The Challenge of Choosing a ‘Sustainable’ Tractor

A New York Farm Show attendee tests a Solectrac electric tractor on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023, in Syracuse.

Chatham University is making plans to trial a small electric tractor.

Chatham has 2,353 students across three campuses, including the Eden Hall Campus, less than 20 miles north of Pittsburgh. This campus serves as a living laboratory for students in food studies, sustainability, environmental sciences and biology programs and maintains a small certified organic farm used primarily for intensive production of fruits and vegetables that are sold to the dining hall and incorporated into culinary courses.

When Chatham began growing at the Eden Hall Farm in 2010, the first farm director chose a 74 hp four-wheel-drive Massey Ferguson tractor used in the production of small grain crops. The facilities team also operated this tractor occasionally, but it mostly sat idle, with few people trained to use it.

In the summer of 2021, Chatham University staff invited Shane LaBrake, an independent agricultural trainer and consultant, to provide training on operation, safety and maintenance of this tractor. This initial experience led to a series of trainings and consulting from LaBrake as the school has been adapting its strategic plan.

The focus of Eden Hall Farm has shifted to better using agricultural spaces as learning laboratories for students to gain technical skills in land stewardship and food production. Laura Livingston was hired in July 2022 as the new director of sustainable agriculture with the intention of integrating curricular and production goals.

Livingston has been working to collaboratively redesign agricultural spaces to meet student learning goals while also meeting the operational needs of a small-scale farm and college campus.

As part of this goal, the team came to realize that to best integrate students, a smaller hydrostatic transmission tractor would better serve the diverse, inexperienced and frequently changing pool of operators.

Although the Massey Ferguson is still a useful tool for the campus, it is too large for most of the current needs, and the size and operating demands are challenging for new and infrequent users.

The university has begun to explore the possibility of the purchase of a new tractor. Considering the many stakeholders — administration, faculty, farm crew, forest crew, facilities crew and current and future students — a planning session was chosen to solicit input from all stakeholders.

The decision needs to address current farm production and facility needs, safety and maintenance concerns and the ideals of the institution. Additionally, the decision made today must be justifiable in the future and honor the campus mission of sustainability.

The meeting was held May 17. All people present were asked to list their goals for the event, their goals for the purchased tractors (e.g., low carbon footprint, easy to maintain) and their tractor use goals (e.g. removal and chipping of invasives, moving compost piles).

One major factor that emerged was the campus goal to be carbon neutral by 2030.

After much discussion, it was concluded that an ideal tractor for the diverse set of needs is a 30-40 hp four-wheel-drive tractor with a front-end loader and hydrostatic transmission. To achieve the sustainability goal, the options are to run a tractor on biodiesel or choose an electric model.

While a conventional diesel engine tractor (using biodiesel) is still in the running, it is compelling to purchase an electric tractor as the campus produces its own electricity. There are only two makers of electric tractors in the U.S. — Solectrac and Monarch (with Case IH, New Holland, John Deere, Kubota and Fendt in the development stages).

Both electric tractor makers produce a 70 hp four-wheel-drive narrow vineyard model, which is more powerful than our desired educational tractor. Solectrac also makes a 25 hp four-wheel-drive model that can be fitted with a loader and a backhoe.

At 25 hp, the Solectrac is less powerful than desired, but a rental would allow the university to see if the machine can do the work and serve the diverse audience.

The primary drawbacks with the Solectrac are its low power rating and lack of a proven track record and a dealer support network. And yet, it offers an interesting opportunity to pilot new technology in a university context where such educational goals can be prioritized.

The rental possibility will allow for field tests which will be reported back to a network of farmer partners.

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