Kim McAulay has set his sights on changing the wind machine industry.

He believes the Tow and Blow is the first truly portable wind machine.

The prototype won the 2012 Innovation Award at the 2012 Eastern Horticultural Field Days in June.

While the first machine is still a month or two away, McAulay has already pre- sold more than 20 machines to customers in Iran, the United States and Turkey, for $35,000 each.

Qantas had also been inquiring about the machines as a way of keeping ice off aircraft.

The Tow and Blow has an eight-bladed impeller that rises to seven metres above the ground. It can be towed behind a tractor or ute to its operating position.

A 23-horsepower engine positioned at the top allows for 85 per cent of its power capability to go directly to the impeller.

It uses five litres an hour of fuel and blows away from the machine's tower.

McAulay said it was much more efficient than most other machines that used up to 35 litres of fuel an hour.

"If you've got 30 of them on your property look at the fuel saving."

Coming from an orcharding family, McAulay knew all too well how crucial wind machines were to actually producing a successful crop.

"It's the difference between a crop and no crop. It's no different to a plague of locusts stealing your crop. Frost takes your entire income. One wind machine can protect, on some real high value crops, up to $300,000 worth of produce." Fairfax NZ

- © Fairfax NZ News