I got an idea...

Farmers have a lot of time to think about things while riding the tractors and combines across the field. Often it's not mentally demanding, and your thoughts begin to wander. Apparently this Massey Harris Clipper combine is the result of one of those times. Someone who got tired of constantly emptying the rather small grain tank added a hitch to pull a wagon alongside. The Clipper was ideally made for this, as swinging the chute on the grain elevator to the unload position directed the grain into the wagon instead of the grain tank. This hitch was well designed, being hinged to allow it to be locked in the upright position putting it out of the way when not in use.

Many farmer added modifications for almost every machine ever built have appeared over the years, some successful, some not. Many were developed to resolve a particular situation on one farm, while others were broadly successful, resulting commercial production. A friend of mine who dealt in used farm machinery once said "Don't worry about farmers having guns, but do make them register their welders and cutting torches!"

John Deere Grain Dryer

Quite rare, even during the years of it's production, Deere built portable grain dryers for a short time. Probably a bit before it's time, they were apparently not produced in large numbers. I can remember seeing maybe one prior to this one appearing at the Rantoul show. A recirculating batch dryer, it was in operation on Saturday at the show. A bucket type elevator served to load and unload the dryer, as well as to recirculate the grain during the drying process.

Corn Pickers Galore

I wonder when was the last time this many corn pickers were assembled in one place! I never really got a count, in part because they were scattered over the grounds, but there had to be well over 25. Probably one of the big farm shows in the early 60's would likely be the last time this many pickers were in one place.

Lavern McCarty of Prescott, Iowa (my father in-law) examines a John Deere No. 101 one row picker like the one he used for several years. He had been looking for one at shows for several years.

Mechanical corn pickers dramatically reduced the amount of backbreaking hand labor on America's farms. On the downside, they also took many hands and arms when operators tried to unplug the machines with out stopping the mechanisms.

Turn 'em Loose Day

We have a lot of acres to harvest and till, but need to control the amount of work so we don't run out of fields before the show is over. Sunday then becomes "Turn 'em Loose Day" letting the combines, pickers, and plows go full throttle.

Dried Out Nicely!

The grounds are in very good shape, the rains of Friday have soaked in, and the field work was back on track, though a little later in the day. The second attempt at the 48 horse hitch was as successful as the first on Friday. The horses all behaved, and the attempt went off without incident.

Much progress was made on the harvesting front, the combines and pickers were busy throughout the afternoon on both corn and soybeans. The plowing crew also made good progress today. It turned out to be a fine day after a rough start with sporadic sprinkles most of the morning. I was not able to get a good count, but it had to be the greatest number of corn pickers assembled in one place in many years

Sunday promises to be a great day, with moderate temperatures, and little chance of rain.

A little soggy!

We had some rain, the grounds are still in pretty good shape, and with a few hours of sunshine, it would be nearly normal. the field activities are suffering this morning, things are improving.

48 Draft Horses!

They made, and it should be a record! Forty eight draft horses all pulling at one time, on a 30 foot disk. It was an impressive sight, especially when they made the turn to head back down the field.

Thanks to Rich Porter for thses great pictures.

John Deere 45

Beau Depperman of Farmington, Illinois had this great looking 1962 John Deere 45 Combine working in the field this afternoon. With all original paint, the machine has obviously been well cared for. Orignally from Minnesota, it had a pickup head when Beau purchased it. The engine on the 45 purred like a kitten as it sat waiting to make another pass through the field.

Jeeps in the field

Here is 1948 Willys Jeep with pto mown with a John Deere No. 5 Sickle Mower. It can be areal challenge to judge the distance with the mower being on the passenger side. After the war ended, numerous attatchments and implements were adapted and specifically designed to be used on the rugged little Jeep.

This is Hangar Two

It doesn't look that big, but when the doors are fully open, the opening is 250 feet wide, and 37 feet high. There aren't many machine sheds where you can drive in in road gear, swing around and drive back out!

It's -- It's -- Well, it's PINK!!!

The "Beecher Babes" on the pink Farmall M. No, it's not a mistake in loading the pain gun, Tammi Greenwald, of Beecher, Illinois, the driver, painted the M pink to help raise awareness of Breast Cancer issues. She has participated in numerous Tractor Rides, and alway draws a lot of interest. She points out that breast cancer is not just a women's problem, that men can get it as well.

Tammi is trying to organize a tractor ride from Beecher, Illinois to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to raise money for Breast Cancer research as well as to raise awareness.

I think it's a jalopy....

That's probably as good a name for it as anything, and, it sure does draw a lot of looks as it goes by.

Power on the Track

Vintage tractors took the stage on the pulling track Thursday evening. Watching the antiques pull is probably more suspenseful than the Super Stocks and the Modifieds. Instead of rushing headlong down the track in a burst of momentum, the old tractors claw and dig for every inch, holding on in a near human desire to make just one more inch before giving up.


Here is a seldom seen sight, a set of tandem Allis Chalmers on the sled!

Harvest Activities

This Massey was restored as a tribute to the "Harvest Brigades" of World War II.
The grain tank bears a map of the area covered by the brigade using these Massey's.

A John Deere 42 pull type combine with 205 corn head unloads corn.
The grain tank is rated at 32 bushels without the optional extension.

Half Century III Tractor Ride

Here are a few of the participants in the Tractor Ride making the grand entrance onto the grounds at the end of the trip.

A friend with a tow strap is a friend indeed!

Another Kind Of Vintage Power

A few minutes walk from the heart of the farming action takes you to the Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum. More than a collection of historically significant military aircraft, the museum also chronicles the influence of the former Chanute Air Force Base on Rantoul and the surrounding area. Vintage uniforms, memorabilia, and artifacts from the local aeronautics industries reound out the collection. Oh, and don't forget to take the stairs down two stories into the training simulator of a Minuteman missile silo in one of the museum's hangars.

