REGINA – There was a lot of tire-kicking, cab-sitting, equipment-eyeing, price-haggling and product-testing going on at the Western Canada Farm Progress Show in Regina, but many visitors admitted buying a piece of machinery was the last thing on their minds.
“We never used to come down, but ever since we’ve had the kids we come because it’s a nice outing for them,” said Harry Rhode, whose daughters Sarah and Emily seemed interested in all the activity and the brightly colored machines.
Donalda Rhode said the family likes “the old (antique) tractors and the animals and that’s about it.”
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Remembering the past
She grew up on a farm and understands agriculture, but for city-bred Harry, who grew up in Winnipeg and is now a Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration groundwater specialist, the Farm Progress Show was a chance to get a better idea of what the enormous, complex and mystifying machines he sees in farmers’ fields actually do.
The show was a chance for former farmer Doug Bremner to wax nostalgic.
“I think a person, once he’s lived on a farm, his interest will always be there,” said Bremner, who has worked for the railroad in Saskatoon for 21 years.
“Everything’s so huge compared to 20 years ago. We had just small equipment, like a 16-foot cultivator or 14-foot seed drills, 55 horsepower tractors. With these things,” he said, pointing to sprawling harrows, “you need half a section to turn around.”
Bremner and other show visitors watched Rob Richtot operate an arc welding robot. Sparks flew and metal sang as the thin flame cut its way onward using Richtot’s computerized commands.
Richtot said he doesn’t think many producers would want to pony up the cash to buy one of the sophisticated robots, but “it’s a novelty and we thought they’d get a kick out of it.”
Involved in more serious affairs were Dwaine Thiessen and his father Harry.
The Kerrobert farmers were checking out some double-chuting equipment and talking with a machinery company representative about how it works.
Dwaine admitted he and his father aren’t thinking of buying one of the new machines that sat resplendent across acres of exhibition grounds.
But he said the new equipment gives them ideas for modifying their existing machinery to do more.
He said the Farm Progress Show is a great way to meet other producers and talk about seeding and harvesting problems.
