When thinking of the way farming has evolved, it’s easy to assume that it all started with people tilling the land with hand-tools, and from those primitive methods we moved on to using working horses, and finally we invented tractors with which to t

I would guess that I witnessed the end of the era of ice harvesting. I was born in 1934 in Southwestern Minnesota. It was probably the 1940/41 winter. My father borrowed a friend’s iceboat and we went for a lake for a fast ride on a cold day. The lak

Farmers have been tight with a nickel since the nickel was invented, so it comes as no surprise that enterprising salesmen found a way to offer a bargain. The surprise comes when the salesman is also the warden of the Minnesota State Prison. In this

“Persevere, persevere, persevere.” Those words summarize the philosophy A.H. Patch adopted early in life and what likely led to his invention of the Black Hawk corn sheller, a hand-held implement that found an enthusiastic market worldwide. Asahel Hu

Recently, a surprising and delightful thing happened to me at my office. I’ve struck up a friendship with a lovely woman who works in our mail room. Her name is Roberta. She makes her rounds, delivering reader mail and newly printed magazines and has

The genius of pioneer inventors can confound us. Countless contraptions that revolutionized farming in the 19th and early 20th centuries have become contemporary curiosities, or even mysteries. Here are six sent in by readers. Do you know what they a

During the 1930s, ’40s and early ’50s, many farm papers published a feature called The Song of the Lazy Farmer, but the author of this on-going feature was never identified. I featured a good many of the old rhymes a number of years ago, but ran out

In a lavish display late last summer, members of the Cast Iron Seat Collectors Assn. built on the success of their first 50 years to set a course for the next 50. Looking over a stupendous display of seats, mower lids, planter guides and more at the

Farm Collector is pleased to receive Sprouts pictures from the budding artists in our readers’ families. Please send your original submissions drawn on plain white paper to Farm Collector, 1503 S.W. 42nd St., Topeka, KS 66609. Also, please enclose th

Operators and parts manuals for the 06, 56, 86 Tractors, 41 bids, high bid of $370 McCormick Farmall lighted clock, 32 bids, high bid of $240 Farming Legends II lighted picture, 24 bids, high bid of $230 Farmall clock, 30 bids, high bid of $220 Vario

Unlock expert advice on how to navigate the world of antique machines in the pages of Farm Collector! We explore the unique origins of the tools, tractors, and mechanical devices that shaped the trajectory of the international scene – its industry, l

Glen Yoder’s extensive collection includes 100-year-old antique engines. Among his rare assemblage is a Reid oil field engine and a Fairbanks-Morse hit-and-miss engine made for the Mexican market. Glen’s interest in mechanical things including engine

The Fairfield Engine Co., in Fairfield, Iowa, operated from 1916 until 1945. There were many ups and downs for the company throughout its history. The predecessor company to Fairfield was Anderson Automatic Engine Co., started in 1913 in St. Joseph,

Tax the farmer, tax his fowl;Tax the dog and tax his howl;Tax his hen and tax her egg;Let the bloomin’ mudsite beg;Tax his pig and tax his squeal;Tax his boots run down at heel;Tax his plow and tax his clothes,Tax the rags that wipe his nose;Tax his

Why do we love barns? I have no explanation for my own obsession, but I’ve found a red barn with a story more interesting than any I could have imagined. I spotted this intriguing building, a round barn, along Interstate 90 in western South Dakota, n

Volume two of John Deere’s Company covers the history of John Deere from 1928 to 1982, exploring the company’s role in the growth of the American agricultural industry, the development of new machinery and manufacturing methods, and sharing technolog

When Keith McElhinney, Morning Sun, Iowa, came across a seeder/planter at an auction, he was immediately hooked. The piece – a Midget No. 2 – was manufactured by American Fork & Hoe Co., Montrose, Iowa. Morning Sun and Montrose are only about 50 mile

The first tractor I ran was a 1936 Minneapolis-Moline Model Z. I was 6 years old when my brother (Oscar Haake Jr.) was drafted and left my dad, Oscar Haake Sr., really short of help. Dad showed me how to use the hand clutch on that Z and steering was

Use ¾ in material, solid lumber works best. Attach the sides and ends to bottom from below the wood screws. Use 1in diameter x 25-½ in closet rod (wood dowel) for a carrying handle. Attach with ⅛ in wood dowel pin and cut off the excess. I cobbled up

Growing up Amish, Matt Schwartz had limited time around farm tractors, but it was a latened interest. After completing his Amish schooling, Matt helped on the family’s farm in Bremen, Indiana. When he came of age, he began working in northern Indiana

My pappy, William Easley, purchased this 1957 Model 860 Ford tractor from George Russell Farm Equipment Co. in Columbia, Missouri, in November 1957. I have the original invoice, which lists the purchase price at $2,276. The 860 was Pappy’s main tract

Ever wonder why Webster put that bolt on the igniter movable electrode (anvil), as seen sticking out on the left of Figure 1? Why didn’t Webster put a bump on the casting or the push-finger (hammer) seen in Figure 2? The bolt is seemingly too long if

The gas engine’s humble beginnings date back to 12th-century China when the cannon was invented. Already having produced gunpowder, a weapon was not a surprising use of their new explosive. The cannon worked well and was built in many sizes and confi