Farm equipment dealers still open, doing repairs

COBDEN — Business is slow with fewer phone calls and people stopping in for anything. But, for the moment, farm equipment dealers are still open and offering service, including repairs, in Eastern Ontario.

For Dennis Murphy, who co-owns Huckabone’s Garage at Cobden, this is normally the busiest time of the year. The coronavirus outbreak put a damper on that, although he said the heavy snowfall on March 23 probably didn’t help either.

Foot and phone traffic are both down and sales are lower for everything. Unsurprising, given the increasing scope of the virus outbreak and the increasingly urgent calls from multiple levels of government to stay home and limit contact.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced yesterday that non-essential workplaces would be closed. The list, released last night, included a great number of different businesses and industries, including primary agriculture and farm equipment dealers.

Farmers who need repairs or work on their combines or other farm equipment can still get it done, Murphy said. His garage will be saying no to the smaller and less essential work, like lawn tractors and things. He said they are still getting parts from Kubota and for the moment the garage still has its full staff. “Everyone’s taking their precautions,” he said.

It was a similar story at Trottier Farm Equipment in Alexandria. Owner Rick Trottier was open for business, though he said business was slow. But staff were still working and farmers who need equipment or repairs can still get them.