November 09, 2006
CASE IH HAS ROLE ON EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION

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Tractor donation helps Iowa farm family get back on feet

RACINE Wis. - The hoopla may have died down for the Kibe family, featured recently on ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, but a bright future remains. A new home, renovated barn and new Case IH tractor have set the Iowa farm family on a path full of fresh opportunities.

After moving to Gladbrook, Iowa, to pursue a rural lifestyle, Shawn and Amy Kibe and their three sons faced a severe setback. A few days before Christmas 2005, a fire destroyed their home and forced them to live in a rented camper, with the boys sleeping in tents. 

Enter Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. In one week, the show created new prospects for the fledgling farm operation. In addition to rebuilding the house lost to fire, volunteers refurbished the Kibes' barn and delivered a small herd of Angus calves to fill it.

"Originally, before all this happened, we planned to run some of our own heifers and produce our own calves, and then raise replacements for the dairies around here," says Shawn Kibe. "Now with what we have been given, the opportunities are huge. We have a lot more possibilities than we did before."

A new Case IH JX1100U tractor, donated by Case IH, enhances those possibilities. The versatile machine is equipped with a Case IH LX252 loader and is designed to handle the multiple chores of a livestock operation. And, the 85-hp JX1100U tractor has the size and capacity to grow with the Kibes' operation.

"We appreciate everything that everybody did," Shawn recalls. "ABC was great. Hubbell Homes (the builder) was great. But no way did we even remotely expect the tractor. That was by far the biggest shock."

The Extreme Makeover: Home Edition episode featuring the Kibe family aired on Oct. 29.  Kyle Russell, Case IH director of livestock marketing, was shown on the program delivering the tractor and loader to the farm.

"Case IH has an ongoing commitment to the communities where we do business, and this was an ideal opportunity for us to give back to agriculture and help a great family pursue their farming dreams," Russell says.

Anyone who caught Extreme Makeover: Home Edition on Oct. 29 couldn't help noticing Shawn Kibe's height. At 6 feet, 8 inches, he had to duck through every doorway.  But Kibe says his new Case IH tractor is just the right size. 

"I've never had enough legroom on anything we've ever owned," he says.  "But this tractor is comfortable. I can't believe how convenient everything is on it." 

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, which has won back-to-back Emmy Awards as Outstanding Reality Program, will enter its fourth season on ABC. The program is produced by Endemol USA, a division of Endemol Holding. Denise Cramsey is the executive producer and David Goldberg is the president of Endemol USA. Watch Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Sundays 8 p.m. (7 p.m. Central Time) on ABC.

Case IH is a global leader in agricultural equipment, committed to collaborating with its customers to develop the most powerful, productive, reliable equipment -- for those who demand more. With headquarters in the United States, Case IH has a network of dealers and distributors that operates in over 160 countries. Case IH provides agricultural equipment systems, flexible financial service offerings and parts and service support for professional farmers and commercial operators through a dedicated network of professional dealers and distributors. Productivity enhancing products include tractors; combines and harvesters; hay and forage equipment; tillage tools; planting and seeding systems; sprayers and applicators; and site-specific farming tools. 

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