Bakker was the fourth generation to take over the farm from his father in 1978. There is no time to ‘tink around’ with classic tractors. Farming is a busy life.
But in 2006 the trigger virus breaks through to the surface. “A friend of my wife Greet was married to a Scotsman who collected old tractors. Together with him I visited events with old-timers in the region at the time.” Bakker also becomes captivated by the love for agricultural vehicles.
He therefore does not think twice when he sees an old Nuffield between Buinerveen and Valthermond. “I bought it in the blink of an eye and tinkered with it for a year. Every screw has come loose at some point.”
That first purchase is the start of a collecting frenzy. “It’s like a stamp collection. You have one and you look around for more,” he laughs. The barn next to his home is therefore chock full of old, trusted brands such as John Deere, Nuffield, Renault and Massey-Harris. He has collected almost forty pieces. “I just want the whole series of Nuffield. One is still missing.”
His hobby extends further than just youth sentiment. “I appreciate that old technique so much. And every time I refurbish one, it can be used for another 15 years. That way they are also preserved for posterity.”