Threshin'

The fifth graders went on a field trip to New Rockford's Threshing Bee - I chaperoned and was given a group of 5 - including the Man-Cub - we had a great time.
They visited an old one room school house.
They played in the old Post Office.
The climbed on wagons full of wheat.
They played with toy trains.
They watched a steam powered sawmill.
And the highlight of the day was potato pickin'.
An old 8N tractor like the one we used to have in Balsam Grove.
Pulled a gadget that scooped the potatoes out of the ground.
Cleaned them off and dumped them out on top of the ground.
Very ingenious.
There was a mad dash to pick up the potatoes left by the machine.

The Man-Cub picks up a few stragglers.
Then lugs his haul back to the bus - they get to keep all of the potatoes they find - the Man-Cub filled two grocery bags.
The Threshing Machines.
A coal burning tractor.
Throwing the wheat into the thresher.
Steam tractors - it looks like they're about to take off in a race - but really they're getting ready for a parade.
Click on the picture to read the sign - this generator supplied electricity to an entire town until 1948.
Some farm toys - the little tractor is pretty impressive.
Washing clothes the old fashioned way.
Watch your fingers in the wringer.
A tub washer - the agitator was on top - not sure how effective that was.
The potato loot - there must be over 20 lbs of potatoes here.
It was a great day.