This past June marked the 10th annual Tractor Trek event in southeast Manitoba. Organized by the Mennonite Heritage Village Museum in Steinbach and the Eden Foundation, a non-profit health care group, the Trek’s purpose is partly to raise funds for charity.
But vintage runs like this are also about having fun and showing off an old machine. That often includes putting on display the result of hours of restoration work by an owner. Many of the 45 tractors involved in this year’s event were restored, but a few were not. But all of them seemed to be appreciated by the participants and spectators.
Aside from the mechanical simplicity of the old tractors, their size compared to modern machines is notable. It’s sometimes hard to believe our fathers or grandfathers ran their farms with these tractors. They were all considered powerful in their day.
It’s great to see so many owners still taking pride in the old tractors and willing to enter them in events like the Trek. Hopefully that will continue for decades to come. Anyone who wants to enter their tractor in next summer’s event can contact the Mennonite Heritage Village through the website, mennoniteheritagevillage.com.
Here’s a look at some of the sights from this year’s run.
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