-Farm News photo by Darcy Dougherty Maulsby
Paul Nehman, organizer of the Yetter Tractor Ride, waves as he drives his Oliver tractor down the road during the Yetter Tractor Ride on June 11. He said the ride is known to draw multiple generations together, including grandparents, parents and their grandchildren.

YETTER — Downtown Yetter is one of those places that time seems to have passed by. No longer is there a thriving business district with a bank, grocery store, post office, filling station and other stores. But there’s still a park in this Calhoun County town, which has 20 or so residents. The place roars to life, literally, when classic tractors of all colors, makes and models roll into town each June for the Yetter Tractor Ride.

This is the third year for the ride, which took place on June 11.

“I started this in 2020, when so many things were shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Paul Nehman, who lives between Yetter and Lytton. “People just wanted to get outside, and a tractor ride seemed like a good option.”

Nehman was familiar with the Jolley tractor ride, which has been held for a number of years on the first Sunday in August. He figured tractor owners might like another ride to see the southern part of Calhoun County and surrounding areas, too.

The Yetter Tractor Ride is held the second Saturday each June. It starts with a BBQ pork lunch at the Yetter City Park (thanks to sponsorship from Macke Motors in Lake City, the Yetter Locker and Landus Cooperative). The ride starts at noon and runs from Yetter to Lake City (with a loop through the driveway at Shady Oaks Care Center) to historic Rainbow Bridge in southern Calhoun County to Grant Park in eastern Sac County. Riders then return to Yetter.

-Farm News photo by Darcy Dougherty Maulsby
Around 50 tractors typically take part in the Yetter Tractor Ride. This year's ride was held on June 11.

There’s no registration or entry fee, said Nehman, who noted that about 50 tractor drivers usually show up for the event.

“It’s a fairly short ride, but it’s fun to see the scenery in different parts of the area,” said Nehman, who leads the group with his restored, 1958 770 Oliver diesel. “It’s also neat to see all the different tractors.”

Drivers come back year after year

Tractor rides have become a rural phenomenon in recent years that inspire curious onlookers to ask, “What’s the occasion?” Some tractor rides are fundraisers, while some are multi-day, mini-vacations for the participants. Others, like the Yetter Tractor Ride, are social events that allow riders to travel at a leisurely speed as they roll through the countryside and take

in the sites during an afternoon.

-Farm News photo by Darcy Dougherty Maulsby
The oldest driver on the 2022 Yetter Tractor Ride was 91-year-old Darwin McConkey, of Alta, who drove an International 504 during the ride.

Drivers show up with John Deeres, Farmalls, Olivers, Cases and other rigs. Some machines are nearly 100 years old, while others speak to a more modern era. The drivers themselves are as interesting as their tractors. The oldest driver on the 2022 Yetter Tractor Ride was 91-year-old Darwin McConkey of Alta, who drove an International 504 during the ride.

Tractor rides offer a unique, multi-generational experience. “It’s great to see

grandparents, parents and grandchildren participating in tractor rides together,” Nehman said.

Tractor rides also provide an eye-catching spectacle that brings greater visibility to the farm community. Nick Burley, who farms in the Lake City area, was a first-time participant in the 2022 Yetter Tractor Ride.

“I figured it would be fun to go on a few tractor rides this summer,” said Burley, who drove a John Deere 3020.

-Farm News photo by Darcy Dougherty Maulsby
-Farm News photos by Darcy Dougherty Maulsby Tractors and their drivers gather for the Yetter Tractor Ride recently. The event was first organized in 2020 and has become an annual draw for area farmers.

Participants often come back year after year for the Yetter Tractor Ride. Spectators along the route also look forward to the event. It’s a simple thing, perhaps, but it creates lifelong memories and fuels the camaraderie that helps keep rural communities strong.

“We’re looking forward to next year’s ride,” Nehman said.

-Farm News photo by Darcy Dougherty Maulsby
Tractors of all makes and models participated in the recent Yetter Tractor Ride, which begins in Yetter, and goes through Lake City, southern Calhoun County, eastern Sac County and back to Yetter.

-Farm News photo by Darcy Dougherty Maulsby
Paul Nehman, who lives between Yetter and Lytton, stands beside his restored, 1958 770 Oliver diesel tractor. Nehman organized the first Yetter Tractor Ride in 2020 as a way to bring people together in an outdoor environment during the COVID pandemic.