My right shoulder is finally feeling good enough to type up this article. It was heavily bruised and sore after firing 100 shots at the North American Equipment Dealers Association (NAEDA) fundraising clay shoot last Friday at beautiful Milford Hills in Johnson Creek, Wis.

What a blast (pun intended) this event was! Not only did it raise money for NAEDA’s Equipment Dealers Foundation, but it was also a chance for the dealers in attendance to get a much-needed break from the madness of harvest season.

Technicians and parts and service managers recharged their batteries with a day full of shooting, hamburgers, brats and beers.

“It’s important for our team to bond, and you have to get them together in non-work settings to really develop relationships,” H&R Agri-Power precision ag coordinator Nick Rust once told me at the Precision Farming Dealer Summit, and that came to mind during this clay shoot.

It was a good bonding experience — and fun “day at the office” — for the Farm Equipment/Precision Farming Dealer crew as well. We had 2 teams participate in the shooting competition. Our good friends Mike Elton of Advantage Plus Financing and Don Henning, retired executive VP for Johnson Hill Press and former publisher of Farm Equipment, also joined us for the excursion.

Winners want to keep score, as we like to say around the Lessiter Media office, so without further ado…here’s our final scorecard:

 Mike Lessiter (Editor/Publisher): 48
 Jeff Lazewski (Creative/Design Services Manager): 39
 Drew Lessiter (Events Planner): 29
 Kim Schmidt (Executive Editor): 26
 Scott Names (VP Finance/Administration): 22
 Mike Elton (Advantage Plus Financing): 20
 Noah Newman (Technology Editor): 7

Unfortunately, NAEDA didn’t give out a prize for lowest score this year because I would’ve won it in a landslide. I think I need a new prescription for my contacts.

Congratulations to Mike on the top score and shoutout to Kim for putting up a respectable 26 in her first-ever shooting experience. Beginner’s luck?

Although neither of our teams took home the title, it was a win-win for everybody involved. Funds raised from the event will help the NAEDA Equipment Dealers Foundation provide scholarships to students pursuing a degree or technical certificate within the equipment industry.

We also heard from Tom Healy, director of dealer development for NAEDA. Tune in this Friday to On the Record for some key dealer insights shared by Healy at the event.

NAEDA represents over 3,500 equipment dealers across North America. Many of them are competitors, but on this day, they came together for camaraderie-building and a good cause.

I’m already getting excited for next year’s clay shoot and a shot at redemption. That is if I’m invited back, because after my embarrassing performance, I wouldn’t blame the team if they decide to go in a different direction!The Precision Farming Dealer team (L-R): Noah Newman, Don Henning, Drew Lessiter, Mike Lessiter, Jeff Lazewski, Scott Names, Kim Schmidt, Mike Elton.