WHERE else would fathers be on their special day than at the Macksville Showground for the annual Rusty Iron Rally?
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Tractors have already started to chug their way into town for the weekend.
And this year it’s all about John Deere.
After starting work as a blacksmith at the tender age of 17, Deere soon set up shop in Grand Detour, Illinois, in 1837, where blacksmiths were in high demand.
He is said to have created his first steel plow from a broken saw blade, after realising that the cast iron ones – designed for sandy soil – were getting stuck in the heavier soil of the Midwest.
After 40 years in the plow game, Deere’s company was said to be producing more than 50,000 annually.
By 1877, he was making more than 500 a day and was winning agricultural awards left, right and centre.
The leaping deer logo, now synonymous with Deere machinery, was first devised in 1876, but used the image of an African deer. That was updated in 1940 to the North American white-tailed deer logo we’re all familiar with.
By sales, John Deere remains the largest manufacturer of farming equipment in the world.
Celebrate the history and prestige of ‘the Deere’ at this weekend’s Rusty Iron Rally.
And if you simply can’t wait, enjoy a quick peek back at last year’s event through our gallery
