April 30, 2005 Plowing the Soil 1770 – 2005

After two very successful barn and carriage barn tours, the Interlaken Historical Society felt it was time to try a new event, a plowing day with demonstrations and displays. The selected location was the Brook Farm Barn owned by the Hunt family.

The work began months before the actual date. Tractor and plow owners were contacted, some with vintage equipment and some with the most modern or largest in the area. Displays were created, and others were invited to bring items to display. Animals and steam engines were part of the growing idea.

A special edition of the Interlaken Historical Society newsletter was being created. Articles were written, business cards collected and scanned, and pages of information went into the first booklet. In the end, there were 24 pages of information and color photographs.

Cover, Special Edition newsletter
Interlaken Historical Society Collections

Saturday morning arrived, and so did the late Spring weather of cool temperatures and drizzle. The day went on as planned. A guest speaker started the morning, and then everyone moved into the field to watch the plowing. One horse, one plow started across the field, to be joined by larger plows and motorized tractors. 

Marty Schlabach introducing the featured speaker,   April 30, 2005
Interlaken Historical Society photo collection

Mary Willers and Judy Barkee at the Interlaken Historical Society sales table 2005
Interlaken Historical Society photo collection

There would be more Plowing Days in the years to come. The event was moved to September of 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014 and most recently 2016. The event has grown with more displays, more tractors and plows, and most of all, more people coming to enjoy a day of fellowship and learning. Each event has a theme relating to agriculture: apples and cider, mortice buildings, cheese, dairy animals.

2016 Featured speaker, Dr. Annie Madison DMV talking about dairy animals
Photo by Karen Nelson

2016 Plowing Day, getting to touch one of the animals
Photo by Karen Nelson

Dewitt’s Diary: Wednesday, April 30, 1919

Plowed all day today. Father went to Ithaca.

I went to Trumansburg in the car tonight. Edna is not feeling well.

 Another entry relating to plowing: April 29, 1925 A frost last night. Put four horses on the disc today and father came up and drove them while I dug around the peach trees across the creek above orchard. The trees are blossoming out some.