The Tractor Community and Corn Picking Day!

One wonderful thing about the antique tractor community is the sharing! I saw the post that the Slow Boys Antique Tractor & Engine Club was having a corn picking day in Pittwood, Illinois. Then I shared it on my Facebook page. Soon, my husband Keith and I made plans to go! It is this sharing and openness in the antique tractor community that makes all feel welcome at antique tractor events.

Art and Corinne Downs were the hosts.

The Picker Day was held on ground farmed by Art and Corinne Downs. This was their 6th picker day. They lost one year to Covid, and one to weather. You may recognize Art’s name. He is famous in the tractor pulling community. Art has been announcing tractor pulls for years. “I have been announcing at the Illinois State Fair for 16-18 years.”

Members of the Slow Boys Antique Tractor and Engine Club came to the event. “Art is the President of the Slow Boys club,” Corinne shared.

She was busy setting up food for the luncheon, but she said, while she chose not to drive, she can, “Drive most anything!”

“We rent 30 acres and hobby farm,” Art said. “I do this plow day in the spring. Then have the Picker Day in the fall. There are lots of guys that collect and have nowhere to use their equipment (except he remembered at the recent Half Century of Progress). I plant wide rows so guys can use it to pick corn.”

“My favorite aspect is harvest,” Art said. “I enjoyed picking ear corn as a kid.”

Art estimated that there were four different brands of pickers. There was, a Case, Oliver, Wood Brothers left-handed picker and a 2MH International mounted picker along with a New Idea sheller attachment.

Pick, shell, haul!

The corn was picked. Then shelled and hauled to the local Pittwood Elevator. Action began around 9:30 a.m. It was all done around 3:00 p.m. Matt and David, Hall father and son were helping out, one running barge wagons to the sheller and back, the other taking grain to the elevator.

Wayne Becker had his 1958 D17 Allis Chalmers on hand. “It came out of the bottoms of Southern Illinois,” he shared. His Oliver 73 Picker he bought out of a fence row. “I spent 40 hours getting it to pick two years ago.”

He had fond memories two years ago of picking with his late father Marvin Becker who was 87 at the time. “He worked the whole day,” Wayne recalled.

Steve Eilers had his 1953 John Deere 50, and 1947 Woods Brothers picker. He didn’t have far to come saying, “I only live a mile and a half away.”

“My dad’s first picker was a Wood’s Brother,” he said. “It is the same age as me.”

He didn’t say how old that was, and I didn’t ask! The 50 was sold to Steve by the wife of Jess Trumble that Steve farmed with for 30 years. “He bought it new at Watseka Corn Belt Implement.”

Youngest picker!

Jerry Snedecor was on hand with his grandson eight-year-old Deegan Thurston. The 1951 Farmall M Deegan said was his tractor. His excitement was palpable throughout the day!

Lunch and more.

Donovon FFA kids were on hand helping. One young woman was learning to drive a rare Gibson tractor. A group of wonderful ladies served up chili and ham sandwiches along with some amazing cookies.

With a church nearby as a backdrop, the words, “Faith, family and farming” come to mind. The antique tractor community rallies around one another sharing their food, their talents, and their time to create memorable events like Art and Corinne Down’s Picker Day!