Three Midwest farm families will be mowing in style, thanks to Exmark and Successful Farming magazine. As winners of the Successful Farming ‘Farm Beautiful’ contest, each of the three families has received a new Exmark Lazer Z X-Series zero-turn riding mower.

The winners of the 2013 Farm Beautiful contest were: Dave and Nikki Heying of Granville, Iowa; Wayne and Laura Dahl of Dawson, Minnesota; and Dennis and Marian Lichtenberg of Clintonville, Wisconsin.

The Heying family received their new mower from their local Exmark dealer, Sheldon Power in Sheldon, IA. The Dahl family worked with Steve’s Equipment in Montevideo, MN, while Weyer’s in Kaukauna, WI delivered the Lichtenbergs their new Exmark.

As part of the deliveries, representatives demonstrated the safe operation of the Lazer Z mower to each family. They also stressed the importance of always securing the operator lap belt and mowing with the Roll-Over Protection System (ROPS) in the up position.

The Lazer Z X-Series zero-turn mower each family won features a 60-inch cutting deck and powerful Kawasaki V-twin commercial engine. It gives them the same power and productivity landscape professionals rely on every day, and will significantly reduce the time required to maintain their properties.

Exmark’s Daryn Walters said that, in addition to increased productivity, the new mowers deliver the company’s signature quality of cut and include Exmark’s latest patented technologies to increase operator comfort.

“We developed our exclusive Exmark Comfort Seat with patented technologies to effectively isolate the operator from vibration and impacts. Research indicates a direct correlation between operator comfort and productivity, and because of this, we place a high priority on making Exmark mowers as comfortable as possible.” 

The Farm Beautiful contest is an annual contest hosted by Successful Farming magazine. Ninety entrants submitted up to 12 photos and 500 words describing the farmstead, including history, how the land was developed and how the layout of the property accommodates farming activities. Entries were judged using a four-point criteria which included appearance, strategic layout, overall state of maintenance, and creative use of landscape in a farmstead setting.