For the first time in his life, Parkes man Len Chatman entered the novice welding section at this year’s Parkes Show and took out first prize!
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Len has been farming for 72 of his 87 years. He and his wife Bev moved from their farm “Pineview” at Mandagery, into town 15 years ago. Fortunately, two of their three sons are farmers and Len still has plenty of farm work to keep him occupied. He has always used a welder, but was never formally trained.
A new tractor with euro fittings created a bit of a problem when the implements that their old John Deere tractor would pick up no longer fitted on the new tractor. Len set about making a frame that the new tractor picks up, which in turn picks up their original implements.
“I thought other farmers would be interested because they would have tractors with these new euro fittings on them,” Len said.
For his ingenuity, Len won $40 cash and two packets of welding rods. He donated the cash back to the Show Society.