Big changes are happening in California agriculture! As farmers convert massive amounts of acreage to orchards and vineyards, abandoning annual crops like tomatoes and rice, farming equipment is changing as well. As one would expect, orchard and vineyard crops use entirely different machinery types, especially for harvesting. This is an interesting transition for appraisers of…Read More
Drought and its Impact on Valuing Agricultural Equipment
Several equipment appraisal report clients have recently asked me to include information on California’s on-going drought conditions and how current and continuing conditions might affect the value of the equipment appraised. It’s an interesting situation for an equipment appraiser to be in. As a rule, equipment appraisal reports state that the opinion of value provided…Read More
Valuing Ag Equipment in California
Had a chat this morning with a fellow from a governmental lending agency who wanted to know if I’d like to be their go-to equipment appraiser for agricultural equipment in California — from the Mexican border up to the edge of Oregon. Would I? Yessir, I believe I would. Thanks for asking! I’ve written before…Read More
CARB Tractor Rule: Rumors & Reality
As a machinery and equipment appraiser working in the Central Valley of California, I appraise a fair amount of mobile diesel-powered agricultural field equipment: tractors, of course, but also harvesters, sprayers, shakers, sweepers, and on and on. As anyone with an interest in diesel equipment knows, over the last several years the California Air Resources…Read More
Appraising Electrostatic Spraying Systems
Most equipment appraisers are captivated by some of the equipment they appraise and that’s certainly true of me. Earlier this year on an equipment appraisal inspection in the Salinas Valley I had the pleasure of chatting with a couple of agricultural mechanics who had modified several dozen ESS (electrostatic spraying systems) sprayers especially for berry…Read More
Raisin Harvesting Equipment: Now & Then
Raisin harvesting equipment has sure changed since I was auditing Sun-Maid raisins with CPA firm KPMG back in the 1980s. Of course that was over 30 years ago, as my son enjoys reminding me! We closed the equipment appraisal office on opening day of the State Fair and took a field trip over to Sacramento…Read More
Trailer Values 2012
I often tweet truck and trailer stats. Partly because I am, after all, an equipment appraiser who enjoys inspecting and researching transportation fleet equipment, and partly because truck and trailer sales could be seen as economic indicators. Last time I wrote about trailers, the used market was strong. That doesn’t appear to have changed, especially…Read More
Appraising Agricultural Equipment in Salinas
Salinas, CA – Ag equipment appraisals in Salinas are always a good time. First, there’s that good looking equipment! From top-of-the-line standards to well-maintained, customized classics, the sprayers, spreaders, planters & seeders, harvesters, tractors and other equipment tends to be some of the best in the state. Assets like that are a real treat for…Read More
Appraisals along the Central Coast
What was this equipment appraiser thankful for in November? I got to spend most of Thanksgiving week working in & enjoying California’s Central Coast. Did a cost segregation study inspection of some recently acquired farmland near Fillmore, a machine shop inspection for tax estate purposes in the Salinas Valley area and one very long day…Read More
Rice Harvesters in the Sacramento Valley
Rice harvest is underway! As usual, there’s concern about the weather, but harvest started last month with the early maturing varieties and will continue right into November. It’s fun to see all the videos of rice harvesting rolling onto the internet. Most of those videos are from the Sacramento Valley, where most of the rice…Read More
The Central Coast Supports an Amazing Number of Agricultural Operations
Equipment Appraiser extolls the beauty and industry of agriculture in California’s Central Coast, including the counties of Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura, perhaps one of the most highly mechanized agricultural areas in the world. Read More
Appraising Commercial Trailers in a Demanding Market
What influences high values in used equipment? Northern California Ag equipment appraiser suspects increased demand and finds that yes, a surge in orders for new agricultural transport trailers correlates with increased value for used trailers in the Sacramento Valley and further afield. Read More