MachineryLink

Steve Wilson of Rochester, Minnesota, was awarded a new Farmall utility 75C tractor this week as part of a year-long celebration of Farmall's 100th anniversary. Wilson was one of 8,446 participants in the Case IH-sponsored contest in which entrants were asked to submit their stories about the Farmall Series and how they would use the new Farmall in their businesses.

"The Farmall brand is all about heritage," Wilson tells Case IH in accepting the utility 75C. First introduced in 1923, the Farmall became known as the new way to farm without horses. "This contest gave me an unexpected opportunity to dive deeper into my own heritage, which was a very rewarding experience."

Wilson's family farming line reaches back to a Minnesota dairy operated by Wilson's maternal grandfather. The dairy farm employed horses to deliver milk to neighbors even in the Minnesota winter and even when customers could not pay.

Wilson's mother and father, Melvin and Elrey Wilson, had four children. Wilson is the youngest and was born with a harrowing story.

"When I came along as the youngest, [my mother] received the bittersweet news of being diagnosed with cancer and being pregnant," Wilson recalls. "She made the decision to put her own life at risk to assure I could be born."

In his youth, Wilson remembers how Farmall equipment made the farm work with all its traditional uses. But he also remembers how his father found that the tractor well-suited for nontraditional work. For example, he mounted a cement mixer on the back of Farmall Super M to help lay the foundation for a new barn.

In fact, it was that same Super M his father had purchased new that migrated over to Wilson's new farming operation. It was his first tractor. Later, Wilson's first tractor purchase was a 35A Farmall.

"Steve's story was very inspiring and was one of the most memorable submissions we saw during the review process," said Teri Zanella, campaign manager for tractors at Case IH. "We created this contest to give a tractor to one of our most passionate fans. It was great to see how Case IH and Farmalls have made such an impact for so many family farms."

More information on the Farmall series: www.caseih.com/en-us/unitedstates/products/tractors/farmall-series

Dan Miller can be reached at dan.miller@dtn.com

Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DMillerPF

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