View From The Cab

By David Tollefson, Columnist

The column I wrote in late November about 100 years of Farmall tractors drew a lot of interesting comments.

Dave Sylvester, who grew up in the Immanuel Church area southwest of Starbuck,  sent me an email: “David, you really hit a home run with your Farmall tractor article – it’s so interesting since I grew up during the transition from horses to tractors as did you and your brother Luther (they were classmates in Starbuck High School). We started with an F-14 Farmall, then move up to a “powerful” VAC Case tractor.”

Another faithful reader, Diane Berge of Mankato, comments “I thoroughly  enjoyed your column in November about the Farmall tractors’ history. And after reading it, I thought you might enjoy seeing this watercolor a friend of my nephew created (using an actual photo of Dad at the wheel as a model.)”

Her dad, Arnold Berge, was born in January 1914, and died in April 1993.

An old photo of Arnold sitting on what looks to me like maybe a Farmall 300 or 350, was used to create a watercolor painting of the photo.

Another long-time reader of my column, Don Konechne, a cattle rancher just outside of Rapid City, S.D., often writes to me in very readable hand-printing:

I just had to write when I read the column on the Farmall tractors and tell you about ours.

My dad purchased a brand new Farmall Cub tractor in 1949. We used it on our vegetable crops. I still have it, along with the cultivators. Same original tires – hard to believe.

Then when I bought this farm in 1956, dad and my brother went together and purchased a brand-new Super C with hydraulic and cultivators, a blade and a 2-bottom plow. Then I got a used Farmall H that I pulled the disc and harrow with. Then I got a used M Farmall and put a stacker on it and snow bucket for winter. 

I then got a used Super M-TA Farmall and put a Farmhand stacker on it. Everyone was stacking hay loose in those days. Finally, I got a used 560 International that I rescued the neighbor with in the 1972 flood. The tractor had a Case disc hooked to it that night (of the flood). The force of the water was so strong it rolled that tractor and disc a half-block. The next day it was in the neighbor’s hay field with the disc still hooked to it. Of course, there was no muffler or seat, and the steering wheel was bent.

International Harvester had a program where they tore the tractor completely apart and cleaned it up at no cost to me.

After that I turned all green, except for the Cub. End of my story.

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As I write this, it is snowing lightly.  The temperature outside is 32 degrees.

Since last Saturday night the 23rd, I have had 2.8 inches of rain, according to my electronic gauge. My conventional gauge has been inside for the last month, fearing freezing which would ruin the tube that measures liquid precipitation.

A year ago in December I had 12 inches of snow for the whole month. On Dec. 26 a year ago, I spent considerable time blowing and pushing snow for my township roads. I also had moved snow several times at my place and three neighboring farm places.

The only snow I recorded so far this December was a half inch on the 5th.

The temperatures this month have been way above normal, with many lows in the mornings above 32 degrees – historically very unusual. We certainly are in an El Nino, for who knows how long.

Fishermen, snowmobilers and skiers are probably not happy at the moment. But stay tuned. Minnesota weather can change very quickly!

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Please contact David Tollefson with thoughts or comments on this or future columns at: adtollef@hcinet.net