Rick had bought from them for 12 years. He called to place his order. Jeff answered. "Yeah, Rick, we're a little tight on inventory this year. I'm not sure we can prioritize your acres."
Rick kept his voice even. "Jeff, I've been buying from you since 2011. You've never had inventory issues before." "Well, things are different now. Suppliers are favoring long-term loyal customers."
The subtext was clear. Rick hung up. He drove to Landmark Cooperative in Holbrook, 30 miles west, placed his full seed and chemical order. They had everything in stock. Better pricing than Huxley Agronomy had offered the year before.
Rick loaded his truck and drove home. He was done playing defense. April, spring planting. Rick ran his three MF 8S.265 tractors through 2,100 acres of corn and soybeans in 17 days. The CVT transmission let him adjust speed on the fly without shifting.
The hydraulics gave him precise control on planter depth in variable soil. The fuel efficiency meant fewer stops, fewer refills, more acres per day. His neighbor, Bill Kesterson, a lifelong Deere operator running two 8R tractors, finished his 1,900 acres in 19 days. Rick's Massey Fergusons planted more ground faster on less fuel. Bill didn't say anything, but he stopped making jokes about those red tractors.
May, Rick was fueling up at the co-op in McCook when he saw Tom Huxley's truck pull in. Tom stepped out, saw Rick, walked over. For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then Tom said, "You made your point."
Rick looked at him. "What point is that?" "That you don't need us." "I never said that," Rick replied. "You're the one who decided I didn't matter anymore."
Tom's face hardened. "You walked away from 30 years of relationship. My family sold to your family. We financed you when—"
"You left me hanging," Rick cut him off. "I had a combine down in the middle of harvest and you told me to wait 3 weeks. I couldn't wait. So, I found someone who wouldn't make me."
"And now you're running equipment no one around here services. What happens when those Massey Fergusons break down and Johnston Ag can't get you parts?" Rick met his eyes. "Then I'll deal with it. But at least I'll be dealing with a company that treats me like I'm worth their time."
Tom shook his head. "You're going to regret this." "Maybe," Rick said. "But it'll be my regret, not yours."
Tom walked back to his truck. They didn't speak again. June 2024. One year since the S780 transmission failure. Rick stood in his shop looking at the lineup of Massey Ferguson equipment that had carried his operation through a full cycle.
Two Ideal 9 combines with 680 combined hours, zero breakdowns. Three 8S tractors with 240 hours between them, one hydraulic hose and one fuel filter housing. That was it. Two 7S tractors with 890 hours. Flawless.
Total maintenance cost for the year, $11,400. Previous year with Deere, $24,300. Fuel savings, $16,800. Downtime, nearly zero. Rick pulled out his phone and opened his accounting software.
Net income for 2024, $447,000. Best year he'd ever had.
Not because of market prices, those were average. Not because of yield, that was normal. Because his equipment worked. Because he didn't spend 3 weeks waiting for parts. Because when he called his dealer, someone answered.
July. Wheat harvest again. Rick ran both Ideal 9 combines through his fields at speeds that made his old S-series machines look cautious. He finished 2,400 acres in 9 days. Bill Kesterson, running his Deere S790, took 11.