The ingenuity of the American farmer never ceases to amaze me. Visit any farm in Illinois, almost all of them have some sort of contraption that's been modified or fabricated to meet the farmer's needs.
<<< Frank Evans says once this machine breaks, he can retire.
Last month, I stumbled upon an invention by Frank Evans, who started a Christmas tree farm 47 years ago in the Mt. Zion area. Years ago, Evans built a machine that makes garland using evergreen twigs.
The contraption has two electric motors that are geared down and attached to two wheels. When turned on, the machine pulls a piece of twine around a large wheel. Simultaneously, the other wheel circles baling wire around the twine. All Evans has to do is insert the twig, and presto, the machine attaches it to the twine.
Evans' invention was so helpful; other Christmas tree proprietors contracted Evans to build them one. Evans says there's only one problem with the machines: they don't break.
Evans, long past retirement age, says, "The trouble is, you can't wear them out. If you could, I wouldn't have to work."
As a farmer, how many things have you tweaked or invented to help you do your job better?
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