Minnesota Custom Harvester Trades Immaculate Green-Eye

In the mid-70’s, the Barnetts had a Fox chopper with a two-row corn head and no cab. “My dad fashioned a little bench with a thin cushion behind the driver seat – only big enough for me – and fastened an old seatbelt from a junk car for safety,” says Barnett. “I could only see to the back but that was great fun being with my dad out in the field.”

Passion for Chopping Leads to New Business

In the late 80’s, the family changed the way they fed their 200 head of cattle and stopped chopping corn silage. Barnett says he missed it greatly, so he decided to start his own chopping business.

“I saw an opportunity to open fields for local farmers that were driving down their corn crop with pull type choppers,” he says. “I purchased a 1974 John Deere 5400 three-row self-propelled chopper in 2000 and that got the ball rolling for me to be able to get out in the field and have a little fun. That first machine was traded for a four-row, then a six-row machine.”

A few years later, Arnold’s, the area CLAAS dealer, provided a demo of a JAGUAR 900 Green Eye machine, the largest chopper Barnett had ever seen.

He was hooked. He purchased his first JAGUAR 900 Green Eye in 2007, and a year later bought a second one.

“The power and chop quality was superb,” he says. "I ran those two machines side-by-side from 2007 to 2013. As the acreage kept creeping up with custom harvesting, I decided to trade in my ’07 for a JAGUAR 980 12-row, which is still very impressive to this day.”

Respect for Machines Requires High Level of Maintenance

Barnett meticulously maintains his machines, and even waxes them. Even after a season of chopping, they look like they could be in a showroom.

Bob Joubert, Forage Equipment Sales Professional at Arnold’s, says he has never seen anything like it. “His JAGUAR harvesters are immaculate,” he says. “His 13-year-old machine still had plastic on the seat. He changes the oil and maintains his chopper like a sports car.”

Barnett’s business continued to grow, so he knew he needed another upgrade. Because he’s so attached to his machines, it was a bittersweet decision to trade his 2008 Green Eye for a new JAGUAR 990 with an ORBIS 12-row corn head. He expects it to arrive before the next harvest season.

“In any successful business we need ample work, good equipment but most of all dedicated people that put in extreme hours when duty calls,” Barnett says. “Without the farming upbringing, the hands-on experience and the access to all the equipment I share with my family, my harvesting company wouldn’t exist. I am very grateful for the family farm that allows me to do this.”

He adds, “I have been treated very well by my local Arnold's dealerships, whether it be in sales, parts, or simply friendships that have grown throughout my years with CLAAS forage harvesters.”

See a video of the evolution of the JAGUAR forage harvester -- from the very first model, to the enviable "Green Eye" version, to the 40,000th machine to roll off the line:

JAGUAR Evolution