Delft Furrowmakers continue Labor Day plowing tradition
In just a little over two hours, the Delft Furrowmakers’ 2015 Plowing Day participants turned over 40 acres of wheat ground.
Reminiscing about the group’s founding in 1998, Marcia Fast of Mountain Lake reflected on the origin of the idea while watching the 2015 old-time agriculture revival. According to Fast, her late husband, Dale Fast and Arnie Quiring of Windom, formerly of Delft, were shooting the breeze about how much fun it would be to get their old tractors and plows out and put them to use once again. Add in Allen Baerg and Arlyn Baerg, both of Delft, “and pretty soon,” shares Fast, “they’re talking about bringing out their grills and grilling up some burgers, chicken and hot dogs – and all of a sudden – it’s a big plowing party.”
The Delft Furrowmakers gather each Labor Day – this year it fell on Monday afternoon, September 7 – to turn the soil with their antique tractors and one-, two-, three- and some four-bottom plows.
From its initial several-person start, the 2015 version featured 46 vintage tractors and plows tacking to the field – with 200 folks served noon lunch before the furrowmaking began
The mission of the Delft Furrowmakers is to preserve the history of plowing – as well as the machines that do the work.
Besides that – no matter how old you get, it’s always fun to play in the dirt. And, to pass down a tradition that reaches across both the generation – and gender – gap.
Following are some photographs of this Labor Day afternoon plowing:
IT IS NOT too difficult by checking out this photograph to discern that Arnie “Founding Father” Quiring was rolling out his antique “Long Green Line’s” John Deere 720 Diesel to help do the dirty work.
WAYNE SCHNEEKLOTH OF Jackson brought his Minneapolis Moline Z to the field near Delft to put it to work once again.
BEN FAST IS riding “shotgun” on this John Deere 4010 Diesel to daughter Claire – peeking out from behind the steering wheel.
THE PRE-PLOWING line-up, set for inspection.
OFF THEY GO on their rounds ’round the wheat field.
TRAVIS WINTERS CHUGS down the field on his Fordson Super Major, breaking ground with a John Deere three-bottom plow – assisted by son, Jacob.
KEN FAST HAS plenty of power with his Farmall 560 International to pull the two-bottom plow.
BREAKING THE SOD with vintage tractors and plows.
THE LINE-UP AND their furrows.
ANOTHER PHOTO SHOWING a number of the tractors at the Plowing Day lined up one-behind-the-other, each taking its swath. One can almost smell the fresh, earthy scent of the damp dirt of the turned ground.
MICKY MASTERS ON his Minneapolis Moline leads this group down the hill.
JAMEY HOCHSTEIN KEEPS his eye on the plow as he makes his way down the field on his IH McCormick Farmall.
SPORTING THE 2015 Delft Furrowmakers T-Shirt, Dustin Hunter and his 1931 John Deere Model D turn the soil.
TIM PENNER POWERS-Up with his Ford 6000 Diesel.
A GREAT SCENE is when the tractors and plows are lined up in succession.
RODNEY GOERTZEN HAD a welcome cover over his head from the sun as he plowed with this John Deere 2510.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF sharing “how it once was done” handed down from generation-to-generation. Above, Matt Peters drives his Ford while doing plowing, with his son, Nolan, as co-pilot.
LINE-UP OF the antique machines as they take another turn.
FEMALES, TOO, HAVE an interest in agriculture history, as demonstrated by Andrea Muller (with her dad, Wayne Muller, riding along) as she takes the John Deere 3020 Diesel to the field.
BEFORE THE PLOWING, the adage, “like father, like son” rings true as Micah Fast, left, and dad, Jesse Fast, right, pose for a photo op with matching hats and 2015 Delft Furrowmakers T-shirts in front of the John Deere 1959 730 Diesel. (Photo courtesy of Crystal Fast)
PLEASED AS PUNCH, Jesse’s oldest son, Mason Fast, gets his chance to sit in the 730’s driver’s seat.
THE TRACTORS AND plows are antique – but the technology used to chronicle the event for posterity is totally today. Above, Myrt Quiring uses her iPad to take photos of husband Arnie and his John Deere, along with others – as well as video – the plowing action.
TECHNOLOGY TOOK TO the sky, too, as Jesse Fast called in his drone for a bird’s eye photo shoot of the participating tractors. (Photo courtesy of Cherie Winters)
THESE GUYS ARE glued to watching the plowing the good old-fashioned way – from the bed of a pickup while comfortably sitting in lawn chairs or on the tailgate.
FOR THE ADVENTUROUS – and to get a front-row seat to the plowing action – some brand of four-wheeler was used by many to travel the length and breadth of the wheat field for a close-up view.
“BUCKWHEAT” JOHNSON AND his camera also captured all of the chugging and puffing and plowing. He was driven around the field on his quest for top-notch video by Penny Raia.
