MANOR - At the Wilson Old Tyme Harvest on Sept. 2, a person would not see a new piece equipment running.
This day was set aside for the eighth annual antique show, which was located 16 kilometres north of Manor at the Wilson farm.
It was also the celebration of Ken Wilson’s 80 birthday. While he walked around with his arm in a sling, he was still able to instruct how to start some of the old units.
A poster was made up for all those that attended to sign and wish him a great day.
The old-time harvest began when Wilson and his son Kevin Wilson went to an event that hosted all these old pieces, and they felt it was something they could and wanted to do, so they brought it to the farm.
Along with Wilson's grandson Colton Wilson, they are passionate about the old stuff.
“Where would this stuff be?” said Wilson, “If we did not do something with it?”
Wilson feels that 95-99 per cent of the equipment would be on a scrap pile or be used for scrap metal, if they did not restore it.
They take the old threshers and tractors and give them another chance at life.
Most time they hope the machinery works when they purchase it, but if it does not, they make it work.
The oldest piece on the farm is a wooden 1919 threshing machine that showed the crowd how it was done back in the day.
Around 175 people of all ages came out to enjoy the good old days of agriculture. Many grandparents had their grandkids there to show them the difference in the equipment from back then until today.
As tractors received the bump start, they paraded around, showing they could still get the job done, just at a slower rate.
The 1950 Oliver bulldozer made its track in the field spinning around, with a 1945 two-seater McCormick and a W6 super McCormick that Al Fletcher was driving.
Fletcher remembers at a young age driving home a new tractor for his dad, thinking that this had to be the biggest tractor they would ever make. Little did he know how technology would progress over the years.
Onlookers were asked if they wanted to take part in the parade and have the opportunity to drive one of the antiques.
A small field of about 10 acres, seeded with grain, was used to display how it all worked.
A 1979 Massey Ferguson 750 combine with a 10-foot swath took to the field first, going at the speed of 11 kilometres per hour and holding 25 bushels.
Next was a late 1950s, 32-horsepower McCormack tractor pulling a 10 hp combine at the speed of five km/h but still was very workable.
The initial round baler by Allis-Chalmers, called the roto-baler, came out next to bale up the straw. The bales are somewhat smaller than the bales of today.
With several thrashers running, the sheaves were pushed through with ease.
The three Wilsons have enjoyed restoring the machinery and love to see when it starts running. Sometimes it is an easy fix and other times it takes a little more grease.
It is important to run the units a couple times a year to keep the gas flowing through the machinery’s veins.
Raise the Rafters from Wawota offered sandwiches, homemade pie and drinks throughout the day, and offered shade in the pole shed to get out of the hot, blistering sun.
Kevin was happy with the turnout, which had far exceeded the attendance from the year before.
Before COVID-19 hit, the crowds were over 200, and it was great to see this year's increase.
Several antique tractor collectors brought their pride and joy to the show.
Frank Faber is a regular at the harvest and he recalls many of the pieces and how they worked.
The Wilson trio will continue to find the unwanted pieces, bring them home and give them life.
The days of old have stories to tell and now the way equipment worked back then is a part of history, but at the time it was suited for the land farmers had.
Many of the farmers that attended could remember using these pieces with their dads and it brought back many memories for them.
