Plows work in the field near Jewell

Friday was a great day for the 2023 edition of Jewell County Plow Day. Joe Eilert, organizer, was glad to see the plows, tractors and operators that kept showing up all morning. At one time there were 20 tractors working in the field and 21 were registered for the event. 

Operators came from communities like, Beverly, Denmark, Downs, Glen Elder, Ionia, Jewell, Salina, Tonganoxie and Zenda in Kansas plus Guide Rock, Martell and Red Cloud in Nebraska. They came to plow, just like in yesteryear. This was not a "no till" event.

The group gathered on Joe Eilert's property beside the Couch Cemetery, located at the corner of 160 Road and F Road in Jewell County. There were plenty of acres of good plowing. Just rarely, near a terrace, did any soil turn over "slabby."

Kent Ayres from Martell, knew about Plow Day because he had attended one before.  This year he brought a 35 Massey Harris F Diesel and a two-bottom Ford Plow. The plow is "fairly rare" and he has "never seen another one."  It is thought it was made sometime in the late 1950s.

Ayres was one of the first to get in the field. He was followed closely by Rich Armstrong from Red Cloud. Armstrong remembered plowing in the same field the last time he attended Plow Day. He was driving a One-Ninety XT Case International and pulling a 2000 Allis-Chalmers mono frame plow. 

Another unique plow belonged to Jim Slate of Glen Elder. He had recently purchased a Massey Ferguson rolling disk plow and was plowing with it for the first time. He and Leo Brown of Glen Elder were making lots of adjustments, working to get the plow level. Slate was pulling the plow with a 464 International Harvester tractor. The tractor is somewhat a rarity as it was only built between 1973 and 1978.

When Slate put the plow into the field, he followed along the east edge of the cemetery. Plowing near where his grandparents, Claude and Faye Topliff Slate are buried. Claude Slate, a long-time Mitchell and Jewell County farmer, would have appreciated the older tractors and plows in the field. Likely he would have wondered where the horses and mules were!

This year, there weren't just plows in the field. Chase Wagner brought a harrow and a John Deere B tractor to pull it. Wagner grew up in Ionia but now lives in Victoria. His friend, Daskin Hull, from Tonganoxie made good use of the machinery.

There was also a spring tooth in the field. It belonged to Joe Eilert but was originally owned by the late Clarence Topliff of Jewell. Joe was pulling it with a 4020 John Deere. The 4020 was purchased by his father, the late Ike Eilert when Joe was 6 years old.

Dan Topliff, the grandson of Clarence Topliff , was also plowing. He was using his grandfather's Farmall 400. The 400 was what the elder Topliff always used when he was feeding cattle. Dan has had the machine repainted a sparkling and shiny black. His plow was "new to him." A recently purchased "yard art" plow that had no trouble moving from art to the field.

Another tractor with a story was the 4010 John Deere Leon Wagner of Ionia was using. The tractor is said to be the first 4010 sold in Jewell County. It was sold in 1961 by Bob Newell of Mankato to Milford Ost. The second owner was Harold Shoemaker with the third and current owner being Leon Wagner. Wagner came to use the tractor – as he put it "It's time to get in the dirt."

The oldest tractor at Plow Day was also the only one powered by propane. It was a 1936 International WK40 belonging to Martin Riley of Tonganoxie. According to Riley, the tractor has been modified, it now has "about twice the horsepower" it originally had in 1936. He was using it to pull a steel-wheeled International plow, also from the late 1930s. Riley, like Daskin Hull, learned about Plow Day from Chase Wagner.

Plow Day was a family affair for Isaac Koops of Downs. He was there with his grandfather, Bob Koops, also of Downs. The two brought a 4020 John Deere. The tractor was first owned by Isaac's great-grandfather, Chester Koops. Issac comes by his love of old equipment from both his grandfathers, Bob Koops and the late Calvin Bohnert of Jewell.

Another family attending Plow Day was Gary Sorensen and his grandsons, Kale Sorensen and Austin Rosebrook. Austin was the youngest in attendance and was making the rounds to see everything. The Sorensen's are from Denmark and Rosebrook from Beverly. 

Kale Sorenson was the one doing the plowing. He was using a WD Allis tractor – thought to be made in 1948. His plow was a 316 Allis plow.

Another John Deere, a John Deere 50, was being driven by Dale Slope of Zenda. There was also an Oliver tractor at Plow Day. Art Kimminau from Guide Rock had his 1650 Oliver working in the field. 

The tractors crawled across the field all morning, their plows leaving curling lines of overturned soil. After the lunch provided by Joe and Kari Eilert, it was time to load up and move out. But it had been a great day to plow.