PENFIELD — Minneapolis-Moline and BF Avery farm equipment will reign at this year's Historic Farm Days, which runs through this weekend in Penfield. And don't be surprised to see a Doodlebug or two.
The annual Historic Farm Days will be held Thursday through Sunday on the grounds of the I & I Antique Tractor and Gas Engine Club. While there will be a few events Thursday, the show gets rolling Friday.
"We have a new building that has been erected that will host the feature brand equipment," I&I President John Fredrickson said.
A dedication ceremony for the new building is set for Saturday prior to the parade.
The 60-by-96-foot building was paid for from donated funds and is equipped to be open on the sides during dry weather and can be closed in the event of rain. The building is located near the sawmill.
It will house this year's featured equipment line, Minneapolis-Moline. Each year, Historic Farm Days features a different line of equipment.
"Minneapolis-Moline was a major implement company at one time," Fredrickson said. "I believe they were bought by White Motor Co., and then White basically got in financial problems, and they became part of the AGCO Group."
Historic Farm Days will host the national show of the BF Avery Collectors Association. Fredrickson said Avery made smaller tractors.
"They were in some of the ... smaller farms in the country back in the '40s," Fredrickson said. "They were smaller than an International M."
Many were sold through Montgomery-Ward.
International Harvester and John Deere are the most popular farm implement lines in this part of the country and draw the largest crowds to Historic Farm Days.
"We still have decent attendance for some of these smaller brands," Fredrickson said.
Also on display will be New Idea equipment. New Idea primarily manufactured corn pickers and manure spreaders.
A collection of Doodlebugs will be on display. The Doodlebug is the colloquial name for a homemade tractor in the United States during World War II when production tractors were in short supply. The Doodlebug of the 1940s was generally based on a 1920s or 1930s-era Ford automobile, which was modified either by the complete removal or alteration of some of the vehicle body.