A Long Way From Home

The first thing I really noticed after entering grounds through the exhibitor entrance was the motorhome ahead of us with the neat picture of a two cylinder Deere with a plow against a mountain range in the background. What really got my attention was the "Anchorage, Alaska" across the bottom of the mural! The license plates did say Alaska on them.

It was an exceptional crowd, especially for an opening Thursday. I heard that the draft horses successfully pulled the 30 foot disk with 24 horses in harness. The plans are to try to get all 48 horses hitched up Friday and make the attempt, with a repeat performance on Saturday.

There are people here from all over the country already, and here I was unsure about making the trip from SW Iowa! There are people here with equipment from way farther than that. There are a lot of dedicated people here, getting filthy dirty, and doing what they love to do - see the old machines work as they were meant to!

The Calm Before......

It's 5:00am, the grounds are quiet, the air cool, yet heavy with a moist warmth that hints of the heat to come. Soon they will begin arrive, the workers to take the tickets, fix the food, hawk the merchandise, and move the people around the grounds, the exhibitors, proud to show off their machines. And behind them come the visitors, slowly at first, then a quickening stream that foretells the numbers to come as the show moves along. Everyone feels the sense of anticipation, will the weather be in our favor, will the old machinery cooperate when needed, will the people come?

Soon all these questions and more will be answered, and too soon there will be only memories of the experience. But at this time in the gathering dawn, all things are possible.

Tent City Nearly Ready To Open

As of Tuesday evening, the tents were all up and vendors of food, parts and curiosities were setting up shop for the big opening on Thursday.

In the Food Court on the Promenade, there will delicious food in many varieties from hot dogs and hamburgers, to the delicious pork sandwiches at the I&I Club's "Hog Haven", to ice cream and popcorn, and -- well, there will be something for every taste.

Don't worry about getting dry out in the fields, beverage sales points will be conveniently located near all the demonstration areas.

Dust is rolling!

Soybeans were harvested today at the site to prepare the area to be used for the draft horse demonstrations, and the dust was rolling across the grounds.

There are well over 300 tractors, and many implements, combines, corn pickers and such on hand already. Plus many wagons are on site to convey the harvested bounty from the fields to the waiting trucks.

There is one vintage truck on the grounds with California license plates! How many states will be represented at the show? Well, in 2005 nearly all 50 states were represented either by exhibitors or by guests. This show may just make a clean sweep of all 50 states, plus a few foreign visitors as well.

Weather Concerns

There is always a chance of rain interrupting things at any outdoor event, but as the previous post shows, this site is ready to take on the weather with minimal impact.

The rain on Sunday totaled 1.1" at the site, and was welcomed by the organizers as conditions were very dry and the risk of field fires was high. The grounds are already back in good condition, and ready to go.

The forecast does hold some possibility for rain, but also of moderating temperatures with highs in the mid-70's predicted for Saturday.

A Nearly Rainproof Site

*** From the official Half Century Of Progress Web Site ***

The show site for the 2007 Half Century Of Progress is about as close to a rainproof show location as you will find. Unlike some outdoor farm show sites over the years that turned out to be a sea of mud, the facility that once was the old Chanute Air Force Base is ready to handle the rain.

The airport at Rantoul has an extensive underground storm water drainage system. While showers could make the demonstration fields and the crops in them soggy, the sewers here at the Rantoul National Aviation Center, combined with the extensive taxiways and aprons that were once used by the U.S. Air Force, would provide a solid surface where vintage farm equipment could be displayed.

Also available to the Half Century Of Progress is the massive Hangar Two at the old airbase. With its expansive 250-foot-wide opening when the doors are parted, this facility can be prepared for indoor demonstrations, stage shows and displays should the rains persist.

“We’re counting on sunshine,” said Half Century Of Progress show manager Dave Gentry. “But if the rains come, we’ll be ready, and the show will go on. You will get your money’s worth at this show, rain or shine,” he added.

Harvest has begun!

Harvest has begun at site! On Sunday, enough corn was harvested to make room for the tent or the draft horse stables. A few soybeans were harvested, the yields look pretty good on both corn and beans.

The 90 day corn was in the mid 20's moisture wise, and yielding between 120 and 150 bushels, making slow going for the 50 year old machines. The group 00 soybeans were coming out of the field at 15% moisture, and the yield looks very good. Keep in mind that these are short season hybrids and varieties planted very early to be ready in time for the show.

Rain Rain Stay Away

There's been some rain at the show site, but so far not enough to cause concerns about limiting activities. Soil conditions at the site have been quite dry lately, so it will be able to soak up considerable rainfall before reaching saturation.

Besides, with a few hours dry weather, most of the harvest activities will be able to continue. With the amount of paved area, including runways, taxiways, and the apron in front of Hangar Two, plus the amount of space in the hangar, there will still be room for a tremendous show, and many activities off the turf areas should heavy rains appear. The tractor pull track has been solidly compacted and will shed water well, making the tractor pull nearly rainproof.

As of today, it's still "All Systems Go" at Rantoul's National Aviation Center for the third installment of America's Best Vintage Farm Show, the Half Century Of Progress III.

Countdown To Progress

-- The opening day is right around the corner, equipment has been arriving for some time, and final preparations are underway.

-- I just received word that harvest has begun at site! Some corn will be harvested to make room for the horse stable area.

-- Hangar Two is nearly 3/4 full of equipment, and this will just be a fraction of the equipment on had at the show. This huge hangar dates from the operating days of the old Chanute Air Force Base, and covers several acres.

-- We will try to post updates on this blog during the show.