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Sharing Memories and Vintage Tractors with Al VanDeWeert

photo by Cookie Steponaitis Al milked cows and farmed for a total of sixty years. This is the original tractor purchased by his father right after World War II in Allendale, New York off of a freight car.

photo by Cookie Steponaitis Al and his grandson Joe stand together by a John Deere A tractor that is currently in their shop under restoration.

photo by Cookie Steponaitis Al sits on the seat of a 1930’s corn harvester, which was pulled by horses and then later by the Farmall H tractor.

Tuesday June 23, 2009

By Cookie Steponaitis

    When Al VanDeWeert was a young boy on a farm he grew up in a family of eight boys and three girls. His father used a horse team to plow and complete all the work on the family farm that was located forty miles outside New York City and at that time tractors were not in production because of World War II. He was about ten years old when his father purchased his first tractor, changing forever the family farm and signaling the impact of the industrial changes connected to agricultural practices in America. Currently, that first tractor of his father’s and a growing collection at his home pay tribute to the involvement of the VanDeWeert family in agriculture and Al’s own personal passion for collecting and restoring these working pieces of American and Vermont agricultural history.

    “I started on my own farm in 1957,” recalled Al. “I had 34 cows, one bull and a 1951 Case tractor. It was located in Edenville, New York, which is about twenty miles due west of Newburgh, New York.” While his father’s tractor passed to two of his older brother’s, Al eventually acquired it from one of his brothers ten years ago. Al and his family moved to the Champlain Valley on October 29, 1965, bringing with him the entire herd which then consisted of 60 cows and thirty heifers and calves, along with the chickens cats and dogs. When Al ended his farming career ten years ago and sold his cows, Al was free to turn his attention to his passion for his family and his desire to purchase, restore and display antique tractors. His four grandsons are diesel mechanics and Al has plenty of help in his shop working on and restoring International, Case and John Deere tractors.

    Another curious piece of his collection includes a corn harvester from the late 1930’s. Driven behind horses, Al remembers his father  using this piece of equipment to cut corn and tie it into bundles. “ My father would custom fill five or six neighbor’s silos and the family farm,” recalled Al. Al’s own career in farming has spanned hand milking,  dumping stations and milking parlors and Al spoke openly about his concerns for the future of farmers in the county.

  “Right now milk prices are $10.00 a hundred and it was that over fifteen years ago. It is absolutely unbelievable the extent that farmers are struggling. My grandson Josh Verburg lives in Arizona and his uncle owns a 12,000 cow dairy farm in California. At present they are losing 1.2 million dollars a month in revenue, compared to two years ago.”

    Strolling through the collection of tractors with Al and his grandson Joe VanDeWeert, Al shared personal stories associated with some of the tractors and the memories he has of the farmers who once owned them. “Others,” he comments, “are found in auctions or people called him to purchase.” Each piece attracts different people and Al has had people stopping at his home from England, Israel and Florida. Some seek pieces for personal collections and others want custom work done on tractors. It never ceases to amaze Al how the tractors open up conversations about agriculture and technology, both past and present. Every Memorial Day Al and his grandsons drive some of the collection in the Memorial Day Parade in Vergennes, sharing the tractors with old and young alike.

    With twenty five grandchildren and 4 ¾ great grandchildren, Al’s family has plenty to be thankful for and time to treasure gatherings where the next generations learn the ropes of operating, repairing and appreciating the uses and changes in the tools of agriculture in the Champlain Valley, both past and present. So, for your enthusiasts, farmers, or just plain curious, Al’s collection is located on the VanDeWeert farm, located at the heart of Ferrisburgh on Route Seven. As impressive as the collection is, the greatest knowledge comes from sharing memories and wisdom with Al VandeWeert and his family, all deeply rooted in Vermont and in agriculture.

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