Clarksville, TN – Coleman Tractor Company has expanded their partnership with Austin Peay State University (APSU) by extending their current contract with the University for two additional years.
As part of the partnership, the company is loaning the APSU Department of Agriculture new pieces of Kubota equipment to help improve hay production at the APSU Farm and Environmental Education Center.
The equipment includes a tractor with a loader, a round baler, a disc mower conditioner, a utility vehicle and a tedder used to flip and turn hay to assist in drying hay.
“My wife and children and I are all Clarksvillians, and Austin Peay State University has been very good to us,” Spencer Coleman, owner of Coleman Tractor, said. “Some of our key employees at Coleman are alumni of the University.”
“It is also very important to us to be involved in the agriculture community. We are proud to bring new technology to those who are willing to incorporate it, and we really like being a part of providing updated equipment for students to use as they learn progressive farming styles through the APSU agriculture program. The students who are in those classes today will be the agriculture professionals of this region in the future,” stated Coleman.
During a recent visit to the APSU Farm, representatives from Coleman Tractor Company, Kubota and APSU met to view the equipment and discuss the positive impact that the relationship has had on all three organizations. Austin Peay was the first of a select group of universities chosen to work with the companies in this way.
“There are no words to describe the impact of this partnership,” Dr. Karen Meisch, APSU interim provost and vice president for academic affairs, said. “The equipment that is needed to operate the APSU Farm is expensive, and part of what we want our students to have is a hands-on experience that they can take with them into their careers. Without the generosity of Kubota and Coleman Tractor, we would not have been able to function at the level that we have in recent years.”
Currently, there are 129 head of cattle at the Austin Peay State University Farm, though that number fluctuates from year to year. The use of the new equipment has expanded the farm’s capacity to feed the large amount of livestock by significantly reducing the time it takes to cut hay.
“Our partnership with Coleman Tractor and Kubota has been transformative in so many ways,” professor and chair of the APSU Department of Agriculture Dr. Donald Sudbrink said.
“It has increased our ability to improve the reliability of production and nutrition of forage crops for our livestock, saved us much time and money at the APSU Farm that could be used for improving other critical components and enhanced the education of our students by increasing our linkage with the agriculture community and agriculture alumni. We very much look forward to continuing this partnership with Coleman Tractor and Kubota,” stated Sudbrink.
To support fundraising initiatives for the APSU Department of Agriculture, contact the Office of University Advancement at 931.221.7127.
