Hello, old friend. This is my FIl's corn combine, which he has been using since the 1970s. It is literally held together in spots by duct tape and baling wire. But he keeps getting his crop in using it, and is planning on farming again this spring, despite being 85, and is counting on this machine again in fall 2010.

This one was tough for me and took forever-
But it's good to be reminded of good old American traditions and values, that it is people who grow our food.
Monsanto, keep away~!

I'm old enough to have worked alongside one of these...............in Northern Illinois.

That's one amazing looking machine...thank goodness for duct tape! Best of luck to your 85-year young farmer!

Am I the only one who thinks this could star in the next "Transformers"? Old? Yes. Scary? Imagine those great silver teeth chasing you!

I had 4 rows of corn in this year but this machine wouldn't have fitted in my yeard to plant it. Thanks Jim for a very challenging hard. I hope your friend gets to keep farming for many more years to come, they say keeping active is what it is all about!

That was challenging, and a fascinating picture when finished! Somehow the idea of being held together in part by duct tape took away the scary aspect!

Of course, my FIL plants bT corn and GM beans, courtesy of the green revolution. I (and he) are much more afraid of the fertilizer and pesticide than new ways of hybridization.