RFD Vintage Country

Mike Sliberhorn, Winnebago County, has restored more International Harvester tractors than he can remember!

Morris Zimmerlein with 42nd Annual Sublette Antique Tractor & Toy Show. The show is next weekend March16th and 17th. Morris has a 1957 John Deere 620 and is one of the people who brought the show back after it missed a year from COVID.

The Martinsville Ag Fair grandstands constructed in the 1930’s and replaced a 1905 structure that was destroyed by a 1912 tornado. The Martinsville Ag Fair kicks off the 2024 Illinois County Fair season May 26-June 2. The grandstands are receiving some repairs heading into this year’s fair. Fair board president Bob Zellers interviewed for the piece.

Gene Millard, who in 2010 was inducted into the National Association of Farm Broadcasting Hall of Fame, and his 1950 Ford 8N tractor.

Sherry Schaefer, CEO and Editor of Heritage Iron and Oliver Heritage magazines, from Greenville. She’s an annual exhibitor at the National Farm Machinery Show, and this year her booth included an Oliver tractor that had its engine converted to a Cummins, giving it more than 160 horsepower.

We meet Allen Broster, a 2nd generation Wabash County farmer with 15 classic tractors. This has become a family affair as his son and grandson have also picked up the habit.

We learn about the Barclay Sesquicentennial Farm in McDonough County.

In this weekend’s edition of Vintage Country, RFD Radio’s Rita Frazer follows up on a Vintage segment that ran last September about a 1970 Dodge Challenger. Rita visited with Mark Stock co-owner of Big Iron Auctions about the classic car and the BIG price paid for the green beast at last fall’s sale.

We revisit a converation with COUNTRY Financial CEO Jim Jacobs about a family treasure, a 1947 Chevy Thriftmaster farm truck.

Champaign County farmer, Chris Karr, is featured in this weekend’s show. RFD Radio’s Rita Frazer caught up with Chris the Half Century of Progress show in Rantoul in August.

The Goble octagon barn is located near Paw Paw in DeKalb County. We hear from Jonathan Goble about this structure.

The story behind the 1947 Dodge pickup featured on the program last weekend. Today, the truck sits at the Kane County Farm Bureau as it is the prize in their annual foundation raffle. The two-tone black & dark blue truck had belonged to Ernest E. Witwer of Winchester, Illinois, and after his passing the truck went to auction. Eveyln Witwer Downs, says she her dad (EEW) took such great care of...

Kane County Farm Bureau President Joe White and Manager Steve Arnold tell us about their annual vintage truck raffle to benefit the Kane County Farm Bureau Foundation.

Bob Hunnicutt, Washington, IL in Tazewell County, is a member of the River Valley Antique Association. He has a few different antique tractors, and is adding to his collection, with a German tractor.

Charlotte Wohler, President of the Historic Marbold Farmstead Association.

Eldon Gould, Kane County Farmer, shares the story about a 1947 John Deere A.

Keeping the memories of 1,293 closed or defunct schools alive in Illinois. Meet Dave Nanninga, founder of the Illinois High School Glory Days website. Dave is a native of Mineral. Attached pictured is Mineral High School, which was open from 1922-1961.

Kendra Downing and her family’s rustic barn, which serves as a backdrop for the Downing Daughters Pumpkin Patch in Cambridge. Kendra was a National Proficiency Award winner in Agricultural Sales – Entrepreneurship at last week’s National FFA Convention.

Louie Weishaupt shares details of the 21st Annual Antique Tractor Plowing Bee near Mackinaw this weekend.

One for the Books! In this episode the focus is on a 1970 JD 6030 that sold in an auction earlier this month. The tractor was a part of a Macoupin County JD Collection that was auctioned off my Cody Hanold of Hanold Auctioneer.

Norm Diehl, owner of Kristin's Pumpkin Patch in Springfield, gives hayrides on his dad's old 1952 Oliver.

Brad Schumacher has many hobbies and interest. He has a gift for announcing at cattle shows and calling demo derbies around the state at county fairs. He also has driven in derbies and in this edition of Vintage Country talks about his favorite car he every built, a 1974 Oldsmobile station wagon.

Roger Funkhouser of Bloomington, Indiana, brought his restored Farmall H & Farmall B tractors to the Half-Century of Progress Show in Rantoul this summer. Roger talks about the stories behind the tractors and the memories they brought back, even for his father who is suffering from dementia.

Eric Stanley, 5th generation farmer in rural Peoria County, on a corn harvest day this weekend near Elmwood.

Jim Taylor talks with Sandwich Fair Board President Larry Dannewitz. He shares the story of the Main ticket booth at the Sandwich Fair in DeKalb County. The building dates back to the 1870’s.