It took only half an hour for Takoda Eckert to get his hands dirty during the annual weekend-long Agricultural Technology Management Club’s lawnmower clinic. Over the course of the next couple days, club members will service and repair hundreds of push mowers.
“It’s a lot of teamwork and a lot of, I’d say if we get a bad mower in, problem solving,” Eckert said. “We do learn a lot about engines.”
Ecket added organization is helpful too, as they keep track of drop-offs and pick-ups for the mowers. The club will continue to accept mowers from anyone in the community until 8 p.m. on Friday and from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
The shop used by the club is located toward the northwest end of Seaton Hall.
“We average somewhere around 250 mowers,” said Ben Lampereur, senior in agricultural technology management. “This year we did more intensified advertising, so I’m hoping to get about maybe 300 mowers.”
Lampereur is also the club’s president. He said the money they earn doing this event funds other club activities.
“Our first trip is we go to Husker Harvest Days up in Grand Island, Nebraska, in September or August,” Lampereur said. “In spring, we will go on another trip somewhere else, so last year we went up to Wisconsin and toured the [CNH Industrial] facility up there. This year, we went to Louisville, Kentucky, for the National Farm Machinery show. So, this funds all of that.”
Mowers are serviced for a fee of $45 — more if repairs beyond regular maintenance are needed. Then the public can pick up their mower either Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. or Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. If there are questions, people can reach the club at (785) 532-2901.
Lampereur said the club used to do two fundraisers, but this now brings in enough funds for their trips, open house activities and other club functions such as K-State Open House.
“For Open House, we’re going to have various pieces of equipment over on Weber lawn — some brand new John Deere 8 Series tractors,” Lampereur said. “We’re going to have a Case combine and I believe a couple other tractors out there for people to come and climb all over, learn about the club and learn about what we do as a major.”
Over all, the club focuses on helping the community as a whole.
“I know some landlords leave you with a lawnmower, and it’s a cheap way to do maintenance on it,” Eckert said. “We’ll make sure it runs unless it doesn’t come running.”
