Ian Blow RIP

Below is a message from Ian O'Rourke advising me of the passing of Ian Blow one of the gentlemen of Australia's tractor and machinery industry. More on Ian later.

It is with sadness that I pass on to you that Ian passed away at 10 PM last night after a battle with poor health over the past 6 months.

 Would you please inform any colleagues of this that are not on my .Email.

When I receive any more details I will let you know

Ian O'Rourke

Rest in Peace, Sir Jack Brabham

Back in the early eighties I was a small town Ford Tractor dealer and joined others like me, for the release of the new TW series tractors in country Victoria. We didn't know it at the time, but one of my heroes would be on hand to introduce the machines. The Ford Motor Company, had engaged Sir Jack Brabham, to be the figure head for the release of this exciting range of new tractors.

Geoff Smith and I watched a twin engined plane land in a paddock opposite the test field. We were surprised to see Sir Jack strolling across the stubble to meet us. He chatted as we walked back to the group, telling us he had used the tractors on his Wagga Wagga property. He was genuine in his praise for the machines and down to earth in his descriptions.

Later at lunch, I was able to get him to sign a menu for me, as a souvenir of the day.

With his passing yesterday, the memory came back to me. The motor racing world has lost a great champion, Australia has lost a living Legend, and for the surviving Ford tractor dealers we have lost a good friend and product ambassador.

Rest in Peace Sir Jack

Leo Wignell: Ford Tractor Man

Last week I travelled to Euroa in Central Victoria and took the opportunity to visit Leo Wignell, a legend of the tractor and machinery industry. Leo is still putting his story together for AgList and I hope we have something from him soon.

The past year has been a bit traumatic for him with recurring health problems but he assures me he is on the mend and will be building up a Chevy van as a motor home complete with diesel power and four wheel drive.

More from Leo later, for anyone wishing to send him a message you can do so by posting in the comments column below.

Climate Change. Another view to managing desertification.

We all agree that our planet seems to be suffering from dramatic climate events, none more real than the expanding deserts of Africa and into Asia.
Doing research for my novel Les Gillespie's Gold, I spoke to one of my daughters about one of the plot points and she sent the following link to me. It will mean revising that particular plot but what it has done is explain how we can save the great grass lands that we have lost over the years of ecology science.
In the eighties farmers in my home district of Orroroo began using minimum tillage farming as a means to increasing crop yield. This TED talk by Allan Savoy shows the science now being employed around the world to stop desertification. A lot of the techniques used duplicate what those marginal farmers from Perth to Adelaide were trying.
Take a look at the link, maybe it will cause us to rethink our views, change the way we manage stock numbers and even save a few endangered flora and fauna species in the process.

 Link: http://www.ted.com/talks/allan_savory_how_to_green_the_world_s_deserts_and_reverse_climate_change.html?utm_source=email&source=email&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ios-share