"Lay-Down" Berry Picking Cart

"Lay-Down" Berry Picking Cart MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT Miscellaneous 25-1-4 This lay-down berry-picking cart turns one of the hardest jobs in agriculture into an almost relaxing experience. Dale and Becky Conrady, Hettick, Ill., had the cart built by a local welding shop. It holds four pickers, laying on their stomachs. One of the middle riders steers the rig with his feet and has hand controls. The cart is driven by a Cub Cadet garden tractor's hydrostatic transmission. A drive shaft runs across the back of the cart. Chains run down to sprockets on each rear wheel. Picking trays sit on platforms that hang down between the rows. Adjustable chin rests let pickers adjust the position of their head to keep from getting tired. Conrady has three acres of berries and hires 20 people during the season to pick them. Workers have to "earn" the right to ride on the berry cart. Next summer, Conrady plans to add a canopy to the top to protect workers from the sun. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Dale Conrady, Rt 2, Hettick, Ill. 62649 (ph 217 436-2510).

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