Kids nowadays live in a digital world of electronics. They have never seen a world without computer touchscreens and smartphones. Mike Peters has found a way to teach youth about a world before the digital age. He did it through his 1928 Rumely Tractor that he has named Wilma and some other older agricultural equipment.
“The fact that the buses of kids came out really made me smile,” said Mike. The kids were intrigued by what they saw and learned about farming in earlier times. The kids started out by watching a corn grinder in action. Then it was time for the kids to meet Wilma. Mike showed them how to start his tractor. Of course, there were no electronic buttons to push or remote starters to activate. As the kids found out, Wilma starts up the old-fashioned way. The day ended with Wilma working alongside a Rumely separator.
Mike found that his tractor went a long way toward educating the kids about farming history. If left to books and video alone, the message may not truly reach young minds. But in person, the old tractor captivated the interest and imaginations of the kids. They went home with a newfound understanding into the legacy of American agriculture.
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