Rust or Rejuvenate

After farm machines reach their useful life, they’re either left to rust in a field and forgotten or they undergo a makeover and are showcased at a prominent spot on the farm.

To be abandoned on the north forty means the poor machine will disintegrate as rust and corrosion eat away at paint and metal. Perhaps it’ll transform into topiary, as climbing vines take root or grass grows tall around it because farm implements don’t pass close enough to mow when the rest of the field is tilled. Transported to their final resting places, the engines of these idled machines are switched off for the last time and the ignition key left right where it is, not serving any other purpose.

The fortunate ones undergo meticulous rejuvenation with vibrant colors blanketing their bodies, engines, and wheels. This process breathes new life into their aging frames even though, operationally, they’re no longer capable of youthful tasks. I’ve seen restored tractors grace farmhouse lawns like landscape decor in an outdoor furniture shop. There, they patiently await passing drivers, like a man in a van, who might turn his head or stop to show them some love with his camera.

One day, I stumbled upon a salvage yard and witnessed rows of cannibalized tractors sorted by part, type, and function. The scene resembled a common grave containing the storied brands I’d seen on display at the Bonanzaville Museum in Fargo: Deere, Case, Allis Chalmers, McCormick-Deering, Massey-Harris, Twin City, Hart-Parr, Wallis, and Farmers Union Co-Op.

Eying the battlefield of pieces and parts, I thought about their inglorious end, never having had the chance to rust away in a field or serve as yard decor like pretty pink flamingos.