Beautiful Farm, Brawny Tractor

Dave Everett

Dave and Kim Everett rely on a Massey Ferguson® GC1705, a 22-HP sub-compact tractor suitable for a variety of jobs. Seven months of the year it mainly helps mow 4 acres worth of grass on Big Sandy Mush Farm. “With a belly mower, the 1705 is just what we need to make short work of the lawn around the farmhouse and the grass on uneven terrain between our roads and fencelines,” Dave says. The tractor has also been used to skid steel feed troughs around their livestock pastures. “Ours has industrial tires, which provide great traction without damaging the ground,” he adds.

“It has the pulling power to handle the gamut of small tractor chores, including those requiring PTO attachments. “The diesel-fueled 1705, in terms of build quality and control setup, is entirely compatible with the bigger boys,” says Dave.

He also uses a 6-year-old MF1540 with 4WD. “The bucket attachment has moved many tons of dirt and manure and, literally, a couple of million pounds of field rock—all without problems,” Dave says. “The 1540 is our go-to tractor for use on sloped terrain,” and, he continues, the shuttle shift provides instant availability of proper speed ranges for the conditions on his farm.

Dave is just as effusive about his dealer, Western Carolina Lawn & Tractor in Sylva. “This business understands that great products need commensurately fine dealer representation in order to earn customer loyalty,” he says. “They couldn’t be easier or better people with whom to do business.”

In the bucolic Sandy Mush area, such preservation efforts are not as easy as they may sound. The region—actually two valleys with several coves in each—is within 15 miles of the bustling mountain tourist mecca of Asheville, N.C. Nearby mountains and valleys are prime targets for vacation and second home developments consisting of 3,500-square-foot “cabins.” Kim and Dave themselves first used the area as a getaway when living near Washington, D.C.

Simply put, the value of the land in the area is worth a lot more for development than it is for farming or open space.

Despite that, owners of nearly 25% of the valley’s land (approximately 7,000 acres) have placed their property in conservation easements.

“To me this is the embodiment of what we’re trying to do with our land,” Dave says, nodding toward the fields, woods and streams spread out below, much of which he and his wife have helped restore and preserve. “We said that we want this farm to be recognizable to folks who lived here 100 years before us.”

See more about their story at http://www.myfarmlife.com/features/preserving-a-farms-beauty-in-north-carolinas-big-sandy-mush/, and find out more about how conservation easements work at http://www.myfarmlife.com/asides/how-a-conservation-easement-works/.