Collecting
across the country After my recent 5,000-mile, eight-state, two-province tour of the west, it’s obvious that John Deere is a common denominator in agriculture.
And that means crowds of collectors, sheds full of antique iron restoration projects, and basements dedicated to Deere. Not to mention a slew of antique shops no matter where in the world you go. Leaping deer logos spotted across the land In almost every "tourist trap," you could find at least one person with a John Deere cap, shirt, or belt buckle on! These friendly farm folks were willing to talk about where they came from and what they love about Deere. A John Deere dealership was another regular sight on the trip. Typically, one could be found in almost every semi-major community along the way. The only thing that changed from place to place was the type of specialty equipment sitting on the lot. Whether it was a Gator used to get around at a Montana resort, a mudder tractor in the vegetable fields of California, or an orchard tractor in the Napa & Sonoma Valleys, the famed John Deere green paint was a popular part of the scenery.
The primary "eye-opener" of the trip was the diverse nature of agriculture in various states and provinces. Born and raised in the Midwest, vast fields of corn, soybeans and hay are familiar sites. And the western plains and prairies of waving wheat are nothing new to this farm-girl. But seeing tarp-covered fields of ginseng (a highly valued herb in China known for its healing powers) in British Columbia was definitely new to this Iowan-turned-New Mexican. Another surprising sight —Ýthe "gardens galore" of Tulare County, California, a major market for vegetable crops. The variety of agriculturally-related industries seen en route was exciting, encouraging, and even entertaining at times. Dwarfed by tall, towering timbers of the logging/lumber industry…inundated by fishy odors near the coasts and harbors that depend on fishing for their livelihood…awed by the tangled grapevines sprawling over the rolling hills of the Napa and Sonoma Valleys…the trip was an intense experience for the senses — sights, sounds, and especially, smells! The nose "knows" Having been blessed with a superb sense of smell, I was often able to "sniff out" the crop before we even saw it. For example, the garlic odors wafted in through the AC vents as we drove near Gilroy, California, the garlic capital of the world. And in Idaho, I was confused why I smelled beer until I realized that we were driving through hops country…the big BudweiserÆ silos near Idaho Falls, Idaho, finally gave it away! ©2000 Brenda Kruse |
