Thornbury farm celebration in 1999. Thornbury celebrated it's history with old implements, tractors, traction steam engines and other farming memorbillia. Dwayne Carey Collection. | Southland's Past -Te Wāmua o Murihiku

In addition to growing rice, soybeans and cotton, Lee County farmer Nathan Reed also has a land-leveling business. Rather than spending heavily on new tractors, Nathan has started to purchase discarded, decades-old tractors at a fraction of the cost and is restoring them as a way to save on the cost of equipment for his operation. He is using the money he is saving to buy land, which doesn't depreciate, and expand his farm. Like all farmers, he has to watch his bottom-line and because he enjoys