HARVESTING WITH TRACTORS

Among the tractors on display at Corky's Bar, Shantytown, was this antique pumper. I couldn't figure out the contest, but they were backing up tractors, attaching them to a pump, and then revving the motors. One tractor finished and another one backed up.

Carl Plautz, neighbor to Grandpa and Grandma Mueller on the farm in Random Lake, WI, had this kind of a tractor. He'd use it for threshing time to run the big threshing machine that separated the grain (oats) from the stalks. I always thought such a huge tractor was "cool." That was the only tractor - all the wagons bringing grain from the fields were pulled by teams of horses.

Watch a video, looking at the number of tractors displayed at CORKY'S in Shantytown. Think of the hours that these machines spent in harvest time activity. And also reflect on how this invention saved numerous hours of physical labor and back aches.

Cutting hay - either for baling or to be stored in some kind of a silo system.

VIDEO

Chopping corn.

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Harvesting potatoes. The first tractor pulls a machine that digs the potatoes out of the ground. The second tractor follows with a machine that picks up the potatoes (separating them from the stones, etc.) and sends them over a conveyor arm to the truck that drives alongside.

A huge disc pulled by one of the large John Deere tractors - discing the field after the potato harvest.

Kemp's Ice Cream says it this way, "IT'S ALL ABOUT THE COWS!" That is the reason for corn and hay and all the harvesting that is going on in central Wisconsin.

AND 
THE DOZYNKI FALL HARVEST FESTIVAL (POLISH)

Sixty percent of the residents of Portage County are from Polish ancestry. Many of the Roman Catholic churches originally were build for these Polish immigrants. Our home is located on State Highway 66, also called the Polish-American Highway. About 85% of the people in our township are of Polish ancestry. So, we have Polish celebrations.

VIDEO 

It wouldn't be Wisconsin if there weren't cheese curds.

You've got to have UWSP students doing the face painting for the kids.

And there's no fun if you don't have horse-drawn carriage rides (shades of my working days at Lost Canyon, Wisconsin Dells, WI).

Traditional Polish dress adds to the authenticity of the event.

All of the event is held right in downtown Stevens Point. Like most downtown areas, there are struggles to keep this historic spot alive.