The Matanuska Experiment Farm and Extension Center and Fairbanks’ Experiment Farm use tractors to prep soil for planting, seed fields mow weeds, chop cover crops and harvest grain. Each farm has a variety of tractors they use for different tasks.
MEFEC has a new 120-horsepower New Holland tractor. It’s an upgrade over the old open-cab John Deere 2030 tractor and will be a nice addition for the hay operations.
The 150-horsepower Allis and Chalmers 8050 is useful for heavy jobs on the MEFEC fields. The cab is nice for weather protection and dust control.
The 68-horsepower John Deere 2030 is a bit rough around the edges but is still gets the jobs done.
The Fairbanks Experiment Farm recently purchased a 2011 Case Maxxum 140. It will be used to till the soil and chop up weeds and crop residue. Vallie the dog loves to drive this tractor!
In Fairbanks, the John Deere 2440 is used, among other tasks, to seed fields of grain.
The Georgeson Botanical Garden, which is part of the Fairbanks Experiment Farm, recently purchased an Avant 423, an articulated mini-loader with a frame narrow enough to drive it through the hedge maze. It’s nicknamed ‘Cricket.’
An early tractor at the Fairbanks experiment station.
Nelson Crone
March 18, 2025 — 4:27 pm
That’s quite the assortment of red, blue, and green!