OLIVIA -- There are people who appreciate the scenery of the Minnesota River Valley from the seat of a tractor, but they usually keep going back and forth in the same fields.
Come the weekend of September 7 and 8, a group of tractor enthusiasts will try a different approach.
The first Minnesota River Valley TractorCade will follow the scenic and quiet back roads of the valley on a two-day excursion starting at Fort Ridgley State Park. The route will include about 28 miles of tractor travel each day, and include stops and visits along the way to discover the valley's history and beauty.
Organizers Dick Hagen and Jim Zenk, Renville County Farm Bureau members, are tractor enthusiasts who are well aware of how popular TractorCades are in some parts of the Midwest. Enthusiasts are typically people who keep and maintain vintage tractors and enjoy taking one and two-day excursions at a tractor's pace, said Hagen.
The pace is no faster than the slowest tractor in the chain, which is usually about 12 miles per hour tops.
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Hagen said they wanted to offer a unique and scenic route for tractor enthusiasts in this area, and put together a two-day itinerary following the Minnesota River.
The event will also promote the area's growing bio-fuels industry as a "Bio-Diesel" TractorCade. Zenk will drive his 1976 Massey Ferguson model 275, which he powers with B-100, a 100 percent soybean oil based fuel. Bio-diesel will be available for participants, although Hagen noted that most vintage tractors are gas burners or use straight diesel.
Highlights on Saturday, the first day of the TractorCade include visits to Fort Ridgley state park and the Birch Coulee Historic Battlefield Site, and Bob Starr's famous Cedar Rock Ranch. Located north of Redwood Falls, the ranch offers a sweeping view of the river valley, a steak dinner for TractorCade participants, and best of all, the opportunity to hear Bob Starr tell stories about the valley's history.
Sunday's adventure continues along the scenic back roads that wind along the valley, leading to Enestvedt's Seed Farm and late, Sally Milroy's 20-acre Echo Creek Vineyard. Both are acclaimed destinations that offer some of the valley's most picturesque settings.
Hagen said they are now in the midst of accepting registrations for the event. A $35 participation fee includes the cost for the steak dinner, afternoon coffee and beverage breaks, and a Sunday breakfast.
Participants are welcome to camp at the Starr Ranch on Saturday, or stay at Redwood Falls area motels.
To register send name, address and check for the amount to Jim Zenk, 84691 Highway 71, Danube, MN 56230 or call the Renville County Farm Bureau, 320-523-2722 or e-mail: julie.griffith@fbfs.com
The event is being sponsored by Minnesota Farm Bureau in cooperation with the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association and Farmers Co-op Company of Renville.
