Indholdsfortegnelse for February 2024 i Farm Collector

The genius of pioneer inventors can confound us. Countless contraptions that revolutionized farming in the 19th and early 20th centuries have become contemporary curiosities, or even mysteries. Here are six sent in by readers. Do you know what they are? Answers to the February 2024 items will appear in the April 2024 issue. Answers for new items in this issue must be received by Feb. 1, 2024. A. Tool measures 15 inches long by 4 inches wide. B. The tool measures 7-1/2 inches tall and is 3-1/4 inches wide at its mouth, which has a recessed sharp blade. C. No description available. D. Piece measures 5 inches long. E. Tool measures about 3 inches long. F. Marked 2123E and 2118E. To submit photos: Send prints to Farm Collector, 1503 SW…

For endless months, it seems, tractor shows are held every weekend. Then, one day you look up and see geese overhead. The trees have dropped their leaves. In the Midwest, the weather changes. And suddenly, just like that, fall gives way to winter and shows are hard to find. On these pages, the armchair traveler can drop back to show season. Photos taken by Farm Collector readers capture sights that are unique to one place but familiar to all. You can almost hear the chug-chug of a two-cylinder tractor; you can practically smell the coal smoke. This year’s selection of photos celebrates simple pleasures. There is nothing remarkable about making homemade ice cream or playing a game of checkers on a shaded porch, and we’ve all seen shop-built conveyances and…

A new venue and outlook have brought new life to an annual show celebrating a rare line of tractors: Plymouth and Silver King. The president of the Silver Kings of Yesteryear Tractor Club in Plymouth, Ohio, says the change paid off, drawing a bigger and more enthusiastic crowd. “We got great comments from first-time attendees and regulars,” says club President Jim Dierksheide. “They especially enjoyed the spacious park facilities.” First held in 1990, the show celebrated the lines’ home town of Plymouth. In 1991, the Silver King Club was established. Originally co-sponsored by the Plymouth Chamber of Commerce, the event was part of the community’s annual Fireman’s Festival. But as the years passed, times changed. The Chamber disbanded, and with waning community support, the firemen ended their involvement. As club…

Here we are at Feb. 1, 1924. Winter is slushing and sloshing towards spring and seasons will unfold as they always have! I’ve got to get busy. Let’s look at a bit of history. The years 1909-1914 were sometimes called “the golden age of agriculture in the U.S.” Increased prices of farm products and farmland values raised the purchasing power of farmers. Then came World War I. The federal government insisted farmers increase production so that agriculture exports could help Europeans during the war years. Farmers borrowed money to buy new equipment to increase production and some borrowed to buy more land. Acres that had never been touched were plowed and put into corn, wheat and cotton production. Prices soared. In 1919, times were good for the farmer. Wheat was…

Amish farms dot the southern half of the hill country of Monroe County, Wisconsin. We see these folks working the fields and come across their horse-and-buggy transports on local roads. There is another facet of Amish life that is virtually unknown. Hidden in the shops, barns and buildings is a thriving manufacturing industry. In an area bounded by Norwalk to the north, Ontario to the east, La Farge on the south and Cashton on the west, among the wooded hillsides and lush valleys, one can find more than 130 Amish businesses and manufacturing sites. They are bordered on the east by the Ocooch Mountains. Amish country lies in the heart of the Driftless Area, 24,000 square miles missed by the last glacier and characterized by steep hills, deeply carved river…

Need a sign that interest in steam traction engines is growing? Chew on this: Many steam school classes sell out quickly and waiting lists are common – and at least one (the Midwest Old Threshers Reunion in Mount Pleasant, Iowa) has responded to increased demand by offering a second session. The take-away is this: Register early, as classes fill up fast. Steam school classes provide invaluable instruction on steam basics, maintenance, safety precautions and emergency procedures – and all are conducted by qualified, experienced professionals. Some steam school programs even offer credit toward licensing. Did we miss your group’s steam school? Contact us at editor@farmcollector.com or call (800) 678-5779 to get your program listed on our website and in future listiings printed in the magazine. ILLINOIS Central States Threshermen’s Reunion…