The U.S. Custom Harvesters Hall of Fame

INDUCTEES OF USCHI HALL OF FAME

Jim Baker - (2019)

Jim Baker was born on September 13, 1943 in South Dakota. He was the second oldest of five children. He worked various jobs before being a custom harvester. He worked in construction, hydro-electric dams, missile sites, and iron ore plants.

While working on the I-90 road in South Dakota, Jim parked his trailer on his father-in-law's, George Frick, land. He took care of his father-in-law's ranch while George was custom harvesting. Jim then moved to Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado to work in the oil fields for a few years. His father-in-law then asked him if he would like to go on harvest with him. Jim agreed, but he insisted on buying his own combine. George traded for three new 1970 model 510 Massey combines. Jim paid him back the down payment value of the combines - $1500 out of the total of $10,500 each. That year Jim and George traveled to Texas, Kansas, South Dakota, Montana to cut wheat. Then they returned to Spearman, Texas for milo harvest. Jim would work on oil rigs near Spearman for extra money throughout the year. George sold his ranch in South Dakota in 1973 and quit harvesting. Jim bought his combines and a few more trucks.

Jim continued to harvest and expand his fleet of equipment and areas harvested. In 1978, LG Flippin from Gruver, Texas, asked Jim if he would be interested in the Brawley, California area. He traveled to California with no air conditioning the first year. This job then led into a job in Arizona. In the late 80s, Jim then traded for seven new combines each year and was harvesting over 100,000 acres of wheat and 35,000 acres of corn.

Jim's son, Bart, had helped him all his life and now was old enough to run a crew. In the early 90s, Jim was trading for eight new combines each year. The combine cost in 1995 was $168,000. Case IH would give him prototype combines to run since he was putting on so many hours. Since Jim was hauling these combines from the factory, he designed a combine trailer that would haul two combines at a time. He then filed for a patent on the trailer, which was later infringed upon. Jim went to court with the companies, then later sold them the patent.

In 2011, Jim's grandson, Blyne, began a partnership with him and they are operating today. Jim and Blayne run a five combine operation out of Spearman, Texas. Jim's hobbies include working, talking about politics, drinking coffee at the parts store. He loves his grandchildren and great grandchildren, to whom he is known as "Pa."

Jim Baker