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After a tough 2018, getting a new sprayer isn’t in the cards for the Reskovacs.

Mike and Sheilah Reskovac, Bloggers

May 29, 2019

2 Min Read
Close-up view of sprayer in corn field
NEW SPRAYER DREAMS: If it was up to Mike Reskovac, he’d have a new sprayer by now. But Sheilah thinks it’s better to wait until the ag economy improves. Photo courtesy of Mike Rescovac

Like everyone else, we are feeling the effects of the 2018 harvest.

Low yields, bad weather and less-than-desired prices left us more than pinched on budgets for the new growing season. It took me a little longer to realize that, or maybe I should say accept.

For years, I have been telling Sheilah (she’s the saver, deal finder, bill payer) that we were in an OK financial position. And for years she has been saying, “OK. But if we have a couple bad years, that won’t be the case. We are farmers. We won’t always have a good year.”

She was right. But thankfully, she had enough foresight to see this could happen and had some money saved up.

Had it been up to me, I would have spent every penny in the bank on something. Like the new sprayer I wanted to buy for this season. We started to talk about getting one last summer. Sheilah was in favor of upgrading, eventually. I, however, had it in my head that we would be getting one in January or February.

Even after we knew the results of the 2018 season, I still thought we could swing a sprayer.

“Are you crazy?” Sheilah said. “We’ll hardly have enough money to pay our current yearly loans and bills! And you want to make us even tighter by buying another piece of equipment? Now, I can’t believe you’re seriously still thinking about this! I know why you want one and I understand the benefits, and I am all for you getting one when the time is right. Now is not that time. We need at least a year to get back on our feet. If we have another bad year, there is no way we’ll be able to afford it.”

She doesn’t hold back.

“But we’re selling the hay equipment that we don’t really use,” I said.

“We’re selling that equipment to help pay for stuff that we actually need!” she told me. “Just because you sell a piece of equipment doesn’t mean you just get to go buy something else. That defeats the purpose of selling it to help us get ahead!”

Needless to say, I did not get my new sprayer.

But I did shop around more when it came to chemicals, fertilizer and seed. I found better financing and better reward deals, which led to better cash flow this spring. And that got me some bonus points!

Now, hopefully we’ll have a better year and I’ll keep dreaming of that sprayer!

Sheilah and Mike Reskovac and their sons farm near Uniontown, Pa. Check out all of their "Two Hearts, One Harvest" blogs.

About the Author(s)

Mike and Sheilah Reskovac

Bloggers

Mike and Sheilah Reskovac are a young farming couple just starting their second year of marriage and farming together, near Uniontown, Pa. He's a first-gen farmer who met his fourth-gen farmer-bride online, and married in November 2012.

Mike grew up next to and working on his neighbor's Fayette County dairy farm through high school and college. After graduating from Penn State University in 2002 with a B.S. in Ag Systems Management, he worked as a manager at Tractor Supply stores for three years.

In 2005, he began farming his neighbor's land. Today, he and Sheilah farm 900 acres of corn and soybeans, plus do custom planting and harvesting.

Mike is president of the Pennsylvania Corn Growers Association. He also serves on the local Penn State Extension Board and is a Farm Service Agency county committee member.

Sheilah grew up on her family's Indiana County dairy farm. She graduated from DuBois Business College in 2008 with an associate's degree in Specialized Business and Medical Assistance, then worked for DuBois Regional Medical Center for four years. She also volunteered as a firefighter and EMT for the local fire company.

Since moving to Fayette County, Sheilah has been chief bookkeeper and farm assistant, along with taking classes at Penn State Fayette for Nursing. She enjoys “taking care of” groundhog problems, raking hay and mowing cornstalks.

While she enjoys cooking and baking, Mike enjoys eating the goods. Both enjoy hunting, attending concerts and county fairs, and spending time with family.

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