Customer Spotlight

Meet Mark Coccuni of the FourC Ranch — Comfort, Texas

By Phil Livengood, Small Farm Innovations

One of the best parts of this job is getting to know the folks behind the farms. Every operation has its own story, its own goals, and its own set of questions to work through — and that's exactly what makes it rewarding when it all comes together. Today, Sharon and I want to introduce you to a customer we've enjoyed working with: Mark Coccuni of the FourC Ranch in Comfort, Texas.

Out in the Hill Country, Mark runs a cow/calf operation on 40 acres. Like a lot of cattlemen, he knows that good hay is the backbone of getting a herd through the year in good condition. Rather than depend on buying bales in and hoping for the right quality at the right price, Mark decided to take control of his own forage — to cut, rake, and bale his own hay, right there on his own ground, on his own schedule.

Building a Complete Hay System

To do the job right from start to finish, Mark put together a full cut-rake-bale lineup with us. Three pieces, each one handing off to the next:

1. Agromaster DM-3575 73" Drum Mower — the cut

Everything starts with a clean cut, and the DM-3575 lays it down fast. With a wide 73-inch cutting width and a dual-drum design, it powers through dense stands and gets a lot of ground covered in a hurry. Drum mowers are workhorses — simple, tough, and forgiving — which makes this one a great fit for a producer who wants to mow his acreage efficiently and get on to the next step. We've partnered with Agromaster since 2009, and their durability and parts support are hard to beat.

2. 4 Wheel Inline Rake — the rake

Once the grass is cut and cured, the 4 Wheel Inline Rake gathers it into clean, even windrows ready for the baler. It's economical, easy on horsepower, and adjustable from about 4½ feet up to 8½ feet of working width, so Mark can match his windrow right to his baler's pickup. A well-formed windrow makes every pass with the baler smoother — and this rake delivers it.

3. Takakita RB-981NSF 3×3 Round Baler — the bale

Then comes the star of the show. The Takakita RB-981NSF is a commercial-grade baler that turns out uniform, dense 3-foot by 3-foot net-wrapped round bales — the kind that store well, transport easily, and hold up to the weather. It runs on just 25 PTO horsepower, moves right along at 12 to 17 bales an hour, and its chain-belt forming system makes a consistent, tight bale every single time. For Mark, that means quality hay for his cattle — and bales that look every bit as good as anything he'd buy off a commercial operation.

The FourC Ranch in Action

There's nothing like seeing good equipment do its job. Tap any clip to watch Mark's setup out working the FourC Ranch — from the baler rolling out clean, tight bales to a field full of finished hay.

▶

▶

▶

More Than a Sale — a Partnership

Now, Mark had plenty of questions along the way — and I mean that as a compliment. A smart buyer asks questions, because he wants to understand his equipment and do the job right. Sharon and I were glad to answer every one of them, take whatever time it took, and make sure Mark felt confident before we ever left his place. We didn't just sell him the equipment; we delivered it right to the FourC Ranch and got him set up, the way we do for our customers.

That's the whole idea behind how we operate. We're not here to move a piece of iron and disappear. We're here to be the folks you can call tomorrow, and next season, and five years down the road. So when Mark told us, "If I need a tractor tomorrow, I'd buy from Phil," well — that's about the finest thing a customer can say. It means we did our job.

What's Next for the FourC Ranch

Right now, Mark's putting up hay to feed his own herd — but he's got his eye on the bigger picture. With a baler that produces clean, marketable 3×3 bales, he's looking at the possibility of selling hay down the road, turning his own equipment and his own acreage into another revenue stream for the ranch. That's exactly the kind of forward thinking we love to see, and it's the reason we set folks up with equipment that can grow right along with their goals.

We're proud to have the FourC Ranch as part of the Small Farm Innovations family. Mark, thanks for trusting us — and here's to a whole lot of good hay in your future.