Plowing in the NW

[near horse]

I know many of you are a long way from the Pacific NW but for those that might be interested, here are the dates of “Old time farming days” or whatever they may be calling it this year.

Mar 28-29 Wilson Creek Plowing Days Wilson Creek, WA Contact Stan Riebold (509) 648-4272

April 4-5 Pomeroy Plowing Days Pomeroy Fairgrounds, Pomeroy, WA Contact: Dave Waldren (509) 843-1535

April 18-19 Colfax Plowing Bee Palouse Empire Fairgrounds Colfax, WA
Contact: Stan Riebold (509)648-4272 OR Tom Hennigar (509)648-3462

***** NOTE ***** Colfax also holds a Threshing Bee on Labor Day each year in which they harvest wheat w/ horses on a punch header, haul it in bundle wagons to a threshing table and feed a stationary thresher powered by a a wood fired steam tractor – Whew! Pretty neat. Contacts would be the same as the Plowing Bee.

[near horse]

Joel, you are right. The horses get bigger, weights heavier and overall feats more stupendous with each “tell of the tale”. It’s a lot of fun. Also, for less experienced folks, these plowing days are super places to meet the old timers and make some conections. Learn. Learn. Learn.

The Colfax threshing bee never ceases to amaze me. It’s freakin’ 90+ degrees and drier than a popcorn fart and a couple of 80 yr old fellas are up on the threshing table forking wheat into the threshing unit like madmen. Funny thing is when they get to the event, many of the old timers look so “stoved up” that they are barely able to amble over to the field but once things get to going they come to life. Threshing – the fountain of youth?

I’ll see if I can get over and get some pics this year.

[Author]

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