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We ask...where is the SAFETY CHAINS? We ask.....who is going to make sure the trailer is properly hooked up? We ask.... Just because it is a farm equipment transported on Public Roadways it should have safety features. We were told that it will never be driven faster than 25 MPH.....It does not have to have working lights and it does not have to have safety chains. Federal Law states that a secondary safety system INDEPENDENT of the towing system needs to be in place. What happens when the hitch fails on the truck? What happens when the hitch that was homemade fails? Who is going to pay the victims family's? Crop relief: County rolls out farm equipment rental program Capital Gazette Communications Published 10/02/11 Imagine paying $25,000 for a car you'll only drive about five days a year. That's about what owners of small farms face if they want to buy a tilling machine or a post driver for their fields. "Some pieces you only use for a few days in the spring and a few days in the fall," said Tom Collinson, owner of T&C Farm Service in Harwood. "The owners of the big farms have this equipment, but the little guys don't get them because they can't afford them." But that was before the county Economic Development Corp.'s farm equipment rental program. Launched last month, the program allows farmers to rent five different pieces of equipment for between $50 and $200 a day, depending on the type of machinery. Farmers can rent a 12' Great Plains Turbo Till for $125 per day; a 10' Great Plains no-till drill for $50 per day or $10 per acre; a 5' Lands Pride seeder/pasture renovator for $100 per day; and a 563-pound Lands Pride spinner spreader for $50 per day. Also for rent is a Wheatheart trailer mounted post driver for $200 the first day and $100 each additional day. The program was funded through an $82,000 grant from the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission. The money comes from the state's Tobacco Crop Conversion Program, established after Maryland implemented a voluntary buy-out program for tobacco farmers in the late 1990s. Collinson stores and repairs all of the equipment. "All of the equipment the county has purchased is soil conservation friendly, so the farmers will be able to do their fields the right way," Collinson said. Lothian farmer Ike Riggs said other counties have been offering rental farm equipment for years. "We've got more shoreline than any other county in Maryland, so why wouldn't you want to have a program that would promote better farming for the Bay?" said Riggs, who operates M&M Farms Inc. Riggs said he hopes the program could boost struggling farmers' bottom lines, since they will save money on equipment purchases. "From my standpoint, anything that helps the farmer out and keeps him in farming is a plus," he said. The rental program is just the latest agriculture program rolled out by Economic Development over the last few years as part of an ongoing effort to reach out to area farmers. The county is home to 377 farms, most of them in south county. The 30,000 acres of farmland compose nearly a third of the county's land base. It all began about six or seven years ago with the county-run farmers markets, said Lisa Barge, agricultural marketing and development manager for Economic Development. "It started on a case-by-case basis, and the next thing we knew, it turned into an economic development project," said Barge, who grew up on a south county farm. "I think it helps promote awareness of agriculture - as word of the farmers markets spread, more people are inclined to go and spend money." Six farmers markets are now held around the county, most running from spring through fall. In 2006, the markets sold $609,000 worth of produce and other goods; last year, sales topped $1.3 million. Once the farmers markets took off, Economic Development began looking at other initiatives. Earlier this year, Economic Development introduced the Southern Maryland Meats Program, a five-county initiative that encourages consumers to buy local, humanely produced meats. And a year ago, the county partnered with the school system and the Anne Arundel County Farm Bureau to bring agriculture education to Southern High School. An Introduction to Agriculture course was offered last year; this year, there's a new plant science course. The Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission also gave Southern High School a $52,000 grant to revamp its greenhouse, which wasn't being used and had fallen into disrepair, Barge said. The point of the agriculture program is to get students to think about potential careers in the farming industry, beyond the stereotypical ones. "Farming isn't just about digging in the dirt," Barge said. "We're trying to change that image." To rent farm equipment, contact Lisa Barge at 410-222-7410. To arrange for a pickup, return and repair of equipment, contact Tom Collinson at 443-623-248