A round baler with an open, non-compressive infeed region into its baling chamber has the bale core starter roller entrained by one end of a series of side-by-side conveyor belts so that the flat surfaces of the belts discourage loose crop materials from wrapping around the starter roller, without inhibiting the effectiveness of the starter roller as a means for imparting rotary driving force to the core during the early stages of bale formation.