Old-fashioned farming demonstrations draw visitors from near, far

Last Sunday, April 14, Old Time Farm Days was held for the second time at the farm of Leanna and Keith Schafer, located five miles west of Odessa on S.R. 28.

The Bohnet family of Wilson Creek had put on an old-fashioned plowing event for 27 years up until two years ago. At that time Pete Nelson of Odessa and Jon and Michelle Overmyer of Davenport did not want to see the event discontinued. So they asked the Schafers if there was a place on their land where plowing demonstrations could be performed.

This year there were 10 hitched teams on the field, in groups of two, three and four horses or mules. The types of draft animals used were Percheron mules, Belgians and Shires. Teams came from Lewiston, Pend Oreille, Davenport, Ellensburg, Deep Creek and Odessa.

There was a teamsters potluck on Friday evening, and Pete and Maria Nelson provided breakfast for them on Satuday morning. The FFA Chapter from Odessa High School provided pulled pork sandwiches for lunch on Saturday at noon and there was a teamsters barbeque on Saturday evening.

The weather on Saturday was very windy and it was hard on the teamsters, but the spectators circled the field in their cars, so they could sit inside them to watch. Sunday, on the other hand, was a beautiful day and made for enjoyable plowing and spectating.

Three different plowing events took place this April. On the weekend of April 6-7, the event was held in Pomeroy, on the weekend of April 13-14 in Odessa and this coming weekend, April 20-21, the final demonstrationd days will be held in Colfax.