A 1941 John Deere tractor and a 1939 JD threshing machine will be part of this weekend’s Grey Cup parade in Winnipeg.
The antique machinery will be on the float for the Canadian FoodGrains Bank. The CFGB is using the parade to promote a fundraising campaign called Harvesting Hope: a world record to help the hungry.
The Manitoba Agricultural Museum and the CFGB plan to set a world record for the largest pioneer harvest. They hope to attract 125 antique threshing machines to Austin, Man., next summer for the annual Threshermen’s Reunion and Stampede.
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Ayn Wilcox, Harvesting Hope spokesperson, said about 40 threshing teams are on board for the project.
“It’s still early days, (but) people are very excited … to be part of the record,” she said. “We’ve identified just over 100 threshing teams. We have firm, signed up commitments of a little over 40 so far.”
Ontario now holds the record for most threshing machines run at the same time. This summer, 111 antique machines operated simultaneously outside the St. Albert Cheese Factory near Ottawa.
Organizers of the Manitoba record attempt were initially targeting 100 machines, but set a new goal following the St. Albert record.
“We had to bump up our game quite a bit,” Wilcox said.
The CFGB and the Manitoba Agricultural Museum are trying to recruit threshing teams from across the Prairies and Ontario. It can be expensive to move an antique harvester 500 or 1,500 kilometres, so organizers are willing to offset some of those costs.
“We are definitely looking at that. We’ve been talking to people all across the country … about bringing their equipment (to the event),” Wilcox said. “(We’re) working with individual groups and finding out what their individual needs are.”
All money raised will support the foodgrains bank’s efforts to end global hunger and help the Manitoba Agricultural Museum preserve rural history.
Sponsors can support a threshing team for $1,000, sponsor an acre for $500 or become a friend of Harvesting Hope for $250.
All contributions over $20 will receive a tax receipt.
“We’re happy to take any donation,” Wilcox said.
For more information on the world record attempt, go to www.harvestinghope.ca.
The Austin Threshermen’s Reunion will be held July 28-31, 2016.
Contact robert.arnason@producer.com
