More about farm life at Wudinna

Follow up on Fosters Farm.

This is Rex and Vicki much as they are today (perhaps Vicki isn't quite as well?).

This is what they looked like 30 years ago, a few changes to the farming plant too !!!
the old Massey Ferguson Combine Harvester was fully air conditioned (by virtue of the
fact that you sat outside with a beach umbrella for shade and a dust mask to allow you
to breathe through the dust), I think the old Ford truck was a 50s vintage.

Certainly a huge step forward to today's air-conditioned soundproofed cabin on
both Header and Tractor.
Filling the chaser bin on the move saves the header from even having to stop so
production is kept to its maximum, there is a bit over 10 tons of grain per transfer.

This was the boss truck until recently, it now bears the slightly insulting title
of "the little truck" BTW its load of wheat is still about 13 tons.

This is Big Brother who in his current form can carry about 22 tons and in his
final form will become a "Road Train" with another similar trailer on behind
the existing one, load then about 45 tons.

The reason for the bigger truck is to cut back on "on farm grain storage" during
harvest, as this leads to much more handling of grain when the busy times demand
that it be got out of the paddock but cartage to grain terminals is not practical
in small loads.
The storage shed has about 450 tons of grain in it in this photo and can sometimes
have more than that, total capacity 1000+ tons.

This is the little wheat seed heads that start the whole process off.

Click photo to enbiggen
Another interesting fact about Rex Foster; at age 51 he still plays Australian Rules Football
for Wudinna United Football Club, and he is a long way from being their worst player too.
Rex is Number 23 right in the centre of the this photo.