Peterson Farm Bros Rely on GMRS Two-Way Radios for Harvest
The Peterson Farm Brothers just wrapped up winter wheat harvest and are preparing for the next busy harvest season.
Greg Peterson shared how they're turning to GMRS two-way radios to improve logistics, efficiency, and safety on the farm.
About the Peterson Farm Brothers
The Peterson Brothers- Greg, Nathan, and Kendal, are fifth-generation farmers in central Kansas.
While the farming operations are mostly run by the three brothers and their dad, the entire family lends a hand.
“It’s not just the three brothers and our dad, it’s all of our families. Everybody pitches in a little bit," Greg said.
The Petersons have crops and cattle on their farm. Crops they grow include wheat, corn, soybeans, sorghum, and different forages for the cattle.
For Greg, farming isn't just work, it's a passion.
“My favorite things about farming is getting to work with my family, getting to be outside, work with animals and plants, and being out in nature. It’s also knowing that you’re growing food that people get to eat. Being part of that is just really rewarding.”
Advocating for Agriculture
The brothers are also passionate about advocating for agriculture. One way the brothers do so is by creating videos for their Youtube channel.
“In 2012, we started our first music video, ‘I’m Farming and I Grow It.’ That basically went viral and it got five million views in a week. We were on national TV and we’ve been going ever since then branched out to educational posts, blogs, and videos to where we’re utilizing social media to entertain and expose people to agriculture," Greg said.
The goal of the videos was to educate those who didn't grow up on farms or were unaware of common farm misconceptions.
“When we made our first video, it was designed for our friends to watch. We have a lot of friends from high school and college who really didn’t know anything about agriculture. They didn’t know a single thing about farming and didn’t really think about where their food was coming from. That was the reason we got started and it’s still the reason why we’re making videos today," he added.
Greg and his brothers have 267,000 subscribers on Youtube,
“There are a lot of people, especially in bigger cities that don’t think about what farmers do so we’re trying to bring awareness to agriculture.”
His favorite video of theirs is, "Forage Harvester."
The brothers don't just want to educate those outside of agriculture, but also remind those who are farmers of why they love what they do. Greg said he hopes their advocacy encourages the younger generations to pursue their interest in agriculture.
“We know that we have a lot of kids that watch our videos and our videos can help them get excited about farming. The videos can give them some role models," Greg said.
Using GMRS two-way radios on the farm
The brothers use Midland’s MXT115 MicroMobile® Two-Way Radio, MXT500 MicroMobile® Two-Way Radio, X-Talker T71VP3 Two-Way Radio, and the new GXT3000 GMRS Two-Way Radio Bundle – GXT3000VP4.
“Communication is everything, just like in any small business. Especially for families that work together like ours, it’s not just a one person operation, it’s a lot of moving parts so communication is even more important.”
With harvest season right around the corner, they’ll have MicroMobiles in all vehicles- tractors, semis, trucks, and grain carts.
“The radios make it a lot easier than cell phones because you have that immediate access to talking to someone. You don’t have to wait for it to ring or try to send a text. The radios are never more valuable than during harvest.”
As for Midland’s new GXT3000s, the brothers couldn’t be more impressed.
“The GXT3000 has been a great addition to our farm operation. The long battery life and overall durability has been a great fit for our long days in dirty conditions. Busy times on the farm require constant communications and the GXT3000 gives us a great tool to communicate between each other,” Greg said.
What's happening on the farm in July
After wrapping up wheat harvest in June, the brothers are spending July gearing up for their next harvest in October or November.
“We’re just doing general maintenance on the equipment and helping the crop throughout the growing season- whether it’s irrigation, making sure the weeds are dead, the bugs aren’t invading. We’re also planning out the logistics for the next harvest.”
