Members of the Cole Camp Antique Tractor and Steam Farm Show had a busy week as they threw open the gates and admitted the public to their annual Fall Harvest get together. On Thursday and Friday the club welcomed in excess of 900 students from schools in the surrounding area.
The students have the option to eat at the Farm Show and 300 of them signed up for the roasted hot dog lunch, While touring the grounds the students view the operation of the sawmill, the cooking of sorghum molasses and the pressing of apple cider, among the old crafts kept alive through such events.
On Thursday, Mark Brunjes and his wife Veronica, from the Stover area, operated the cider press and made over 75 gallon of the tasty apple drink. The cider was a combination of Jonathan apples blended with yellow delicious. Mark stated, “Some years the apples are juicier and they were this time around.”
Coming onto the antique tractor grounds the eye is greeted with a large variety of old farm equipment, much of it dating back to the era of farming with horses prior to the early day of tractors that were on display during the fall show. Incidentally most of them still run and were driven through the Antique tractor parade.
Most eye catching in the old equipment is the horse drawn road grader and a special treat is a very early day well drilling rig dating back into the 1920s. It belongs to Tom Schroeder, a local well driller, and he leaves it on permanent display for everyone to enjoy. When Tom acquired the antique rig he knew it was original to Cole Camp belonging to either Mr. Hagenah or a Bill Barnes.When the Tractor club first acquired the seventeen acre property, Tom generously drilled them a new well and donated it to the club.
The Antique Tractor Club held their very first Farm Show on June 27, 1992, thirty-two years ago. Each year they restore and sell raffle tickets on an old tractor and this year it is an 8N Ford that will be given away during the Pumpkinfest in downtown Cole Camp on October 26, 2024. Better buy a ticket, you could be a winner!
