ALL ABOUT TRACTORS By PAUL WALLEM Many of you can remember your first tractor ride and even the first time you sat on one, even though you grew up around them. Think of how someone, child or adult, would feel after their first tractor ride if they’ve never been near one. That could be just one of the experiences to offer if you enter the tourist market to supplement your farm income. The USDA calls tourism a $4.5 billion market for agriculture nationally. Many farms have added short-term rental accommodations such as a camper or small cabin in their wooded area, ideally near a fishing stream. Weekend urban dwellers will come to ride a tractor, watch the harvest operation, and learn about farming. Some just want to “get out of town” for the weekend or longer. They are willing to pay well for the time you spend with them. Some of the experiences that farm visitors want to try are tractor rides, horseback riding, watching sheep shearing, baling, combine harvesting, beekeeping, fishing and hand milking. Social media provides an ideal way to advertise your offer. Farmers who have done this describe an added benefit: they make new friends who often return for future stays. Extension offices can sometimes suggest fees that are being charged in their area. Kubota Agri Concept 2,0 At the recent CES 2025 Show, Kubota displayed the latest concept of its autonomous Agri Concept 2.0 tractor. This tractor’s powertrain is suitable for human-controlled or autonomous operations. Based on customer feedback, the Agri Concept 2.0 has been revised over a 2024 version. FFA annual banquet I attended this event at Streator High School, Streator, Ill. Awards were presented to several dozen FFA high-achieving members of this very active chapter. They have been named Premier Illinois Chapter in recent years and were among the 10 national finalists for the National FFA Model of Excellence Award in 2022. The chapter has a high percentage of young women. I sat at the table with the parents of a daughter who was receiving one of the awards. The family has no ties to agriculture but feels the FFA membership has greatly enhanced their daughter’s education. Her mother said public speaking has been just one of the skills learned. They have two other daughters in middle school who will be joining the chapter. I was quite surprised at the large number of chapter members and their ambitious projects. On a personal note, my wife and I graduated from Streator High in 1952, and this was only my second time in the building since then. I was a member of this FFA chapter. Middle school FFA chapters A recent Farm World article by Doug Graves announced the opening of two new middle school FFA chapters in Kentucky. I called the FFA National office and inquired about middle school chapters in my home state of Illinois. I was amazed to find out there are 22 here and many more throughout the country. Driver comfort Tractor cabs continue to progress in their design. One is the Deutz MaxiVision 2. The panoramic windscreen and surrounding windows (and a skylight) set an ever-higher standard in cab design. This cab is pneumatically suspended on the chassis, and with a deluxe air seat, the driver’s comfort is reported to be substantially improved. Sign at an antique tractor parade: Old tractors collect the nicest people! Early Burma Shave sign: A man, A miss, A car, A curve. He kissed the miss and missed the curve. Paul Wallem was raised on an Illinois dairy farm. He spent 13 years with corporate IH on domestic and foreign assignments before resigning to own and operate 2 IH dealerships. He is the author of THE BREAKUP of IH and SUCCESSES AND INDUSTRY FIRSTS of IH. See all his books on www.PaulWallem.com. Email him at pwallem@aol.com. |
