NOT many grain farmers can claim almost 70 years of header driving.
Beulah's Ian Moore began driving tractors and harvesters when he was 10 years old.
Just seven months shy of becoming an octogenarian, the sprightly veteran was called upon this year to help his grandson, Brad Moore, out of a tight spot.
When The Weekly Times ran into him last week, Ian was harvesting a paddock in circumstances that mirrored a situation 66 years ago.
Back then, Ian's father suffered a bout of pneumonia on the eve of harvesting.
Ian, who was just 13 years, was required to drive the header while his father recovered in hospital.
"We had a farm worker and he and I took six weeks to take the crop off," he said.
"And as soon as we finished, it was back to school."
This year, Ian was asked to pitch in at harvest when his son John - Brad's father - became ill.
Ian has seen a lot of changes during that time.
In 1946, he was driving a LA Case tractor pulling a Sunshine McKay No.2 harvester.
"There was no airconditioning in those days," he said.
"You just sat on the tractor in your shorts and no shirt."
