Hartford, WI – Vote today for Krebs Pleasant View Farms as it contends for the title of Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin. The family-owned farm in Hartford invented a machine that helps them plant nearly 10,000 garlic bulbs. Necessity is the mother of invention and due to a tight budget, the Krebs family put their mechanical skillset to work and created ‘Stretch.’ Below is the letter submitted to Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce for its contest. Click BELOW to vote today and let’s send the Krebs family to the winner’s circle.
Click HERE to vote daily for Krebs Pleasant View Farms
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The following submission is from Lisa Stuht:
The story begins 10 years ago. We decided to grow garlic on our farm as a specialty crop. As we were looking to plant, we needed a planter to get our first crop of 9500 bulbs in the ground. Without the capital to purchase a planter we decided to build one.
We were given a homemade tree planter from another farmer. This tree planter was set up for a 3-point hitch on a tractor, which we did not have.
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The decision was made to make this machine self-propelled. There was an old hydrostatic lawn mower around, so we cut it in half. Putting the steering half on the front of the old tree planter and mounting the hydrostatic drive half of the mower on the back, made the unit a rolling planter.
 We then mounted a used motor on the drive half to make it self-propelled.
 Once drivable we needed a way to space the plants to get the distance between plants we needed. A small bicycle wheel was utilized to mount metal points to for poking holes in the soil at the desired spacing.
Mounting this wheel with the metal points with a trailer jack gives us the ability to raise and lower it when needed. Two small disks were added to aid in covering up the plants once they are in the ground.
Through the course of the past 9 years, we have made changes to improve the performance of our planter. Motors were added to the trailer jacks to aid in raising and lowering the planting wheel and covering disks.
The position of the covering disks was moved from the back of the machine to the middle to better cover our plants. A packing wheel was added to ensure good ground contact for better seed germination.
The latest addition is the aid of GPS guidance to achieve straighter rows. Straighter rows help with the tiling process.
The planter was given the nickname Stretch because of its lengthened frame. As this was a lawn mower with the middle lengthen to add the old tree planter.
Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) has 130 nominees for its 9th annual Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin contest. The competition highlights the state’s nearly $72 billion manufacturing industry and the high-tech, high-skill and high-pay career opportunities available.
“Each year, this contest confirms that Wisconsin is home to so many innovative manufacturers that make some truly cool products,” said WMC’s Vice President of Communications & Marketing Nick Novak. “These companies also employ nearly 500,000 Wisconsinites, invest in their communities, contribute to our economy, and more.”
The 2024 nominees represent every corner of the state and a wide array of industries, including military and space, food and beverage, machinery and transportation, and more.
“As we begin the voting process, many people are surprised to learn what types of products are made right in their own communities,” Novak said. “This contest is a fantastic way for employers to showcase their workforce and output.”
A popular vote round, beginning Monday, Sept. 16, will determine the Top 16 products that will compete in a bracket-style tournament called Manufacturing Madness.
During each of the rounds, the public is encouraged to vote once per day, per device.
Click HERE to cast your vote for Krebs Pleasant View Farms.
Click through the four pages below to see the 2024 Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin nominees. There are actually five nominees from Washington County, WI.
CoolestThing_List-of-Nominees_2024Click the arrow in the bottom left corner to advance the page.
The 2024 Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin will be crowed October 17, 2024.
