Family has been at the center of Beer Farms and Cattle Co. since it was founded in 1891. Today, Karen and Max Beer, along with their sons Craig and Keith — the fourth generation of Beers — operate the farm together.
What was once home to a 20-cow herd when Max was in high school is now a successful dairy farm with 2,000 head of replacement heifers. The family has modernized the farm, from automated feeders for the calves to video monitoring of the stalls, allowing them to supply milking heifers to large dairies.
“There’s something different every day and it’s very rewarding,” Craig said. “I do more of the crop side of the farm and the machinery. Putting a crop out and watching it through the summer and harvesting in the fall is just a wonderful thing. It’s something that most people don’t get to experience.”
Growing those crops is vital to the Berne, Ind.-based farm and the work that Keith does.
“Everyone has a specific job here on the farm. Craig is in charge of machinery and maintenance. Keith oversees the cattle,” said Max. “They work together so well. It’s a great fit.”
To ensure the cattle have a healthy, wholesome diet and that the Beers get maximum growth from them, they work with a nutritionist and have specific recipes for feed for different sized and aged cows. They rely on their Manitou MLT series agricultural telehandler to move hay, straw, corn and grain to their feed mixer each day. The machine offers multiple advantages over skid steers and larger articulated loaders that help keep the farm running smoothly every day, all year long.
The telehandler is intended for intensive agricultural handling and offers the perfect reach for working with mixing trucks. At its maximum extension, it can reach 14 feet, 7 inches high.
“We like the extended boom telehandler for the extra reach and being able to pull up to the mixer with a large bucket full without spilling it over the side,” Craig explained. “As the bucket empties, you can extend it and get the total bucket into the mixer. That allows us to get to the top of the piles that we have of feed so we can maximize what we are doing.”
Craig added that the MLT series telehandler also helps when they are putting tires on the piles of feed after covering them with protective tarps for the fall season.
“We have to have something that can reach clear to the top, as far as it can. With the fixed boom loaders, you can’t do that,” he said.
The Beers also appreciate that the telehandler, at an overall width of 7 feet, 10 inches and a height of 7 feet, 11 inches, is a good fit for the farm. Too large of a machine would make it difficult to maneuver into some of the smaller bays, while too small of a machine would affect productivity by requiring multiple trips from the barns to the mixer for each batch of feed.
“A machine has to be sized towards the mixer and the farm that you have. This one is just right for the size of farm we are,” Craig said. “Some applications could use a smaller machine, but for a universal fit, this one is great.”
In addition to the telehandler’s size, the all-wheel steering also allows Craig to “turn short and get into tight places” when needed.
From visibility to maintenance
With the many trips that Craig and other operators take between the barns and areas on the feed lot to the feed mixer — spanning about four hours every day — it’s important that they feel comfortable running the telehandler. Visibility is key. It not only instills confidence during operation, but it adds to safety on the farm and helps prevent wasted feed from spills.
“The visibility is good out of it. There is glass clear around, so I always can see what I’m doing and that’s half the battle,” explained Craig.
The overall performance is another plus for Beer Farm. The MLT series telehandler features a Yanmar 141 hp engine and M-Shift automatic transmission, which simplifies operation.
“The performance is good, very smooth,” Craig said. “The automatic transmission is nice in that you’re not trying to shift as you are picking up speed. It’s an incredibly good machine.”
Craig also likes that the Manitou telehandler has an auto-reversing fan to keep the radiator clean, and that the overall machine is easy to maintain.
“The auto-reversing fan works great. You can see when it kicks on and there’s a cloud of dust,” he explained. “The farm is a challenging environment and there’s a lot of dust and dirt here. It does an excellent job of keeping things clean.”
Craig adds a note on maintenance, saying “They’ve moved some of the grease zerks to a more central area. That makes it nicer since you’re not crawling all around it, trying to find one at a time. And as far as getting to the engine and everything, it’s very user-friendly.”
The future of the farm While Max considers Beer Farm to be a small family farm, he recognizes that expanding is necessary to “stay ahead of the game,”.
“We just love farming. We love the independence, and we love that our family is here. Those are the important things to us,” he said. “We put a lot of hours in but it’s fun when you’re working with family. I hope the grandkids show an interest in the farm and we can continue on.”
As they move forward, the Beers plan to stay with Manitou for their choice of telehandlers for a simple reason, beyond even reach or performance: Reliability.
“Being a dairy farm, these things got to run seven days a week, 365 days a year, whether it’s 100 degrees out or 10 below,” said Craig. “It’s a good machine. Having something here that’s ready to work when we are is great.”
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