Farm Collectibles Created from Family Ties

Among the tractors in his collection is a '36 A.

"My dad and uncle traded two teams of horses for a '36 A when they started farming, and they continued to use horses for a long time after that," he said. "It runs fantastic, but I can't even imagine farming with a '36 A."

His Model B is totally restored, inside and out. But it's not truly representative of Bud's collection.

"I'm not one for all the shiny paint. We look more at getting them running," he said. "They'd probably be worth more if we did paint them. But I like them for what they were built for ... for what they were designed to do."

A Model D from the forties offers stark contrast to the picture-perfect B.

"We found that in the middle of a pasture about a half mile from the Mexico border, and there was no farm anywhere nearby." he said. "It had been pretty well ransacked, and spent a lot of years in the desert sun, I would guess it's pretty well used up."

Bud counts about 15 vintage classics in his collection, including a 1955 JD 60, a '41 G and a '51 G (currently on loan to the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum).

An aging iron horse stands out among the Deeres. Bud is acting as caretaker for a Lauson Beaver found on a nearby farm.

"This is about the first tractor the old timers remember in the Mesilla Valley," he said. "I'd guess it dates to the twenties."

Bud is one of a steadily decreasing number of collectors who actually work the land. He's seen the effect of a changing economy on the family farm.

"My uncles were among the very early settlers here," he said. "When I was a kid, there were 10 Deerman relatives farming in the valley. Now, me and my son are the last ones." FC 

For more information: Floyde Adams, 2001 S. Valley Dr., Las Cruces, NM 88005; phone (505) 523-7511; FAX (505) 523-5841; email: fadams@adamsacc.com. 

Bud Deerman, Rt. 1 Box 340B, La Mesa, NM 88044; (505) 233-3646.