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By Mark Constance
MIO — The AuSable Valley Engine and Tractor Club celebrated farming history, old iron and country life during the 21st annual AuSable Valley Engine & Tractor Show June 26-27 at the Oscoda County Fairgrounds.
The two-day show featured antique tractors, engines, farm machinery and working demonstrations. Visitors saw a working antique sawmill, wheat threshing, straw baling, wooden shingle cutting and branding, crate making and the making of homemade ice cream.
A “Parade of Power” was held at 2 p.m. Friday and Saturday. A members-only tractor pull for “bragging rights” began at 4 p.m.
For many visitors, the show was a step back to a time when farms, barns and workshops were the center of rural life. The old tractors and engines on display were more than machines. They told the story of families who worked the land, repaired their own equipment and depended on neighbors when the job was too big for one person.
Children’s activities included sawdust pits, scavenger hunts, pedal tractor pulls, rolling hoops, birdhouse building and tractor history bingo. A water sponge fight featured a friendly John Deere – Farmall competition. Children also took part in an hour long class in the fairgrounds’ one-room schoolhouse.
Lunch was handled by Mark Radisovich of Mio. Mio Social offered smoothies and refreshers during the event.
The AuSable Valley Engine and Tractor Club meets at 7 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month from January through October at the Clinton Township Hall in Comins. New members and people interested in antique machinery are welcome.
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