By Cindy Ladage VIRDEN, Ill. – While it will be a while before the summer antique tractor shows are here, collectors are still gathering with their favorite brands to celebrate at the winter shows. Many of the major antique tractor brands have club gatherings in fun places. The clubs have vendors, banquets, tours, auctions and collectibles on display. The shows allow collectors to revel in all things about the collector’s favorite brand and meet up with their fellow collector friends who have become like family over the years. The shows are opportunities to gather the needed materials to finish restoring the tractor over the winter. At a show they may find the missing part or technical manual they need to give them the directions to get the job done. Many winter shows have workshops that may provide the directions offering the missing link or give history on brand information. The shows are taking place all over the country, from Iowa to Nebraska, Illinois to Tennessee HPOCA the Oliver Winter Convention March 11-12, 2022, Norfolk, Neb. The Central States Hart-Parr Oliver Collectors are hosting the HPOCA Winter Get Together at the Chuck M. Pohlman Ag Complex, 2301 E Benjamin Ave, Norfolk, 68701. https://www.hartparroliver.org/events/2022-winter-get-together Gathering of the Green March 16-19, 2022, Davenport, Iowa. The Gathering of the Green happens every two years. It is a celebration of John Deere equipment, history and memorabilia. The Gathering of the Green is in the heart of Davenport. Minneapolis Moline Winter Show March 17-19, 2022, Greenville, Ill. The event will take place at the American Farm Heritage Museum. https://minneapolismolinecollectors.org/. International Harvester Winter Show March 24-26, 2022, Pigeon Forge, Tenn. The IH winter convention is a meeting with educational seminars and tours. The dates have been changed from what has been previously announced. tnchap9ofihc.com Besides the annual winter shows, there are also the farm shows that many in the ag industry enjoy attending. One of the recent farm shows was the Midwest Ag Expo at Gordyville, Ill., that took place January 27-28. The I & I Antique Tractor and Gas Engine Club had several tractors on display. There was a 1962 Jeep FC owned by Dennis Riggs. He said there were probably only 196 units produced in 1962. Carl Davis had an entire wagon full of David Bradley machines. David Bradley will be featured this summer at Historic Farm Days, along with Ford tractors and trucks. At the expo, the Half Century of Progress 2021 book was hot off the press; the book is available at www.octanepress.com. The Gordyville show also had a unique offering with the Illinois Grain Seed Equipment Co. providing a model of a grain bn design in 1/16th scale. Justin Ward said they designed it starting this past October. Made of steel, they welded and fabricated the grain bin set up during COVID and bad weather. This amazing model, Ward said, showed what they can offer since they are a bind construction and fabrication firm out of Cissna Park, Ill. Models of farm scenes can be seen at farm toy shows and winter is when the farm toy show season begins. Local shows sometimes offer farm toy contests sparking amazing creativity. |
