Fendt, a German agricultural machinery manufacturer founded in 1930 and purchased by AGCO Corporation in 1997, has a wide range of tractors available for fruit and vegetable row crop growers, according to Cale Sledge, director of Western US sales of Fendt for AGCO.

AGCO launched its Fendt brand tractor solutions for the US row crop business five years ago. “When Fendt became a part of AGCO in the late ‘90s, the tractor was ahead of its time and not at a spec required for the US row crop markets,” Sledge said. “The tractors have been well received by customers in the marketplace, and our two California Fendt dealer groups are doing well supporting the product.”

Cale Sledge, Director of US Western Sales, Fendt for AGCO

The West Coast has four Fendt dealer organizations. Quinn Company is the Fendt dealer in Central and Southern California, while Holt Ag Solutions handles Northern California and Western Oregon. Empire Agriculture is the dealer for Arizona and the California Imperial Valley, and Agri-Service covers Washington and Idaho.

 “We have eight series of Fendt tractors ranging from 100 horsepower to 673 horsepower to address needs in the row crop markets and work well for organic growers,” Sledge said.

Sledge said the Fendt line offers growers another option for machinery—“and options reduce risk"— and noted that Fendt’s tractors are priced competitively with their US counterparts. Fendt tractors' number one attribute is their reliability. The German-built machines—like German automobiles—are known for their ability to hold up well to the high-hour, rigorous-use patterns that are typical for West Coast fruit and vegetable producers.

“When Fendt became a part of AGCO in the late ‘90s, the tractor was ahead of its time and not at a spec required for the US row crop markets. The tractors have been well received by customers in the marketplace, and our two California Fendt dealer groups are doing well supporting the product.” - Cale Sledge

“The efficient MAN diesel engines are built to be consistently reliable during the year-round production cycles that are common in the fruit and vegetable industry,” Sledge said. “We know California growers sometimes use these tractors 12 months of the year, not just for a few months like they might in the Midwest. The Fendt tractor is built for that type of heavy use.”

Fendt 900 Vario

Fendt tractors are also equipped with cutting-edge technology that allows farmers the ability to utilize the latest upgrades and work their crops efficiently and economically.

The German-built machines—like German automobiles—are known for their ability to hold up well to the high-hour, rigorous-use patterns that are typical for West Coast fruit and vegetable producers.

“The eight series of tractors offer a solution for every grower, from the largest, most powerful tractor to the low end of the Fendt line, which still has an engine capable of continuous operation while also being nimble in the field,” Sledge said. He noted that Fendt is continually working to add more farming solutions to its stable of products and has some exciting new products to be launched in 2023.

Fendt 900 Vario MT

Sledge said Fendt has a network of 78 dealer organizations with 230 locations across the US and Canada that represent the Fendt brand for sales, parts, and service. “It’s important to have dealer buy-in for these tractors, and we have that all across the United States and Canada. Service is a very important part of our dealer network’s relationships with their customers. This aligns with our company strategy of being ‘Farmer First.’”

“We know California growers sometimes use these tractors 12 months of the year, not just for a few months like they might in the Midwest. The Fendt tractor is built for that type of heavy use.” - Cale Sledge

AGCO, which represents several other tractor brands, including Challenger and Massey Ferguson, has sponsored the Organic Grower Summit’s Grower of the Year award since 2017. This year, the Fendt brand is the named sponsor of that award.

“We sponsor the award to show our appreciation to the organic row crop farmers,” Sledge said. “Our philosophy is that we work through things together with the farming community.”