Check out some of the best gifts you can find for the farm collectible enthusiast in your life this holiday season as compiled by the experts.
Collectors collaborate on new implement collectibles reference
Members of the Cast Iron Seat Collectors Assn. recently took a break from their hobby to collaborate on an impressive addition to the farm implement collectibles category. Their newly released Guide to Farm Implement Collectibles Vol. 1: Mower Lids, Footrests, Planter Markers, Planter Lids and Tool Boxes covers pieces that are highly collectible but which often fly well under the radar.
The spiral-bound paperback offers page after page of cast iron eye candy in full color and provides information on manufacturers and rarity. To sweeten the deal, the book includes reproductions of ornate commercial art from an era when advertisements showcased farm implements in a beautifully romantic way.
Whether you’re new to this category or a seasoned collector, this book is an invaluable resource and one of enduring value.
Guide to Farm Implement Collectibles Vol. 1: Mower Lids, Footrests, Planter Markers, Planter Lids and Tool Boxes, published in 2023 by the Cast Iron Seat Collectors Assn. Paperback with plastic spiral binding, 136 pages, color photography. Available for $40 plus shipping. Contact Jeanine Kintigh, 2696 280 Rd., Webber, KS 66970; phone (402) 879-1181; email: jrkintigh@gmail.com.
Connecting the dots between the 1970s energy crisis and the rise of renewable power today
Windmills long provided power to rural America. But after the Rural Electrification Act, the windmill became a nostalgic symbol of the past. The Arab oil embargo of 1973 renewed interest in wind power, and that is the subject of a new book — Wind Energy Revolution — by Christoper C. Gillis Sr.
Gillis, the editor of the Windmillers’ Gazette and author of Still Turning: A History of Aermotor Windmills, examines the factors that fanned flames of interest in small wind generators in the 1970s, and goes on to show how enthusiasm for renewable energies then paved the way for today’s attitudes toward renewable power.
For historians as well as anyone interested in wind as a viable renewable resource, Wind Energy Revolution offers an interesting and useful perspective in today’s world.
Wind Energy Revolution: How the 1970s Energy Crisis Fostered Renewed Interest in Electric-Generating Technology, by Christopher C. Gillis Sr., published by Texas A&M University Press. Hardcover, 338 pages, black-and-white photos. Available for $55 from Texas A&M University Press, www.tamupress.com; phone (800) 826-8911.
Rolling out the red carpet
Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Farmall tractor, author and photographer extraordinaire Lee Klancher has pulled out the stops to create a crescendo of tractor history in Farmall Century: The Evolution of Red Tractors and Crawlers in the Golden Age of International Harvester.
Farmall Century includes a vast store of new details on the historic machines illustrating the history of Farmall and early International Harvester production. Weighing in at 8 pounds, the book is a beautifully written, researched and photographed tome tracing the rich history of the Farmall.
A decade in the making, Farmall Century showcases new discoveries, never-before-published photos, archival imagery, engineering drawings and complete coverage of all IH tractors up to 1957. Required reading for fans of red tractors!
Farmall Century 1923-2023: The Evolution of Red Tractors and Crawlers in the Golden Age of International Harvester, by Lee Klancher, Guy Fay, Jim Allen and Kenneth Updike, published by Octane Press. Hardcover, 384 pages, color photography. Available for $85 through Store.FarmCollector.com or by calling (866) 624-9388. Mention promo code HOLIDAY23. Item #11957.
Farmall 100 Years celebrates an American classic
In Farmall 100 Years, award winning tractor author, photographer and historian Randy Leffingwell and prolific tractor historian Robert N. Pripps team up again to offer a richly illustrated and detailed book capturing the full story of Farmall tractors.
Beautiful, contemporary photos and rare historical images accompany in-depth analyses of milestone tractors. The text explores engineering developments, their historical context and key figures as the authors provide a unique perspective on an American farming giant. Bonus material: twenty-first century offerings from Case IH, New Holland and Steyr.
Farmall 100 Years, by Randy Leffingwell with Robert N. Pripps, published by Motorbooks. Hardcover, 208 pages, color photography. Available for $50 through Store.FarmCollector.com or by calling (866) 624-9388. Mention promo code HOLIDAY23. Item #11801.
When giants walked the earth
No stranger to the tractor industry, Peter D. Simpson has authored several books on four-wheel-drive and articulated tractors. The Green Steiger Tractor Story follows Simpson’s previous titles Ultimate Tractor Power and The Big Bud Tractor Story.
