Texas Farmer Moves Around Farm with GXT67 PRO 5-Watt Walkie Talkie
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Midland agriculture partner, Todd Westerfeld has been relying on GMRS two-way radios for years, but he's since added Midland's 5-Watt talkie talkie to his line up.
He shared how GMRS two-way radios are making an impact on his operation and how what the farm is looking like during the month of February.
About the Westerfeld farm
Todd Westerfeld's family farm is located in Moody, Texas. That's about 20 miles south of Waco.
“We grow about 5,500 acres between my father and I. We’ve got the rotations between hard red winter wheat, corn, and cotton depending on the field tide and depends on the rotation we run on it.”
Westerfeld said it's hard to know when the family farm began so he believes he's either a fourth or fifth generation farmer.
For Westerfeld, he said he appreciates that farming means each day means a new experience.
“My favorite thing is definitely just the fact that there is never a year that is the same. Every day is different, every year is different, there’s no set schedule ,no set yield, no set weather pattern. Whether it’s good or bad, it just keeps you engaged because it’s ever changing."
He said that means each year requires the same level of effort and intentionality.
“That’s probably the most rewarding part is knowing you have to put forth full effort, no matter if it’s a terrible year or a good year. You never know if it’s going to be a good year and if you start getting lazy, start getting frustrated, you’re going to miss out on the good years. When you do have one of those good years, it makes everything worth it.”
Farming in Texas
Because Westerfeld's farm is located in Texas, his operation looks a lot different than that of a midwest farm. He said that has a lot to do with the cotton crop.
“One of the most unique things down here is our corn crop is not Midwest standards, it never has been, it never will be. What people have to keep in mind is the environment is just different down here. It gets hot. It doesn’t rain as much, but our input, our cash leases is reflective of the crop we grow so we may not grow 250 bushel corn, but we don’t need to down here.”
Westerfeld also said he loves connecting with other farmers on Instagram and Facebook.
"What’s funny is people are surprised that we only grow 150 bushel of corn and then you kind of lay the numbers out- we spend as much on our crop as a lot of Midwest people do on their entire cash lease so we don’t need to make 250 bushel of corn.”
February on the farm
Being in Texas, February is a busy month for Westerfeld and the farm as they’re finalizing planter prep before the big push.
“Right towards the end of this month, we will start planting corn. It’s a pretty big lead up this month from everything from tax meetings, to maintenance on planters, to getting seed in. Around the 25th, we will hit the ground pretty hard.”
He said now is the time to make sure everything is ready to go- including two-way radio communication .
“You don’t get penalized for getting something ready early. There’s nothing bad that can come from getting a planter ready to go a month before you need it to go. On the flip side, if you’re behind, it can penalize you so there’s not really any excuse.”
GMRS two-way radios on the farm
Westerfled has long been a fan of Midland’s GMRS two-way radios. He has the MXT500 MicroMobile® GMRS 50-Watt Two-Way Radio – MXT500. It’s in just about each of his tractors.
“We’ve got it in a couple of vehicles. The volume quality, the clarity, the distance, they look clean, it’s just a nice looking radio, and works fantastic.”
He said reliable communication is crucial to his operation.
“Communication is one aspect that you can control and so you can worry about other stuff instead of fumbling around for your phone, hand signals, or something like that.”
And while he said smartphones work well, he said GMRS two-way radios are more suited for the farm environment.
“That’s the biggest thing- communication is part of every aspect of the farm. Smartphones nowadays are very nice, but they’re not something that in a lot of conditions that you’re in, they’re not always the easiest to get on. Your hands are filthy, the conditions aren’t great. It’s not always the easiest form of communication. I know a lot of people still do it that way, but just having the wide array of mounted radios to handhelds, and the power, it just simplifies things so much.”
He said reliable GMRS two-way radio couldn't be more important, especially during planting season.
“The ease of communication. The broad range of what you can use GMRS two-way radios for- not only communicating in the tractor, but communicating to work pick ups, communicating with somebody on the ground. Especially with planting season coming up. You can have somebody out in the field checking behind the planter while the guy is still running. Having a radio in hand and being able to let someone know when you need to stop and make some adjustments.”
GXT67 PRO 5-Watt Walkie Talkie brings mobility
Westerfeld added Midland's GXT67 GMRS 5-Watt Walkie Talkie - GXT67 PRO to his farm's two-way radio lineup.
"I just got a new pick up and I hadn't put in a new radio yet. I got the GXT67 PRO and thought that I might not have to put in a radio in this vehicle."
He's impressed the GXT67 PRO is next level.
"The clarity, the volume, and how it sounds- it is pretty nice.”
Not to mention, the GXT67 PRO is incredibly mobile, allowing him and others to move around the farm freely while still staying connected.
“It works well too because when we’re hauling water or fertilizer and someone happens to step out of the pick up into the field while waiting, they can still have it clipped to their belt or in their pocket so you can still reach them. It lets people feel like they’re not stuck to sitting in the pick up so people can hear them talking on the radio.”
On top of that, he trusts the GXT67 PRO's quality.
“You’re not afraid if you drop It, knock it on the floorboard, get some dirt on it. Just holding it, you can tell it’s a nicely built radio.”
