dying shows/ revisited

I'm going to locate some period photos of checkrow planting in progress and the resulting crops growing/being cultivated. I plan to print them for display alongside his the planter next year.

We try to have hands-on displays in operation at all times. Curiously the most popular is a simple pitcher pump mounted to a washtub half-filled with water. Kids stand in line all day for a chance to work the pump. Another popular feature is a hit ‘n miss engine belted to a corn sheller and grinder. Visitors feed corn one ear at time into the machines and watch what comes out.

Active displays are popular. We have a guy who brings a hand-operated cordage machine – he keeps busy making short lengths of braided rope from poly baling twine to give to kids. Another guy brings and old buzz saw which he belts to a hit ‘n miss engine – he entertains by buzzing up cordwood.

• cordage maker

The FARM (Farming Antique & Related Machinery) Club show in Osgood had fewer tractors, but I think it had more demonstrations going. Much more of the flea market was actually related to old equipment, old tractors and parts. No extra charge to try to sell. There were more food venders than in previous years.

I will probably go to both shows again next year, but I liked the smaller FARM Club show better because it had a more varied collection of equipment to see and watch.

As a spectator I can say that while rows of tractors can get boring, there can be more. A cider press operating will attract attention. Chopping silage looks impressive. And everyone likes to see a team of oxen or horses. If you really want to attract more families, make it an antique farm show instead of an antique tractor show. Heck, a lot of people would love to see an early washing machine even.

1.) Fewer farm kids.
2.) Appeal. Those who may be on the farm often aren't interested in this OLD stuff!
3.) Time. Those who ARE interested, are growing old and dying.
4.) Stagnation. Same tractors and display EVERY year. How many times can you get that old feeling of excitement looking at a Farmall H or John Deere B? Like Russ said, you have to keep it fresh and give them something different to look at. (a problem due to #7 below)
5.) Apathy. I'd say a full 85% of our club are "watchers", and the rest are "workers" to various degrees.

6.) Personality conflicts. I've noticed in our own club that a few vocal ramrods who probably have good intentions of getting folks to work, are actually turning them off and driving them away. Poor leadership skills will absolutely KILL an organization. (shoot, I'm one of the founders, and I've been so irritated with some of our "leaders", I nearly packed my stuff and left.)

7.) Loss of focus. I realize we're a non profit organization and we have bills to pay to put on a show. BUT, as I've stood up at more than one meeting and said, we started this club so WE can get together and play with OUR toys. Its great to have the public come and see it. Lets face it, we all like to show off our stuff, and we like the attention. And, it does serve as a learning medium for newer generations. BUT, I see that sometimes the club gets wound up in "raising money to build or buy". Then the gate fee goes up. Then the vendor fee goes up. Then the camper fees go up. Then the flea market spaces go up..... .then the crowd goes down. A club needs to try to grow and progress, but not all clubs have the support base (read attendance and member participation) to make it happen. "Ya gots ta know yer limitations, son"

8.) The economy. Gas is high. Food is high. Unemployment is high. The price of restoring stuff is high. When those things go up, "extra" stuff goes out. I know I think twice about driving more than say 80 miles or so in my gas sucking tractor hauler. And I hate to go to a show empty handed.

There are lots of variables. I'm afraid the largest reason by far though is the changing of the guard. If you didn't at least see your grandad using this stuff, it simply doesn't have the same connection to you. We'll always have SOME interested folks. My kids are innoculated with the old iron virus early on, and I hope they continue the hobby, but they are still young and have lots of things to deal with ahead in their lives, especially in these troubled times. It may, sadly enough, just not be as important in the big scheme of things as time goes by, so we'd better enjoy it while we can.

From my perspective, the shows around here (western NY) are at least holding their own and a couple have grown – both in numbers of exhibitors and attendance – over the past several years. This despite the skyrocketing cost of fuel.

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A few random thoughts on the growth of the show I’m most involved with:

Each year adds a new attraction or two to bring people to the show. Recent additions include a kiddie pedal tractor pull (brings in a LOT of kids, parent and grandparents); a team of oxen + driver that just sorta wander the grounds with the driver schmoozing with folks; a couple of the better and more popular local live bands in concert, etc.

