Feature

By Norden Manufacturing

( SPONSORED CONTENT)— Agriculture is constantly undergoing rapid transformation, presenting both new opportunities and challenges.

A notable concern for farmers within the equine industry is the handling of small square bales.

In the early 2000s, the hay industry experienced a significant disconnect between the available equipment and the evolving market demands. While most bale-handling systems were designed for heavier 60-pound bales, horse owners increasingly preferred lighter 40- to 45-pound bales. This disparity created inefficiencies, rising labor costs and a shrinking labor pool for farmers.

Addressing these issues head-on, Norden Manufacturing emerged as a pioneer, reshaping the industry with innovative solutions. The company introduced the Norden Accumulator, an automated bale-handling system that reduces manual labor, enhances operational efficiency and increases scalability.

“ Our equipment enables farmers to manage thousands of bales with precision and ease, ultimately reducing costs and boosting productivity,” says Kenneth Kuhns, owner of Norden

Manufacturing.“ The Accumulator automates traditionally labor-intensive tasks, allowing farmers to focus on expanding their operations without the typical challenges of increased workloads.”

Custom Solutions for All Sizes

One of the features of Norden Manufacturing’ s product lines is its scalability.

Whether a farm produces 1,000 bales annually or 140,000, Norden Manufacturing offers tailored solutions that meet each operation’ s specific needs. Farmers can start with a smaller system and seamlessly scale up as their business grows, without a corresponding increase in labor costs or a need for substantial additional investment.

For example, a farm producing 10,000 bales annually could initially invest in Norden’ s system to alleviate labor shortages. As production increases to 30,000 bales or more per year, the same equipment can continue to meet the growing demands, effectively transforming a small operation into a profitable business. Often times, as the business grows, so does the equipment. Someone that starts with a 10-bale system can end up with an 18-bale system. This flexibility provides farmers

24 | 515-574-2206 | 515-574-2189 | June 2025