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I had this response to a similar question from Anne about the tractor pulling craze several months ago. It explains a few things Kim: Hello Anne. If I may, I�d like to explain why antique tractor pulling is so treasured by its participants and spectators and why we are not crazy. There was a time in this country when farming was a means by which many people made a living. When an individual or family works the land and sees the direct results of his labor, he learns healthy appreciation of the land and its blessings. If you think about it, everything in life comes from the soil. Many of us believe that mankind itself was created from the dust. When farming progressed, freedom and American ingenuity from folks like John Deere and Henry Ford brought forth new tools to work the soil, available to folks across the country. Despite the hard work of the American farmer, a tractor was a large investment. A man had to know that the money he worked so hard to produce was going to buy his family a powerful machine that would give years of service and take years of abuse. My father spent thousands of hours starting at about age seven, tilling the soil on Grandpa�s first Moline tractor. Values learned from that style of life are passed from generation to generation. For some, the farm tractor represents the things that do not change with time. Many tractors of years ago still perform their functions of 60-70 years ago. A fella can take an old scarred tractor, restore it to its former glory and see the results of his own two hands as it comes back to life. With fewer and fewer farms, the sport of pulling has become a way in which these owners of history can come together and share their stories of the past, also giving new generations and non-farmers a chance to learn about history, working with their hands, creativity, learning, competition, and sportsmanship. I can say from personal experience, I have met some of the most creative, interesting, and wonderful people in this hobby as well as spend great time with my Grandfather and Dad doing what we love. Good friends, good times, and good fun are what it�s about. Anne, I hope I have been able to explain why it has become so popular and why it is more than just pulling weights back and forth. I would invite you to come pulling with me any time and you�d see what the buzz is about. I can guarantee that you would have more friends than you did the day before. Like these old tractors, good things don�t change, and good things last a lifetime. Ethan Berry
Tractor Puller
Vermontville, MI
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