Dump Rake Gathers Trimmings On Nebraska Winery

Dump Rake Gathers Trimmings On Nebraska Winery RAKES Rakes (31l) 31-6-28 As Tim and Dave Nissen developed their new vineyard and winery over the past four years near Bow Valley, Neb., they've come up with unusual ways to get the work done. "Vineyards involve a lot of manual labor," Tim says. "And, as with any new business, the startup costs are always more than you expect. That's why we decided to modify an old horse-drawn dump rake our father bought years ago to rake up trimmings." Yearly pruning of grape vines is essential. For the past four years, the Nissen's have used their modified rake to clear clippings from the vines out of the vineyard. "I had to take two feet off each side of the rake to bring it down from 12 foot to eight foot," Tim says. "The hitch was changed from a horse drawn one to a tractor hitch." When the Nissen's explored the cost of a rake made for use in vineyards, they found they could save thousands by using what they had on hand. "This rake was just sitting there waiting to be used or to go to the iron buyer," Tim says. "It only took a few hours to cut it down, weld it back together, and get it ready to work again. The only thing that's different now is that it's gathering vines instead of hay." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Tim Nissen, 88560 566 Ave., Huntington, Neb. 68739 (ph 402 254-3426).

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