Members of the Three Rivers Tractor Club filtered into the J.J. Nichting building in Pilot Grove Tuesday evening.
The group, led by president Mike Schmidt, discussed regular business, such as a review of the ever-popular tractor show at Burlington’s Westland mall in February
Club vice president Dan Miller said it was a good show with good turnout.
“I think everybody enjoyed it; we’ll see what next year brings,” he said. “We had 46 tractors, I think it was. I think the best ever was 52. I was really happy with it.”
Upcoming events include a tractor show at Faeth’s in Fort Madison, 10 a.m to 1 p.m. on April 6; Denmark Heritage Days May 31-June 2; and the Lee County fair July 9-14.
There was a special kind of tractor the group was eager to give to its new owner: A 1989 Farmall Super M Signature Series pedal tractor.
Leon Dobson, one of the club’s founding members, said the club held a drawing for the pedal tractor. The funds raised, around $1,020, were given to the Fort Madison Food Pantry.
“We took donations on it since last year. We raised $1,050 for the food pantry,” he said. “Joe Ertl, he’s CEO and president of Scale Models in Dyersville, Iowa, gave us the pedal tractor to give away. The food pantry is very special to him, that’s why we got what we did. He’s very community minded.”
The winner was 12-year-old Logan Cooper of Keokuk was the winner of the drawing and was on-hand, along with his dad, Cory, to receive the tractor.
Also present was Fort Madison Food Pantry president Shirley Gabel, to receive the financial donation.
Gabel shared the food pantry is completely operated with volunteer staff and its primary expense is for food. They operate solely on commodity donations and monetary donations from the community, and the pantry does seek grants for additional funding.
One of the club’s larger events is Denmark Heritage Days. This year, the group plans to invite members to bring along implements like plows and balers and other equipment in order to have even more things people can check out during the event.
Betty Daggs is treasurer and “jack-of-all-trades” for the group, Susan Kuntz is secretary.
