Farm humor: What did the little red tractor say to the big green tractor? “Why don’t get you get a little closer, John Deere?”

If farmers can love a machine, it likely would be their tractor. Scratch that “If”: Farm duties that would have been done by hand or by a team of horses were, starting in the 1920s, taken over by tractors. Many of the farms I have seen in The Berkshires, Duchess and Litchfield Counties are using tractors that may not be antiques but are certainly old. And they work beautifully

The tractor shown above is a 1949 Farmall A manufactured by International Harvester. Its “tricycle front wheel design combined with good ground clearance allowed for more nimble maneuvering and accurate field cultivation.” The offset seat allows the farmer to look below his boots to the row he is cultivating

The Farmall is perfect for small farms. Dominic Palumbo from Moon on the Pond Farm in Sheffield Mass is an enthusiastic owner of his “new” 1949 Farmall, purchased for $2,900 (plus a busted Massey Ferguson).

“The Farmall has incredible flexibility,” says Palumbo. “It’s quick and easy to adjust for the spacing you need between rows.” It is a machine that possesses a rugged, timeless beauty—an iconic quality—that everyone can appreciate.

One source for tractors: Tractor House