The book covers the line from Fargo, where production moved in 1969, to the era when the Steiger name was removed from tractors with the introduction of the Case International 9100 Series in 1987. The Steiger name returned with the Case IH 9300 Series in 1995.
In-depth text, technical data, specifications and build years are complemented by lavish color photography. A great addition to any library!
The Green Steiger Tractor Story, by Peter D. Simpson, published by 3-Point Ink July 2023. Paperback, 202 pages, color photography. Available for $35 from 3 Point Ink with choice of covers (Barn Series or Fargo Series) at www.3pointink.com/shop; phone (618) 664-1550.
Like a visit with an old friend
Author Alan Easley was visiting with a friend when someone asked him what his books were about. Before he could answer, his friend said “Life! They’re about life!” As Alan noted in his most recent book, “He described them a lot better than I ever had.”
Everybody Knows That, Don’t They? Is Alan’s third book. He might cringe at this description, but his books fit the definition of a memoir. A retired Missouri farmer, Alan has never forgotten a story worth retelling, and his books are full of them, as well as his unique wit and wisdom (“Do you ever wonder why? I do sometimes.”)
Read one of Alan’s books and you’ll find yourself laughing out loud, and that could be just what the doctor ordered on a cold winter’s night.
Everybody Knows That, Don’t They?, by Alan Easley, published by NukeWorks Publishing. Hardcover, 285 pages, black-and-white photographs. Available for $25 postage paid from Alan Easley, 8300 E. Turner Farm Rd., Columbia, MO 65201.
Celebrating the enduring impact of Clessie Cummins, REMEMBERED AS THE FATHER OF THE AMERICAN TRUCK DIESEL
A third edition of The Diesel Odyssey of Clessie Cummins: The Remarkable Story of One of America’s Greatest Inventors has been published by Octane Press in partnership with the Cummins Heritage Center in Columbus, Ohio.
Written by Cummins’ son, Lyle Cummins, The Diesel Odyssey traces the life and impact of Clessie Cummins. Incorporating memories of his father from his own youth with interviews and material gathered through in-depth research, the author takes a deep dive into the life of a foremost American inventor.
Clessie Cummins’ formal education ended in eighth grade, but his innate curiosity and remarkable mind fueled a prolific career as an inventor, engineer and businessman. Cummins was awarded 33 U.S. patents over a span of 56 years. Truly one of the giants!
The Diesel Odyssey of Clessie Cummins: The Remarkable Story of One of America’s Greatest Inventors, by C. Lyle Cummins Jr., published by Octane Press. Paperback, 472 pages. Available for $29.95 through Store.FarmCollector.com or by calling (866) 624-9388. Mention promo code HOLIDAY23. Item #12189.
The complete story of the Graham-Bradley
If you’ve ever been frustrated by a book on a tractor line that left you with more questions than answers, do not hesitate to add The Graham-Bradley Tractor: A History to your library.
Nearly 350 pages dense with meaty detail, this oversized book delivers the complete story of a lesser-known but highly regarded tractor built by a car company. Producing fewer than 2,500 tractors from 1937-’39, Graham-Bradley was a flash in the pan, but it was a stylish and innovative flash.
Author Michael E. Keller and knowledgeable contributors have produced what is already the preeminent source on the line. The book traces corporate planning, design and manufacture and provides seven extensive appendices as well as more than 200 never-before-published photographs. A fascinating read for any tractor enthusiast!
The Graham-Bradley Tractor: A History, by Michael E. Keller, published by M.T. Publishing Co., Inc. Hardcover, 344 pages, black-and-white photographs and illustrations. Available for $44.95 from M.T. Publishing Co. Inc., www.mtpublishing.com; (888)263-4702.
Stay on track with Classic Farm Tractors 2024 calendar
You won’t miss a minute of the action in 2024 with Josh Deaven’s Classic Farm Tractors wall calendar keeping you on track! And the 2024 calendar is the 35th anniversary collector’s edition, so that’s a keeper for sure.
The 2023 lineup includes a Massey Ferguson 1155, a 1961 Case 530, a 1961 Fordson Super Major, a 1969 David Brown, a 1950 Silver King 250 and a 1968 Deutz D6006 among others.
Check out the complete offering – including a 2024 steam engine wall calendar – at the Classic Farm Tractors site below.
Josh Deaven’s Classic Farm Tractors 2024 wall calendar, 35th consecutive collector’s edition. Calendars and more, from ballcaps to puzzles, at www.classictractors.com; phone: (800) 888-8979.
