Just a Farmer

By Helen C. Coon

Just a Farmer
"Just a Farmer", you said
And I laughed 'cause I knew
All the things that farmers
Must be able to do.

They must study the land,
Then watch the sky
And figure just when
Is the right time and why -

To sow and to plant
To buy and to sell
To go to the market
With cattle and well -

You know the books
That farmers must keep
To pay all those taxes
And be able to sleep.

And you know the fixin'
That farmers must do
When machines like mad monsters
Blow a gasket or two.

I guess when God needed
Folks to care for His earth
He chose "just farmers"
'Cause He knew their true worth.

Steam and Antique Shows

Steam engines from the turn of the century puffed there way around the prairies. No one in charge of the 75th Anniversary history book knew who was in this picture or when it was taken, only that it was on a farm around Ricketts.

Ricketts was known for decades for their famous Steam & Antique shows every summer. Missing the old iron plow horses? Here are a couple of links to help you get back into an old hobby:

Hans Schlosser is an ornamental blacksmith or gatesmith working on all sizes of wrought iron ornamental gates and railings and other items. He's also a mechanic and for those of you who just have to ask, yes he's a trained farrier with a preference for heavy draft horses. Gates and decorative work are his main focus along with draft horse shoeing and manufacturing heavy duty hardware and repairing machinery used with draft horses. He has a video out called "Fire & Roses." He demonstrates his work at a number of Steam and Antique shows in Iowa, here's his website: http://www.beautifuliron.com/steam_power.htm


Steam-Era is the annual show produced by the "Ontario Steam & Antique Preservers Association" held at the Milton fairgrounds in Milton Ontario, Canada every "Labour" Day weekend. Our members are devoted to the preservation and restoration of heritage equipment and bring their painstakingly restored machinery to display and operate at Steam- Era. Here's their website: http://www.steam-era.com
(They had the coolest website when I Googled "Steam & Antique.")

Got any other steam tractor sites you'd reccomend? Let our webmeister know.