“…funny thing happened on the way to the Old Thresher’s Reunion this year…” I made a detour and stopped at the Farm Progress show in Boone, Iowa. A monster of a show, Farm Progress is held in Boone, and alternates in Decatur, Illinois every other year. The Boone site has nearly 85 acres, and the show occupies an additional 300 acres for field demonstrations, plus 180 acres for visitor parking. And I think I parked on the 179th acre! The dates this year were August 28-30, 2012. Next year you can visit Decatur, Illinois on August 27-29, 2013 to see the show, and for more info you can go to www.farmprogress.com.
I didn’t spend enough time to see everything, but I got a taste of the show. Here’s one of our advertisers, Worthington, Ag Parts.
Several antique tractor clubs display their old iron on Antique Row. 
I got to watch Orion Samuelson and Max Armstrong on stage. 
Moving on to the Old Threshers Reunion down the road in Mt Pleasant, the show dates were August 30-September 3, 2012. As has been our tradition, Farm Collector and Gas Engine Magazine are represented in a big tent area set up just east of the Grandstand and the food building. (A very strategic placing for those of us who work the booth. It’s close by the delicious meals, rib eye sandwiches and ice cream, to make sure we keep our strength up!)
And the daily Cavalcade of Power parade participants motor right by our tent, so we get a great view! 
Allis Chalmers was the tractor feature this year and it was also the Stickney gas engine reunion as well.
I always appreciate the fantastic prizes many of our advertisers donate. We get so many people who stop in to enter the prize drawing. And I love that every year someone stops in just to tell me that they got a prize last year and were so excited that they had actually won! See, you really can win, so stop in next year and enter! Here’s a picture of the prizes from this past show.
On Saturday we got some rain and I snapped this picture of these little girls. They know how to enjoy a puddle without getting too wet, and maybe the fashion craze will catch on!
Running around the grounds filling up gas tanks, I loved the PEP Gas boys’ shirts! 
The Midwest Old Threshers Association opened a new Welcome Center on the grounds this year, a super addition and a testament to the continued growth of the association and the hobby!
It’s always fun to be a part of this show with tractors, engines, steam engines, villages, trains, trolleys, concerts … It’s a hopping place to be every Labor Day weekend. The next show is August 29-Sept. 2, 2013. See www.oldthreshers.org for details!
See you down the road!
