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Diamonds in Deere Country

Perhaps it is the largest concentration of John Deere horsepower per cubic yard of dirt moved. Or maybe it's just the way a farming community pitches in to build a new little league baseball facility.

Over the first three days of March, a group of Knox County, Indiana farmers joined forces to help the South Knox Youth League start construction of their new home. In that short amount of time, well over 3,000 cubic yards of earth were moved to bring the four baseball fields and adjacent areas to within a couple of inches of final grades.

Over the winter months, Brent Hyslip, president of the Youth League organization, and farmers Tom Robinson and Don Osborn strategized the gradework during lulls in their kid's basketball games. "We knew there was a very small window of opportunity these guys would have to help in the dirtwork," said Hyslip. "All it took this week were two phone calls to Brownie (Robinson) and Osborn. I think everything else was word of mouth."

From a 4650 fine-tuning and sealing surfaces with a box grader to a quartet of 9000-series pulling massive dirt pans, Deere-power fit the bill. An 8120 showed off the advantages of Field Cruise by maintaining the optimum speed to compact soil with the sheep's-foot packer at a consistent speed without kicking up dirt. All it took was one pass in a Power-Shift equipped 9220 to feel the benefits of automatic shifting at a time when other tractors might be bogged down by the weight of a rapidly filling yard dirt pan. A couple of early morning "gougers", just getting their hand back into the finesse of gradework, appreciated PowerBulge's short term burst of torque - to help them get out of those tough spots.

Grading plans and surveying were donated. The tractors, implements and labor were provided by six area growers. A local cooperative dispatched a truck to replenish fuel. A local John Deere dealer joined forces with a local restaurant to provide lunches. The one questionable cost: the bulldozer - because it was "on loan" from a relative.

The sense of community: priceless "I guess this is one way you take care of your own. This is a community project and I guess it might benefit some of their kids," said Hyslip.