Re: Antique Tractors Plows

Posted by LA in WI on March 08, 2013 at 07:47:05 from (64.251.222.158):

In Reply to: Re: Antique Tractors Plows posted by JD Seller on March 08, 2013 at 05:54:51:

JD,
Looks like I need to give you more background on the no-passenger rule for children.

Here in Wisconsin, children under the age of 16 who want to drive tractors on their family farms may do so. They cannot drive on public roads or haul loads to market or drive tractors on land being farmed by other farmers without taking the state-mandated "Tractor Safety Driving Course".

In my county (Sauk) there are 3 farmers who devote a lot of hours in teaching this course; it runs something like 10 weeks, they meet for 2-3 hours one day or evening a week in a church basement. I have sat in a couple sessions....one session a deputy sheriff explained to them what their dept. is concerned about and what they are not concerned about. Being a rural county, most deputies are from farms so a bit of common sense regarding agriculture is employed in their travels. I saw how attentive those children were in that session; they were taking a lot of notes and asking questions. I know the three farmer instructors and they are excellent examples of people you would like to have as neighbors; one of them also has a busy tractor repair business.

The big tractor show you attended (Badger Steam & Gas Show) a couple yrs ago near Reedsburg is one such show that these three farmers always have a display. The display consists of an over-turned tractor with a "dummy" pinned under; the wheels in the air is an attention grabber as you walk along. They also have a tent shelter, a table with pamphlets, and some chairs for visiting with people who stop in and want to know more. I often see parents with young children in tow at this display. No extreme evangelizing is done here...just common sense farmer-to-farmer visiting.

That show follows the state rule, as they must.

At our local plow day (coming up on April 6!) we check out children who are plowing to make sure they have their certificate. I know of one young boy age 12 who is proud of earning his certificate and will be plowing with an M Farmall running ahead of his dad driving a MH-44.

You should know that the Badger Steam & Gas Show is THE major tractor show in Wisconsin every summer and growing ever larger. I am sure you saw how full the big parkings lots were.

Our plow day started 7 years ago with 8 tractors. Last year we had 55 plowing tractors, 5 doing disking, etc. and 3 tractors pulling people movers. Our crowds now run about 200 people of all ages. The local 4-H serves the food and make over $400.00 each year; their leader tells me the children doing this love the experience...they have to count money without calculators!!

Last year we had one farmer plowing with a young child riding with him. Since I am in overall charge of things I politely talked to him about the state rule. I didn"t bark at him or scold him. I have heard he is having his child take the safely course and I"m betting the father will be plowing on April 6. We must be doing something right because if we have good weather I expect 60 tractors this year. All tractors must be 1959 models or older. And we mail out an info sheet to every participant explaining the no-passenger rule, no hotrodding, etc.

JD, I invite you to bring an old tractor and join us. If that won"t work for you, contact me when you get here and I"ll see that you are driving a tractor and having a great time. I will email or mail a map to you so you can find us. We have 70 acres of wheat stubble to plow this yr.

We sell videos each year of our popular event. We charge $10.00 each, with proceeds going to charity. Last year we bought a basket-case of an M Farmall for the safety instructors to use as a tip-over tractor (after a few yrs of this, they are destroyed!).

JD, please give me your address. Since you decided to go off on a tear about some extreme woman being a prime example of how young children will no longer farm because of her, I am sending you a plow day video FREE.

I am sure you will watch it. Then call me and let me know what you think of it. Call me and give me your address.

Lowell Andreessen
608-524-1452.

PS. JD, one last kicker to all this; one of the instructors lost a young daughter a few years ago. You can guess how it happened. I"d like to introduce him to you. And...I want you to help count all the farm children at this event.

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