From the country...I am not really a tractor person. I do feel a tad kick ass when I cultivate the field or pull a friends car out of snow or mud. But I really like doing my farming with 2 major implements, my hands. I will admit a tractor on the farm is worth its weight in gold for the heavy-duty tasks (think ploughing an acre or taking chicken manure from the barn to the compost pile).
I bought this particular tractor a few years ago from one of our neighbours, Bud. He was upgrading his fleet and had it for sale. A few thousand dollars later and it was mine.
Now this particular tractor was bought brand new from a man who had a strawberry operation way back in the 80’s and when it ended (due to hard times and family heartaches), Bud bought the ol’ Zetor 2011. The original owner was my Dad.
As a kid, I would ride the wagon to the strawberry fields with the hoards of people eager to pick strawberries, baskets in hand. The sweet ripe scent filled the summer air. I would ride that wagon all day, back and forth, loving farm life.
Now I am 30 years old, have 2 children and a family of my own and the smell of summer still makes me giddy like a kid. And in the very tractor seats where I used to ride in, my boys eagerly jump up into. I see the excitement in their eyes when a chick is hatched or the first tomato ripens. This is where multigenerational farming is born, in the eyes of a child, and we are so lucky to be here on this land, working with our hands, learning about nature and agriculture firsthand.
And although I am following in the footsteps of generations past, my path has its own twists and turns.
I bought this particular tractor a few years ago from one of our neighbours, Bud. He was upgrading his fleet and had it for sale. A few thousand dollars later and it was mine.
Now this particular tractor was bought brand new from a man who had a strawberry operation way back in the 80’s and when it ended (due to hard times and family heartaches), Bud bought the ol’ Zetor 2011. The original owner was my Dad.
As a kid, I would ride the wagon to the strawberry fields with the hoards of people eager to pick strawberries, baskets in hand. The sweet ripe scent filled the summer air. I would ride that wagon all day, back and forth, loving farm life.
Now I am 30 years old, have 2 children and a family of my own and the smell of summer still makes me giddy like a kid. And in the very tractor seats where I used to ride in, my boys eagerly jump up into. I see the excitement in their eyes when a chick is hatched or the first tomato ripens. This is where multigenerational farming is born, in the eyes of a child, and we are so lucky to be here on this land, working with our hands, learning about nature and agriculture firsthand.
And although I am following in the footsteps of generations past, my path has its own twists and turns.
Laur, you make me want to be a farmer. Another great post.
ReplyDeleteHow cool is that, to have your dad's tractor. Very. Actually, having a tractor is pretty cool on its own, that just makes it more so!
ReplyDelete~Andrea~
Thanks ladies,
ReplyDeleteI can't help but cry alittle when I re read that post. It is a passionate subject for me!
Laura
Awesome post! Love the fact that it used to belong to your dad! I have a similar want of my own. My grandmother used to have this black corveyer with red interior and backseats that were about 3 inches wide, or at least it seemed that way even as a kid. She'd take us out to ice cram occasionally in that car and I'd love to find it and do the same with my kids.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post! How wonderful to be able to return the old tractor to the family it originally worked for. I know I'm anthropomorphizing but there's something great about tractors, even if you're not a geek about them (OK I'm a little bit of a geek...)
ReplyDeleteOlder tractors like yours are a blessing to the small farmer. They're cheaper and easier to fix than big complicated machines and you can do a lot of maintenance yourself, and even some basic work like replacing hoses and filters. They seem to be built to last longer too. Maybe your own kids will be driving it someday?
Have you given your tractor a name?
I need to get a crash course in tractor maintenance to be honest, her name is just Zetor.
ReplyDelete