A local farmer has hit on a bright idea for getting rid of his unwanted agricultural machinery.  Instead of dumping it at the edge of a field to rust away (the normal means of decommissioning dead vehicles and implements)  he displays it by the roadside with a large AV (à vendre) sign perched on it.  He has the advantage, not shared by all of his colleagues, of a major road bordering his land, so this method of advertising costs nothing but reaches a large audience.

It seems to work, too.  Nothing stays there for long and once he sells an item he quickly replaces it with another.  We have seen a ploughing attachment, a broken-down tractor, a hay tedder, a trailer, a grain bin and a murderous looking implement with sharp metal disks – function unknown – among his items for sale. 

We can’t work out who buys this stuff.  It’s neither old enough to be valuable nor new enough to be functional.  That rules out antique collectors and fellow-farmers.  Do people buy it to adorn their gardens? It’s not uncommon to see old ploughs and cart wheels proudly displayed in the front gardens of breeze-block bungalows – but they normally fall into the picturesque antique category, which none of his stuff does. And how many people driving past his gate see his latest offer and think, “Just what I always wanted”? Someone must.

Anyway, next time I’m in need of a grain hopper for the tractor, I know where to go…

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