Half Century Of Progress V Announcement

I have heard that the show features for the 2011 Half Century of Progress V event will be announced Saturday January 8, 2011 in This Week In Agribusiness with Orion Samuelson and Max Armstrong.  The show airs on RFD-TV at 7AM CST on Saturday, 5AM & 8PM on Sunday, and again at 8AM on Monday (all times are CST)  Please tune in for this important announcement!  From the hints I've gotten, it will be an outstanding event.

Can You Help?

From the I&I Club Newsletter:

Attention Collectors of
Farm/Agriculture Equipment
CHILD VOICE INTERNATIONAL is a Christian organization seeking to restore the voices of children silenced by war. The mission is located in Lukodi, Uganda, Africa. In 2004 alone the IRA massacred 45 men and women and abducted their children to serve in their army. Over the years thousands of others reached the same fate. Today these children, and many others, among them child mothers, are being released and returning home. No families to return to, no education, no way to earn a living.
Child Voice is building a center for them to educate and train them, care for their medical needs and help them regain their lives. They are now starting and training them for farming but have only hand tools to cultivate the many acres of land available. Usable farm equipment is desperately needed to grow the crops for their own needs.
Listed are pieces of equipment that they can use. A group of farmers is being formed to collect these donations and fill a container to be shipped to this center. Hopefully this can be filled and shipped by late fall of this year. If you have usable farm equipment you cold donate or know of someone who does, please contact the American Lutheran Church in Rantoul - 217- 893-4550 or Erwin Osterbur at 217-893-3187. You can also go to www.childvoiceintl.org for more information. The head of this organization - Conrad Mandsager - is also available for answering any questions you may have - 604-770-1948 (his cell phone). Conrad is Mr. Osterbur’s son-in-law, if you are interested in doing any training in Africa your presence would be welcome. What a trip that would be and so very much appreciated.

EQUIPMENT NEEDS LIST FOR CHILD VOICE UGANDA PROJECT
• 70-90 horse tractor (diesel preferred)
• 40-60 horse tractor with front end loader (diesel preferred)
• Backhoe (diesel preferred)
• 4 bottom moldboard plow
• Chisel plow
• Disk
• Harrow
• 4 row planter
• Sprayer (3pt mount, PTO powered)
• Farm wagon
• PTO powered rotary mower (bushhog type)
• PTO powered post hole digger
• Headgate and chute for horned cattle
• Corral/livestock handling system
• Headgate and chute for sheep and goats
• Loading chute
• Chain saws (Stihi brand preferred)
• Brush cutters/weed wacker (Stihl brand preferred)
• 220v Welder
• Acetylene torch
• Lawnmowers-non-powered reel type
• Lawnmowers - gas powered (Honda preferred)
• Hand Corn Sheller
• Grist mill for small grains
• Industrial size mixers for bread dough
• Battery powered tools (drills, circular saws, etc.)
• Irrigation pumps and hose (gas or diesel)
• Windmill for pumping water from well
• Brick making machine (Vemeer)
• Gas powered wringer washing machine
• Air compressor
• Grinder for sharpening tools (pedal or gas powered)
• Fence stretcher
• Stainless steel milk cans
• Cream separator
• Cast iron dutch ovens
• Cement mixer and trowels
• Wheelbarrow
• Weedeaters (Gas or Battery)

Still Earning Their Keep........

In my job with a fertilizer company, I often spend time waiting along the road for the spreader or sprayer operator to arrive to load the product I have brought out.  A week or so ago, I spent a couple of hours waiting just up the road from the customer's farmstead.  An older gentleman, he is in the "slowdown" years of his farming career, and new equipment is not in the plan.  .  His son  (I suppose) was there helping, and over the time I was there, I got to watching the equipment coming and going, and got to thinking. 

There is a lot of 40, 50, and even 60 plus year old machinery out there still earning it's keep on the farm.  In the time I was watching, there was an 1850 Oliver heading for the field with an IHC 470 disk,a bit later an early '70's vintage Deutz headed out with what appeared to be the same disk, and later a two cylinder Deere, probably a 70 backed out into the field, hitched up to a single roller and disappeared back among the trees and buildings.

It made me wonder if the John Deere tractors rolling off the assembly line today will still be working for a living when they are as old as the 70 I saw the other day!.   

Vintage Country Ways

Several weeks ago I ran across a show on RFD TV I had not noticed before: Vintage Country Ways.  Produced in the UK, the episodes I have seen have included: a cross country ramble by a group of steam enthusiasts on road locomotives, agricultural engines, a road roller, and a steam automobile.  A gathering of Massey Ferguson enthusiasts, and a profile of a man who makes unique walking sticks and various handmade wood items. 

The pace is slow, and the host very laid back, almost to the point of sleepiness, but nonetheless an interesting half hour show.  It seems to cover all aspects of "old time" country life in the UK as seen and experienced today.  Well worth checking it out.  Check your listings for the time it appears in your area. 

Have you ever seen......

We occasionally get emails from people who have stumbled across our club and have questions about a piece of equipment they have.  Sometimes it's peopled looking to sell, and others just to find information.  We have been able to identify some items for people, help other find parts, and so on.  We even helped a woman in Nebraska who's young son was fascinated with the John Deere 8020 he saw in a John Deere for Kids video connect with the owner of a 8020 so her son could see the "real thing". 

Once in a while we get a message about something that is just a little different.  This is one of those items, and after some thought, I decided to post about this machine here.  I will not turn this blog into a Trading Post or exchange forum, but will occasionally post such items here when they do have some general interest value in a "Huh, never seen that before!" kind of thing. 

Above is a Farmhand grinder mixer with corn sheller attachment.  The owner was not sure of all the details when he bought it, and only realized the purpose of the cob elevator at a later time.  The unit appears to be in pretty good condition, and looks well cared for.

Any comments on this machine are welcome, just click the comment link below.  Why is ground shelled corn desirable versus ground ear corn, and so forth. 

The owner will sell the machine, it is located near Wagner, South Dakota

Win This Tractor!

2010 Historic Farm Days raffle tractor

I&I Antique Tractor and Gas Engine Club
Attn: Tractor Raffle
PO Box 65
Penfield, IL 61862
Tickets are $1 each, or 6 for $5. Please send a check or Money Order for the number of tickets you are requesting. The stubs will mailed back to you. Please include the name to appear on the tickets, full address, and a telephone number where you can be reached.
*****The winner must claim the tractor and make arrangements for transportation within 90 days. All tickets will be held for 90 days after the drawing. If the prize is not claimed within 90 days the original drawing will be declared void, and a new drawing will be held.*****

Upcoming Features At Historic Farm Days

2010 -- International Harvester
2011 -- Oliver
2012 -- Minneapolis Moline
2013 -- Massey Harris
2014 -- Ford / 25th Anniversary Classic Farm Tractor Calendar
2015 -- John Deere
2016 -- J.I. Case
2017 -- Allis Chalmers
2018 -- International Harvester

*Features may change as circumstances change, and secondary features will likely be added.

Big Bud At Fargo Scales

I found this YouTube video of Big Bud 16V747 at the weigh scales in Fargo,North Dakota.

Big Bud Is Here!

Big Bud 16V747 arrived in Rantoul mid afternoon July 2, the trip was long but safe. A crowd of fans was on hand to welcome the big tractor on it's visit to Illinois.

Big Bud 747 is on the way!

Big Bud 747 is on it's way to Illinois, and you can follow it's journey with updates on the short message site Twitter. You can find the updates at twitter.com/Bigbud747



Tonight, Monday June 29, Big Bud is bedded down for the night in Bismarck, North Dakota.