Vintage working days are always popular, especially those with a more unusual theme, and one such event coming up is the DeCourcey Harvest Working Day to be held at Ballinspittle, Co. Cork on the August Bank Holiday.
Jim Power Agri of Tallow, Co. Waterford, is the main sponsor of the event and as Deutz Fahr agents for West Waterford and East Cork, they will be brining along a selection of tractors and machinery.
Support for stroke victims
The DeCourcey Classic and Vintage Club is organising the Harvest Day to be held at Christy Draper’s farm in Artiteige and it recently held a launch for the event at the venue.
The charity chosen to be supported this year is the Cork Stroke Support Centre which Mary McCarthy, a volunteer with the organisation, gave a moving account of the assistance given by the group when her husband Jimmy had a stroke a few years ago. Jimmy is a founding member of the DeCourcey Classic and Vintage club.
The club has also announced that David Jefferson, product specialist UK and Ireland for SAME-Deutz-Fahr, will be attending the Harvest Day to perform the official opening.
Combines old and new
Among the machines taking part there will be a demonstration of a Deutz-Fahr 9306 TS combine harvester alongside a running Fahr MD4 self-propelled combine from 1954.
The earlier machine has a cutting width of 2.25m while the drum is almost as wide at 1.5m. Power comes courtesy of a 48hp engine from Henschel, a company that is now one of the world’s largest producers of railway locomotives.
The drum on the much later Deutz-Fahr 9306 is only 20mm wider but at 600mm it is 190mm greater in diameter and has the power of 381 horses behind it, provided by Mercedes Benz.
Busy day for DeCourcey Club
In addition, there will be a rally for vintage cars, tractors and commercials as well as model displays, gardening display and arts and crafts.
Author Chris Larkin will be signing copies of his book on the West Cork railway. Catherine Good from the Good Dairy Company will be selling her award-winning ice cream while Clonakilty Black puddings and Clona Dairy’s will have products to sample.