The MHV Tractor Drive fundraiser is in its 16th year! This year the event has been planned for Saturday, September 6th. Most years we have run this event in spring, but fall is another wonderful time to drive through the countryside on an antique tractor with friends and supporters of Mennonite Heritage Village.
The antique tractors are an interesting way to remember the past. They recall a time when farm families in southern Manitoba who were making a living on their quarter section of land, caring for livestock and tilling their fields, were introduced to tractors as a source of power to supplement the working power of horses. This led to new opportunities for increasing the number of acres that an individual farmer could cultivate and plant. It meant that there was an opportunity to grow extra grain and hay to support the expansion of their livestock herd or to sell as a cash crop.
If you speak with an antique tractor owner, most of them have a personal connection to the tractor. For many, their tractor was the tractor that they first learned to drive on their farm when they were growing up. I don’t own a tractor, but I remember being 6 or 7 years old and having a shiny new Allis Chalmers 170 tractor delivered to our farmyard. I remember spending many hours, sitting on the fender, as my dad plowed, cultivated, or disced the fields in spring, cut and baled hay in the summer, and worked the fields again after harvesting the crops. And when I was old enough, I learned to operate the tractor ‘just like Dad’. Stories and memories such as these recollections are an important part of every Tractor Drive event.
As mentioned, this is a fundraising event. It’s a way for drivers to encourage their friends and neighbours to support the work of Mennonite Heritage Village (MHV). The museum operates year-round with programs and events to promote our mission to preserve and tell the stories of the early Mennonite settlers who moved to Manitoba in the 1870’s. We are committed to preserving the heritage of early Mennonite settlers, but we also offer significant community-building opportunities and space to promote well-being. Through our many events, including free celebration days, weddings and private functions, and Pioneer Days festival, families can enjoy the beauty of nature and reflect on the powerful connection of a village lifestyle.
On Saturday, September 6th, we look forward to seeing many of you with your tractor. If you can’t join us on a tractor, find another way to enjoy this day. Join us for a community breakfast buffet at the Livery Barn Restaurant at 8:00am, at the lunch stop at Unger Meats south of Mitchell at noon or attend our supper back at MHV at 5:30pm.
Tractor registration forms are available on our website, www.mhv.ca , or at our reception desk from 9:00am to 5:00pm daily. Join us for a wonderful ride through the countryside, as the drivers raise funds for the preservation of our heritage buildings and the ongoing programs for our community.
Hope to see you there!
