will.illinois.edu/prairiefire/segment/pf2008-02-21-b WILL Public Media, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Series Segment Agriculture/Agribusiness, Antiques/Collectibles, Penfield, WILL Custom Prairie Fire Subject Headings By host and producer Alison Davis Wood Since I didn’t grow up on farm, I could never quite understand why so many people are interested in antique tractors. But then I married a farmer and it started to make sense. When I asked my husband Rob why farmers spent so much time and money restoring old tractors, he said, “You remember all the memories of working with that tractor. It got you through some tough days and some hard times. You look back and realize how many hours you spent riding that tractor.” When I went to Historic Farm Days, I heard these sentiments echoed by everyone.  For some, that old John Deere, Case or International was a part of the family. The I and I Tractor Club puts on an incredible event every year in Penfield. The highlight each day is the Big Parade where many of the tractors take a lap around the grounds. It gives you a chance to see exactly how these old machines operate and how much work went into making them run like new again.  But one of the best parts of Historic Farm Days is the field demonstrations, where you get to actually smell the freshly cut hay and hear the engines chug. It also allows you to truly appreciate how today’s tractors are much safer and easier to operate. When I heard Don Walser’s “John Deere Tractor Song,” I knew it was a perfect fit for this story. I have always been a fan of Don Walser and there is something special to hear him sing “I love the smell of fresh plowed ground.” My husband put it on his i-pod and plans to sing along from his own green tractor. Abstract Magazine PBCore Genre Picklist Is Part Of http://will.illinois.edu/prairiefire/episode/pf2008-02-21 Illinois, Indiana Spatial Intermediate (grades 7-9)|High School (grades 10-12)|Primary (grades 1-6)|College|Post Graduate|General Education|General TV-G Alison Davis Wood Producer Tim Hartin and Virginia Steffen Chief Camera - Segment WILL-TV, University of Illinois Copyright Holder Publisher © 2008 University of Illinois 2008-02-21T20:30:00-06:00 2008-02-21T20:30:00-06:00 video/x-pn-realvideo http://willmedia.will.uiuc.edu/ramgen/pf2008-02-21-b.rv Moving Image RealSystems Real Media 9 39825835 00:06:25 eng pf2008-02-21-b.rv WILL Public Media, University of Illinois 2008-02-21T20:30:00-06:00 2008-02-21T20:30:00-06:00 video/mp4 http://willmedia.atlas.uiuc.edu/mpeg4/pf2008-02-21-b.mp4 Moving Image MPEG video MPEG-4 24036890 00:06:25 eng pf2008-02-21-b.mp4 WILL Public Media, University of Illinois 2008-02-21T20:30:00-06:00 2008-02-21T20:30:00-06:00 video/x-flv http://willmedia.atlas.uiuc.edu/flash/pf2008-02-21-b.flv Moving Image Flash Video Flash Media 8 26088616 00:06:25 eng pf2008-02-21-b.flv WILL Public Media, University of Illinois