Agricultural contractor Nigel Leich from Coolup, Western Australia, received an unexpected bonus last month when he purchased a New Holland T7.225 tractor from De Rosa’s Highway Motors. Along with the tractor, which boasts over 180 horsepower, Leich won two corporate box tickets to the upcoming Australian Grand Prix motor racing event scheduled for March 8, 2024, in Melbourne. He is one of only four farmers across Australia to receive this exclusive prize.
“It was very much a surprise,” Leich said. “I don’t know if I should’ve known that I was entering, but my wife and I will be going.” The couple looks forward to a three-day getaway that includes viewing practice sessions leading up to the main event, enhancing the experience for Leich, who describes himself as a casual Formula 1 fan.
Leich explained his decision to opt for the New Holland T7.225 model, stating, “We were chasing a larger tractor for pulling our self-loading silage wagon and manure spreader.” Previously, he operated a T6.180 model, rated at 126 horsepower, which he found insufficient for their operational needs.
As the agricultural season progresses, Leich has been busy preparing for upcoming tasks. “We’ve started lime already, and we’ve got some sorghum and pit silage to do next week for a dairy farmer,” he noted. “Then we’ll start pivot seeding in the first week of March before we’re off to the F1.”
Reflecting on challenges faced last season, Leich remarked on the late start that hindered grass production and limited controlled spraying opportunities. “We had to go more into selective spraying as we went on, so people who would normally clean out their paddocks didn’t get that opportunity,” he said. “That created a few challenges in the quality at the end of the season, with the weeds present that we weren’t able to control.”
Despite these difficulties, Leich reported that the latter part of the season yielded positive results for local farmers. “We cut pasture and pit silage, and six weeks later cut the same paddocks for hay; we were doing a two-cut strategy in some places,” he explained. “It was a good season in that regard.”
As Leich prepares for both a busy agricultural season and the excitement of the Grand Prix, he embodies the spirit of resilience and opportunity in the farming community.
