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Department of Agriculture receives $250,000 in farm equipment from Kubota, Coleman Tractor Company

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — With 440 acres of land at the Farm and Environmental Education Center, Austin Peay State University Department Agriculture faculty and students already have the land they need to gain experience in hay and forage production. But to continue their mission of educating students on current industry practices, department faculty said they recognized the need for an upgrade in its tools of the trade.

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — With 440 acres of land at the Farm and Environmental Education Center, Austin Peay State University Department Agriculture faculty and students already have the land they need to gain experience in hay and forage production. But to continue their mission of educating students on current industry practices, department faculty said they recognized the need for an upgrade in its tools of the trade.

Thanks to a partnership between APSU, Kubota Tractor Corporation and Clarksville-based Coleman Tractor Company, APSU received six Kubota hay products — a donation of equipment valued at over $250,000. The tools will aid farm faculty and students in both maintaining the farm as well as educating students on modern agricultural practices.

“This is really a momentous occasion for both us here in the program, as well as Coleman Tractor Company and Kubota,” Don Sudbrink, chair of the APSU Department of Agriculture, said. “This entire process from idea to now came about very smoothly, and I am really impressed with the way both Coleman and Kubota worked with us to make this all a reality.”

As a part of the arrangement, APSU accepted delivery of six pieces of equipment, including an M6-111 tractor, LA1955 loader attachment and a DMC8032T disc mover, a TE4052T rotary tedder, a BV4180 round baler and a utility vehicle. The equipment, leased to Austin Peay at the cost of $1 a year, will be replaced after one year of use with new equipment for the next three years, says Spencer Coleman, owner of Coleman Tractor Company.

“A lot of manufacturers have had similar arrangements with other universities, but this is a first for Kubota and Coleman Tractor Company,” Coleman said. “Austin Peay has a really great agriculture program, and I really think a partnership like this helps the next generation of farmers learn on the kind of equipment they might see when they graduate and work on a production farm.”

While APSU’s Department of Agriculture is one of the fastest-growing programs of its kind in the state, Sudbrink said he expects this partnership to create opportunities for expanding the department’s profile with prospective students.

“Over the years, we’ve had a lot of success with field days and bringing students out to see what we do with our cattle program,” Sudbrink said. “But with this new equipment, I think we’ll have a chance to do more field day-type events on the crop side of the farm and show the work being done there as well. This gives us a chance to reach out to an even wider segment of people.”

Coleman said that the agreement between APSU, Coleman and Kubota is mutually beneficial, as Austin Peay students can learn using Kubota’s latest equipment, while Coleman Tractor Company grows its relationship with the University and the Austin Peay farm.

“Austin Peay has a tremendous agriculture program and really great facilities right here in town,” Coleman said. “I don’t know how many people are even aware that there’s a tremendous research farm right in the middle of Clarksville, and Coleman Supply Company and Kubota are excited to partner with Austin Peay.”

For more information on APSU’s Department of Agriculture, visit www.apsu.edu/agriculture.