/cooler is one of the most important non Midland products during harvest because without food and drinks you would go nuts in the equipment! Another super important and essential product that we use on this farm is a Bluetooth headset. It allows us to talk on the phone hands free throughout the day if we ever need to.

 

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A post shared by Austin Debusk (@austindebusk) on Sep 1, 2020 at 10:10am PDT

You can watch Austin in action on his impressive Instagram page @austindebusk. On this page, you can get a little insight into Austin’s daily life on the farm, including what tractors they use, their planting and harvesting process, how they use their Midland radios, and even some hunting photos, all taken against a stunning Kansas backdrop.