WAGIN farmer and owner of Spurry's Transport, Peter Spurr, is holding his annual Hay Day on his property this Saturday.
It will be a day of demonstrations and displays showing how hay was taken off in the old days, including stooking and hay stacking.
This is an event that should get the adrenaline pumping for the oldies while providing our youngsters with an insight into how their grandparents overcame adversity to build a strong agriculture industry.
Among the star performers will be a ground-drive HV McKay binder (two metre cut), a Sunshine Massey Harris (circa 1930s) binder, a McCormick Deering wire tire small square baler and a stationary Horwood Bagshaw hay press.
After the binders make a pass, the cut hay will be stooked.
Vintage Tractor & Machinery Association of WA (Tracmach) founder Bob Lukins and Tracmach committeeman Ivan Quartermaine were at Peter's venue last week to help out with servicing machinery and Bob told Torque about his enthusiasm for the event.
"I will be building a haystack on the day from the sheaved hay," Bob said.
"I used to do it when I was a kid.
"It will be a round one built the traditional way with a batter board to make it neat and it'll probably take me all day.
"The stacks used to be built as fuel for the horses or used to thatch sheds and stables."
The hay will come from sheaves cut by the Sunshine Massey Harris which will be towed by a McCormick Deering WK40 tractor (circa 1936).
"We'll make the sheaves six at a time then stook them ready to build the haystack," Bob said.
Bob also will take along a Massey Harris sickle mower (circa 1930s) to add to the working displays.
Ivan will be busy driving an Oliver 70 row crop tractor (circa 1940s) pulling an Oliver 50 small square baler owned by Peter.
Peter also will be driving a 1956 514 Farmall tractor which will tow a 1931 McCormick Deering wire tire binder.
A rare 1921 stationary engine function hay press will also be used.
"It's a rare press and in its day it could punch out 400 to 500 small square bales a day," Peter said.
"Today's balers can do between 700 and 800 per hour."
It will be the oldest baler at the event and volunteers will be using pitch forks to push the hay into the chamber to make the bales.
The newest baler in the working displays will be a New Holland 317 (circa 1970s).
Peter also will drag out a McCormick Deering sickle mower attached to a 1931 McCormick Deering row crop tractor.
"There's a huge amount of interest in the event and we're expecting a big crowd," Peter said.
"We've got the local service clubs involved for catering and we're encouraging Trachmach members to bring their vintage tractors or hay gear to display or use.
"I've established about 15 hectares of hay comprising oats and Baroota Wonder wheat hay,
"It was the traditional beardless hay wheat to feed chaff to horses."
The big day starts at 9am.
The venue is two kilometres east of the Wagin townsite.
Turn into Stewart Road.
