I'm so happy that we are wrapping up the month of March! Although it was a great month for doing dirty work on the farm. And luckily we have a few tractors to help make the job easier.
This is our little John Deere 420. We've had it way before we moved to Tennessee. It is a little work horse with lots of frustrating things that drive Eldon crazy, but it sure digs in and does the job. Eldon bought a Rototiller attachment for it and it sure made quick work of tilling up some ground where I plan to plant my pumpkins and melons.
And it tilled up the main vegetable garden in what seemed like minutes. (I'm planting my peas and lettuce this next week - Yay!)
Then we've got the big John Deere 5520 that is the real work horse. We bought this tractor after we moved here. It is the tractor Eldon uses all summer with the big mower attachment. In the winter it is our hay hauler. See that scary looking spear on the back?
Back it up to our big hay bales....
...and take off!
(I actually got to drive this one day - down the highway, through the woods, and up the hill to the house. A little bouncy. A little intimidating!)
And when the little John Deere gets buried in mud...
...we have the big one to pull it out!
We also use the little one in the woods for clearing and cleaning.
Good thing we have a son in law that loves to help us!
I didn't manage to get a picture of the little tractor hauling the dead tree limbs to the burn pile - but that's how we get them there. It may not look like it but this is a huge pile. (Being from out West where we hardly had trees I had no idea what a job it would be out here taking care of clearing dead and old trees. It is a constant job and I'm thankful for a tractor. And a husband. And a son in law.)
And this is our big ole John Deere 3100 backhoe. We brought this one with us from Utah. Our son had a little excavation business when he was in high school and this was his baby!
It comes in handy for lots of things! (And see that old piece of junk being unloaded from the trailer? It's the bed of a very old Ford truck. My daughter and I have big plans for that thing! And the boys sure are being good sports.)
And that is the story of Eldon's best friends on the farm. One or another of them are used on a daily basis.
Can you tell we like John Deere? I have a John Deere also. But that's for another post, another day.
A few of our precious little calves. They are loving the spring sunshine.
April is almost here, my friends! Oh happy day!
Good Morning, Miss Dori;
ReplyDeleteYou are an inspiration to me! So much so, that my husband and I have bought our own little farm last year. I love reading about your posts and what you do on your farm. I truly understand what you mean about the tractor being man's best friend. Hope we get to see what you and your daughter are going to do with that beautiful old truck bed!
Take care.
Emily
My sisters late husband had a grader, backhoe, & various other machines. They were his best friends too. Invaluable in the high desert too. Happy to see that you're ready to plant. My sister would love to have a garden plot like yours. Happy Spring, Kathleen in Az
ReplyDeleteThat John Deere 420 sure is a little work horse! Great for hauling smaller loads like all those tree limbs, which is truly a never-ending job. It's an awesome all around mower-tractor. It amazes me how much we can do with it. Hope it helped yield some beautiful pumpkins and melons!
ReplyDeleteHeidi Sutton @ Ag Source Magazine