View From The Cab

By David Tollefson, Columnist

A few weeks ago I wrote a story about Farmall’s 100 years of producing farm tractors. Quite a few readers responded to the story.

In the Dec. 7, 2023 article by Dan Miller of DTNag, is this story about the winner of the new Farmall utility 75C tractor. Here it is:

Steve Wilson of Rochester, Minnesota was awarded a new Farmall utility 75C tractor this week as part of a year-long celebration of Farmall’s 100th anniversary. Wilson was one of 8,446 participants in the Case IH-sponsored contest in which entrants were asked to submit their stories about the Farmall Series and how they would use the new Farmall in their businesses.

“The Farmall brand is all about heritage,” Wilson tells Case IH in accepting the utility 75C. First introduced in 1923, the Farmall became known as the new way to farm without horses. “This contest gave me an unexpected opportunity to dive deeper into my own heritage, which was a very rewarding experience.”

Wilson’s family farming line reaches back to a Minnesota dairy operated by Wilson’s maternal grandfather. The dairy farm employed horses to deliver milk to neighbors even in the Minnesota winter and even when customers could not pay.

Wilson’s mother and father, Melvin and Elrey Wilson, had four children. Wilson is the youngest and was born with a harrowing story.

“When I came along as the youngest, [my mother] received the bittersweet news of being diagnosed with cancer and being pregnant,” Wilson recalls. “She made the decision to put her own life at risk to assure I could be born.”

In his youth, Wilson remembers how Farmall equipment made the farm work with all its traditional uses. But he also remembers how his father found the tractor well-suited for nontraditional work. For example, he mounted a cement mixer on the back of the Farmall Super M to help lay the foundation for a new barn.

In fact, it was that same Super M his father had purchased new that migrated over to Wilson’s new farming operation. It was his first tractor. Later, Wilson’s first tractor purchase was a 35A Farmall.

“Steve’s story was very inspiring and was one of the most memorable submissions we saw during the review process,” said Teri Zanella, campaign manager for tractors at Case IH. “We created this contest to give a tractor to one of our most passionate fans. It was great to see how Case IH and Farmalls have made such an impact for so many family farms.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

In looking at the Case IH website, the tractor he won in the contest is a 75-horsepower front-wheel assist loader tractor with a nice cab.

The 35A Farmall mentioned above would be a 35-horsepower tractor with a loader, but probably not with a cab and front-wheel assist.

The weather as I write this is probably normal weather for this time of the year.

Looking back a year ago, I had 2 inches of rain in November and 3 inches of snow.

In early December of 2022, I had 2 inches of snow Dec. 7, 5 inches Dec. 14, 2 inches more on Dec. 15, and 3 inches of snow on Christmas day. I had several hours of blowing and pushing snow even during the Christmas holidays for my neighbors, and also for Blue Mounds township. December of 2022 totaled 12 inches of snow, with lots of wind.

Also, great memories of a year ago when the area was treated with delightful sailboat races on the “perfect” ice of Lake Minnewaska.

This year, only dustings of snow so far, little of which is still here. The morning I’m writing this, we were treated to a little frost on the trees and power lines, but did not last very long.

Weather forecasters are not guaranteeing a “white Christmas” for 2023.

We shall see what happens. A week or so ago at my farm there was a quick burst of snow, with nothing visible on radar, and no forecast of it. We are in an “el nino,” which is warmer than normal.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

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