This year the local Corvette collector’s club was invited to display their cars on Saturday. Not exactly in keeping with the theme of old tractors. But it brought in a whole fresh group of fairgoers – most of whom had never been to a tractor show before. Many wound up staying all day to enjoy the sights and sounds.

The show itself is a community volunteer effort. It's spearheaded by the local Lions Club. However groups like the Boy Scouts, the fire dept, the local 2 Cylinder, IHC and Oliver tractor clubs, and others pitch in to help with the show registration, the tractor pulls, running the chicken BBQ, keeping trash picked up, etc. This community volunteer aspect results in many locals being involved. And they in turn cause many others to show up.

Several volunteers see that the show gets publicized in advance as much as possible via articles in the paper, on the radio, in flyers posted at other shows, etc. They also run a simple float advertising the show in several firemen's parades.

Unrestored and working equipment is encouraged to be exhibited. More and more unrestored stuff shows up every year. And curiously this stuff seems to get more attention than do the prettiest “trailer queen” tractor restorations.

We try to have hands-on displays in operation at all times. Curiously the most popular is a simple pitcher pump mounted to a washtub half-filled with water. Kids stand in line all day for a chance to work the pump. Another popular feature is a hit ‘n miss engine belted to a corn sheller and grinder. Visitors feed corn one ear at time into the machines and watch what comes out.

Active displays are popular. We have a guy who brings a hand-operated cordage machine – he keeps busy making short lengths of braided rope from poly baling twine to give to kids. Another guy brings and old buzz saw which he belts to a hit ‘n miss engine – he entertains by buzzing up cordwood. We bring in another guy who makes/sells chainsaw carvings on site. In hot weather another guy runs a couple large fans from an old generator - people stand around in front of his awning to enjoy the cooling breeze.

Most of our exhibitors permit/encourage people to climb onto their tractors for photos, etc. Seems there’s always a kid or two on several different tractors and a parent with a camera nearby.

A tractor-drawn hayride continuously running thru the show grounds helps the elderly and those with little kids see the entire show with a minimum of effort.

The Sunday antique tractor pull now encourages female drivers to enter. This gets wives, GF’s and daughters of male drivers to enter. This in turn brings out more people (women especially…) to watch.

We try to keep the show non-competitive. Outside of the tractor pull only a few prizes - simple ribbons - are awarded: Categories include oldest tractor, tractor traveling the farthest distance (and the shortest….) to get to the show, and the most unusual tractor. There’s also a best in show award to the nicest looking tractor. The “prize” here is the winning tractor gets pictured on the next year’s show button and T-shirt.

Finally it seems we have a decent crop of next generation old tractor enthusiasts coming along and getting involved. Each year had seen several teenagers (including couple girls) proudly displaying their “new” old tractors in various states of repair. A few of them pull their tractors. (Pull officials will bend the rules a bit for the youngsters in order to deal with the inevitable stalls, false starts, etc. first timers always seem to suffer from).

Bottom line is thru a bit of creative thought and effort, good shows can run despite high fuel prices and tight budgets.

Everyone jump in we need to make plans for next year soon and mabe we can find some ideas we can use it sure won't hurt.

Another idea I like is having demonstrations of plowing - even if it is only with a small field cultivator, chisel plow, or disk. Any time that a tractor can be working instead of sitting is great for me. I like to hear those old engines pull!

Having/inviting other clubs to show at the same time can help with the turn out - even if it were the "new age" type car show (ex: Hondas, etc.) it would draw a younger generation to the show that might just become interested in the antique side of things.

Excellent discussion! Shows are one of the most important things that will keep this hobby going.

And all the shows happen after I have to be back in AZ to teach (we always start the first week of August and harvest doesn"t happen until late August). Bummer for me.

Wish I could go to the Rollag show this weekend, but just can"t afford to take off work (day without pay), purchase plane tickets, rent a car, etc. with my new house coming and baby on the way as well. Another bummer for me. Hopefully when the little one isn"t so little they will be interested in old iron so I have a better excuse to go!

I agree with all that has been posted so far.