From left, Brady Gaul and Caden Kramer pass each other while plowing the second 10-acre field on the Daly farm. Kramer drove Mark Gaul’s John Deere for a few rounds during the plow day.
From left, Jay and JJ Daly did some problem-solving after JJ’s plow lost a wheel and another tractor lost a part. The collaborative effort brought a variety of skills and experiences together while offering the teens and men an opportunity to socialize. Plow days were common several generations back, but now with fewer farmers and smaller farm families, as well as more sophisticated machinery, they’ve fallen by the wayside like many aspects of community life from a simpler time.
John Deere engineer and former tractor mechanic Wayne Hermsen assists with on site problem-solving. Hermsen was able to take a part off his son Ian’s 1953 Super H to repair Jay Daly’s 1972 International 1466. Caden Kramer watched the action.
JJ Daly, a sixth-generation farmer, revived a tradition by recruiting Western Dubuque High School friends for a plow day on his family’s farm. They were joined by fathers and a few neighbors. With seven tractors, the team plowed two ten-acre plots in a short time.
From left, Brady Gaul and Caden Kramer pass each other while plowing the second 10-acre field on the Daly farm. Kramer drove Mark Gaul’s John Deere for a few rounds during the plow day.
From left, Jay and JJ Daly did some problem-solving after JJ’s plow lost a wheel and another tractor lost a part. The collaborative effort brought a variety of skills and experiences together while offering the teens and men an opportunity to socialize. Plow days were common several generations back, but now with fewer farmers and smaller farm families, as well as more sophisticated machinery, they’ve fallen by the wayside like many aspects of community life from a simpler time.
John Deere engineer and former tractor mechanic Wayne Hermsen assists with on site problem-solving. Hermsen was able to take a part off his son Ian’s 1953 Super H to repair Jay Daly’s 1972 International 1466. Caden Kramer watched the action.
JJ Daly, a sixth-generation farmer, revived a tradition by recruiting Western Dubuque High School friends for a plow day on his family’s farm. They were joined by fathers and a few neighbors. With seven tractors, the team plowed two ten-acre plots in a short time.
On a sunny Saturday morning, a group of teens gathered with tractors and a few adults at JJ Daly’s family farm in Bankston to experience a farming tradition of their ancestors. Plow Days were a regular part of life in an agrarian community several generations back. Farmers would join forces to make the work lighter. Today, fewer farmers, smaller farm families, more advanced machinery and modern no-till methods have caused a shift away from this time of connection and collaboration.
