Kerry Pietsch at Pleasant Hills to put old headers through harvest one more time
No cabins, no air con, dust and heat – these old headers are set to tackle one more wheat harvest next January.
The deep thrum of million-dollar headers in paddocks across southern Australia this harvest is a far cry from the old machines that used to strip crops.
And it’s exactly this difference that Pleasant Hills farmer and vintage header collector Kerry Pietsch is hoping will attract visitors as he puts his machines to work one more time.
Mr Pietsch will have 27 tractor-drawn vintage headers stripping a wheat crop next January, in what he hopes will allow farmers young and old to witness how far harvesters have come.
“It will be a scene not witnessed in the Australian bush for generations and will give a unique insight into how our forefathers farmed a century ago,’’ Mr Pietsch said.
The vintage harvest day will allow visitors to see not only restored but working harvesters, winnowers, strippers, chaff cutters and tractors.
A paddock of wheat has been set aside specifically for the purpose.
And in a neat anniversary, a feature of the day will be seeing a restored 1925 Sunshine Auto
Header, designed by local Headlie Shipard Taylor from Henty.
“This day will be very special as 95 per cent of young people have never seen any of these headers operating,’’ Mr Pietsch said.
“They only ever see modern machinery with air-conditioned cabins – on these old machines you are sitting out in the dust, chaff and hot sun.
“Most of these old headers will only ever sit in machinery sheds – it is rare to see them operating and it will be a once in a lifetime event to have so many together
in the one crop.’’
The Warrawong Harvest Day will be held on January 11 at Pleasant Hills, NSW.
Canola yields expected to be halved at Westmere
Western District farmer Graeme McCrow usually cuts about 400 bales of hay. But this year he is cutting 2000.
Storms whip through cropping zones
A series of hit-and-miss storms have whipped through farming districts with some farmers stopping the header. While others have completely missed the rain.