Vintage chaff cutter works well for Southland fundraiser

Syd Tremaine and his 90-year-old chaff cutter can be relied on when it comes to fundraising for the Riversdale Lions Club.

He's been making and selling chaff as a fundraiser for 20 years and his work as the club's chaff project convenor was recognised recently when he received the Lions 202F Cockburn Quiet Achiever Award.

"We probably get between $8000 and $12,000 a year from it," Tremaine said of the fundraiser.

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"It brings everyone together, great for camaraderie.

"I don't do it for awards, I do it for the community," Tremaine said.

His chaff cutter was bought by his uncles, Syd and Ted Tremaine, in the 1960s.

"It's a simple old machine, you can fix pretty much anything on it."

A lot of its replacement parts are made by either Tremaine or trades people in the district.

Between 500 and 800 sacks of chaff are made annually.

"We had a really good crop this year," Tremaine said.

However, two crops had been ruined by bad weather in the past 20 years, he added.

Second vice-president of the Riversdale Lions Club Viv Caughey said Tremaine was a deserving recipient of the quiet achievers award.

"He doesn't like to take credit for it [organising the chaff project] but he does a very good job."

Proceeds from the chaff are distributing back into the Riversdale community.

Fellow Lions and people, not affiliated to the club, help with the different stages of the production line, including the cutting, stooking and loading of trailers for storage.

Tremaine, who is an arable farmer mostly, joined the club in 1997. About 2.02 hectares of his farm, on the outskirts of Riversdale, is used to grow the club's chaff.

"We sow it, grow it and spray it ... we do the lot."