When we got up on Saturday morning, it certainly looked like we were going to have to contend with rainy weather for Farm Days.A fine mist started coming down about 5:30 that morning, and it lightly rained for an hour.Fortunately, it stopped raining, and we were left with a cloudy day that had us keeping our jackets on until about noon.Apparently, someone was watching over us throughout the day, as visitors kept telling us all day that they drove through rain to get to the Show, and it sounded as if it rained all around in the surrounding towns during the Staley’s Chicken Supper on Saturday night.
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As usual, the tractors and equipment began arriving throughout the week of the Show.The tractor registration booth was opened for a few hours late Friday afternoon.This was well-received with some of the guys.
It is always interesting to see the tractors and equipment arrive at the Farm.The smiles on the faces of the guys, the joking back and forth of who has the better tractor and the way the guys jump in and lend a hand to whoever needs help unloading is something that never fails to make all of us remember the good old days.
Many of the visitors appreciated the time and effort that Glen and Marlene Hipnar put into fixing up the registration booth.Glen and Marlene are great supporters of the Farm and, once a new roof had been added, they utilized the Adopt-A-Building Program to give the registration booth some much-needed care and attention.Thank you, Glen and Marlene.
For more information, click on the Adopt-A-Building Program tab.
Marlene Hipnar is in charge of the registration booth.She was assisted this year by Betty Kiesel, Elaine Shroder, Sharon Nelson, Marlene Christensen and Jessica Eberl.Marlene and her gang manned the registration booth throughout the day on both Saturday and Sunday, registering 225 tractors and pieces of equipment and 18 stationery exhibits.The registration of tractors and various pieces of equipment that are taken through the parade is a very important job, as the information collected at the registration booth enables the parade announcer to share information about each parade entry with the crowd.The registration process is a lot of hard work that is certainly appreciated by the Farm.
Featured Tractor
Massey Harris was the featured tractor at the 2009 Carstens Farm Show.We had a good turnout of around 50 Massey Harris tractors at the Show. It is always fun to see who brings their tractors to the Show and to find out where they come from.
Parade
Harvey Ferris was back as our announcer this year.
He kept the crowd not only informed on what was going on around the Farm throughout both days, but he kept us entertained with his jokes and comments and did another outstanding job of introducing the tractors, equipment, and their drivers.
The parade is definitely a team effort -- from the efforts of the ladies from the registration booth -- to the people relaying the parade entry numbers to the ladies on the stand -- to the ladies on the stand getting the right information cards to the announcer in the right order --and certainly to the announcer ad-libbing at times.Thanks to Harvey and Judy Ferris, Marlene Hipnar, Sharon Nelson, Betty Kiesel, Elaine Shroder, Marlene Christensen, Terry Torneton and Stacy Torneton.
30 Years of Leadership
The Farm celebrates 30 years of having Wayne Siebels, Larry Ehlers and Brad Ferris as leading members and supporters of Carstens Farm.These men were instrumental in the initial organization of the Farm and continue to be active in threshing, mowing, plowing, harvesting, repairing and various other things.
Right before the start of the parade, President Mel Hursey presented Wayne, Larry and Brad with plaques to commemorate their service and thanked them for the continued support of the Farm.
Crafters
This year, we had 48 crafters and vendors at the 2009 Farm Show.There were a few new crafters that joined us, adding jewelry and yard art to the list of things to be found on the Farm.It is always fun to see the variety of goods for sale and to see the guests who return each year to the Farm Show in hopes of meeting up with their favorite crafters.
Front Gate For many years, Nick Rosenow was in charge of the Front Gate Admission Personnel.Sadly, Nick passed away in May of 2009, and his absence was felt by many.
Fortunately, Nick’s family had all been recruited by him throughout the years to help at the front gate, so everyone knew what to do.Nick’s son, Rod Rosenow, is now in charge, and he and his team did a great job of getting people into the Show.
Sunday Church Services
Church services were held on Sunday morning in the front yard of the house.It was a rather crisp Sunday morning, and the service was enjoyed by all.Steve Kiesel gave an enlightening sermon and the musical group, Perfect Harmony, provided a wonderful ensemble of spiritual songs.
Camping
There are 24 camping spots for people to enjoy at the Farm that are just far enough away from the activities to be able to relax, but close enough to be within walking distance of being right in the middle of most activities. Our Campground Coordinator, Dianne Ehlers, always does a great job at providing the necessary supervision of the campground area.Dianne and her husband, Larry, not only camp on the grounds themselves during Farm Days, but they’re also busy helping with a hundred other details throughout the weekend.
Finger-licking Good Food for All
Several community groups come out each year and prepare food for everyone to enjoy during Farm Days.On Friday evening, we kicked off the official beginning of Farm Days with the Shelby Depot Committee serving a pork sandwich dinner.This event was well-attended, with the funds raised from this dinner benefiting the restoration of the depot project that is underway in Shelby.
The Shelby Volunteer Fire Department hosted a pancake breakfast both Saturday and Sunday mornings.As usual, many people filled up on pancakes and sausage both mornings and sat around to visit.All proceeds from the breakfasts benefit the Shelby Volunteer Fire Department.
Once again, there were a variety of options for lunch on the Farm.There were burgers and brats, salad and chips served by the Shelby Volunteer Fire Department.The Shelby Superstars and Southwest 4-H Clubs provided a wide variety of delicious desserts and pies and an assortment of pop.The Feed Trough dished up sweet potato fries, funnel cakes, onion rings, curly fried potatoes and caramel apple slices.The Shelby Community Club supplied everyone’s sweet tooth with homemade ice cream, and BKTOA offered lemonade for everyone to enjoy.
The Board of Directors of Carstens 1880 Farmstead hosted a delicious chicken dinner served by Staley's Chicken on Saturday night. During dinner, the Jolly Home Brewers entertained the crowd and put on quite a show. We even hhad a few people get up and dance. Proceeds from the chicken dinner go towards on-going maintenance and upkeep of Carstens Farm.
There was certainly no shortage of food and refreshments for people to enjoy. With each organization keeping the proceeds of their sales, an assortment of community organizations benefit each year from the visitors at the Farm Show. These organizations are a great "extension" of the Farm, and we enjoy helping each of them to prosper and grow.
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Once again, we had a great couple of days for Farm Days. We had great crowds, great food, great friends and great fun. From start to finish, a great time was had by all.
If you attended Farm Days this year, if you helped in any way, if you brought tractors or equipment to show, if you set up crafts or equipment to sell, we thank you. We hope you enjoyed yourself, and we certainly hope to see you next September!
Carstens 1880 Farmstead, Inc. PO Box 302 • Shelby, IA 51570 (712) 544-2341 www.carstensfarm.com
