Rachel Numan started writing a book after her husband brought home a specific tractor
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
The acquisition of a tractor served as the catalyst for a farmer to write a series of children’s books.
Rachel Numan, a dairy farmer and veterinarian from the Waikato District of New Zealand, is set to release her first book, “Tractor Dave” in September.
The book’s main character came to life after Rachel and her husband Chris brought a tractor back to the farm.
“A few years ago, my husband and I bought a 1390 David Brown tractor,” she told Newshub. “It’s a sweet little tractor that starts with a purr on its first try, and quickly won our whole family’s heart – especially my three-year-old.”
Tractor Dave is even painted in a similar colour scheme to the piece of David Brown equipment.
The book series is designed for kids between the ages of three and seven who can follow Dave as he spends his days on a New Zealand dairy farm.
In the first book, Dave must try to save the corn harvest after the combine has a breakdown.
“It would be awesome to engage little future farmers with Dave’s story, as well as showcase the rural sector in a fun way,” she said.
David Brown produced the 1390 tractor from 1980 to 1984 at its Meltham Mills facility in West Yorkshire, U.K. It featured a 67 horsepower engine and a synchromesh transmission with 12 forward gears and four reverse gears.
The Numans originally purchased the tractor for small jobs on the farm but quickly realized it’s capable of more.
“While we initially purchased it for mowing the roadsides of our dairy farm, Tractor Dave as he became known, soon found himself being roped into helping out with the big tractor jobs – like teddering silage and weed control on the farm,” Rachel said.
Anyone interested in purchasing the book can pre-order it.
And 50 cents from the sale of each book will be donated to Meat the Need, a New Zealand charity that helps farmers provide meat for local food banks.