Sheaf Tossing

Convenor: Jerry Burdon

Saturday 9 March 2025, 3.30pm

The origin of sheaf tossing came about before we had mobile harvesters. All grain crops, i.e., oats, barley, and wheat being the main crops, were reaped by a binder that made the sheaf. A sheaf was about 30cm in diameter, tied with a piece of string around the middle, and weighed about 10 kg. Some grass crops were also handled this way, i.e. cocksfoot and timothy fescue. Eight to ten sheaves made a stook left to ripen for 10 to 14 days.

In the early days, oats were subject to shaking the grain out before it was harvested. However, by putting it in a sheaf, the grain was retained. At harvest time, the sheaves were pitch forked onto a dray and carted to a stationary mill, which took 3 to 4 men to operate. Traction engines drove many before tractors came onto the scene. So hence, in the early days, sheaf tossing was a keen competition at shows and other functions.