Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Johnny Reyenga Invents Series Of Devices For Farming Use

Inventions tend to arise when a need is felt.

This was the case for Johnny Reyenga, who developed a series of tools to help with his farming. One of his inventions has been patented, with another in the early stages of the patent process.

Understand something, Reyenga's formal education ended with his graduating high school from Emmet. He never attended college or studied engineering, though he did carpentry work at an oil refinery for 10 years in Texas.

He said the inventions came in the wrong order for agricultural work, as his first was for harvesting, while one of the latest is for planting.

Reyenga's first major invention came about when he was harvesting a soybean crop. The problem was the combine picking up all sorts of field stuff and dumping it in the hopper. This reduced the amount of crop being harvested, while increasing the amount of refuse.

After pondering the problem a while, he came to realize a screen would separate the crop from the foreign matter during harvest.

He tinkered with his combine, fitting it with a screen, testing it by first tossing some crop in it to see how it sorted. When this proved to be effective, Reyenga went further and tested the idea on his soybean crop.

He encountered a problem with the wet fields. The foreign matter would collect in a bin, stopping it up and slowing the harvest down.

To combat this headache, Reyenga decided the foreign matter needed to be destroyed, hence the development and addition of a "destructor" or crusher.

When all was said and done, his invention, the grain cleaner and destructor, was capable of harvesting a crop, while destroying the foreign matter, returning it to the soil.

It was then tested by the University of Arkansas Experiment Station in Hope, where it worked as promised.

Reyenga said a farmer in Kansas was having trouble with his milo crop because of velvet leaf. He had developed a combine attachment for crushing and harvesting for this farmer, but the problem persisted.

To see what was going on, Reyenga went to Kansas and found the farmer had his combine set too low to be effective. It was cutting the milo at the base of the stalk, instead of just below the milo itself.

When the combine was adjusted, the problem was solved.

In the initial stages of the patent process, the United States Department of Agriculture had stated the device was impractical unless it could be proven not to affect the combine's speed and performance. This was done and the patent granted.

Next on Reyenga's list of inventions was a rotary plow.

This device can best be described as a type of circular saw blade placed at an angle on the front of a small tractor.

What it does is eliminate weeds without using chemicals. The blade is used at a maximum depth of one inch, as it tosses soil on the top of weeds, suffocating them.

Those weeds it cuts are left to become mulch and, therefore, replenish the soil's nutrients.

However, he waited too long after developing it to get a patent, but has plans to modify it, making it work better and could possibly get a patent with the modifications.

Completing the reversed farming circuit, Reyenga built a seed bed preparation tool.

This device is attached to the back of a small tractor with hydraulic lifts. In includes a coulter for slicing into the dirt, a ripping plow and an auger.

The coulter initially breaks the soil, giving the ripping plow a purchase to dig six to eight inches deep. The auger is used to turn the plowed soil.

This device, he said, eliminates insects and destroys the habitat for rodents.

In addition, with the soil basically being turned three times, it is aerated better and helps the crops by making the ground more sterile.

Reyenga said farmers have been having fits with the soybean nematode, but this device will solve most of these problem by eliminating the weeds the nematodes hide in.

With the earth broken up so well, he said, moisture can penetrate the ground better, thereby giving more water to the plants.

With a seed hopper added, he said, this device is a one pass soil preparation and planter.This invention, Reyenga said, hasn't been shown around yet. When he contacted the UA Experiment Station, little interest was shown in learning about it.

But, he plans on getting it patented soon.

Another little gadget he's proud of is a modified garden hoe.

Now, everyone's familiar with the shape of a normal garden hoe, with the flat blade and long handle. Everyone also knows how hard it is to work with them.

Reyenga's hoe is different. The blade is more of a square scoop design, closed on three sides, open on the front.

The interesting thing about this hoe, aside from the shape, is the blade can be adjusted to different angles, locking into position for a variety of uses.

Because of this, it's easier to weed places in the garden, while making weeding in tight places almost effortless.

Upon graduating high school, Reyenga joined the Army. When he returned, he married the former Ruth McGuire and went to work at the Red River Arsenal, only to be let go 13 months later.

Their idea was always to raise their children on a farm, which is what they did after returning to Arkansas from Texas.

Their three children, David, Nancy and Paula, are grown and have left the farm.

"I've always wanted to live off the land," Reyenga said. "Food is the most vital commodity there is.

"I've made these inventions because of a need I had and couldn't solve elsewhere."