Mountain Times - Volume 49, Number 40 - Sept. 30-Oct. 6, 2020

LivingADE
16 • The Mountain Times • Sept. 30 - Oct. 6, 2020
This week’s living Arts, Dining and Entertainment!
By Brooke Geery
Antique machinery is framed by a sheltering tunnel. Brilliant fall foliage shines through the far opening. The tractors were on display in Ludlow this past weekend for visitors to see.
Annual Autumn Round Up in Ludlow offers window to the past
By Brooke Geery
High in the hills above Ludlow, after the
paved road turns to dirt, sits Barker Farm,
a massive 155-acre property dotted with
giant maple trees and buildings in various
states of disrepair. On the right side of the
street is a reminder that it’s 2020—the
Coolidge Solar Project, with rows of
massive panels, covering over 88
acres of the property.
But on the left side of the
road, a massive antique
wrecker stands as a literal
welcome sign to the
22nd annual Autumn
By Brooke Geery
Round Up, a small-engine and antique tractor show held
on Sept. 26-27.
You probably didn’t hear about the show. There’s not
much written about it online, and only one Google result
even lists the event as happening. In fact, it lists it as the
ONLY antique tractor event happening in 2020 - the rest
being cancelled due to Covid-19.
When we first pulled up, an attendant sat at the parking
lot entrance, collecting $5 a head. Since they unsurprisingly
did not take Venmo or Cashapp, we headed back
to town to hit the ATM. As luck would have it, when we got
back to the show, the gate keeper was gone, and we saved
our cash for the concession stands inside.
Machinery, automobiles and tractors from the beginning
to middle of the 20th Century, and even some dating
back to the mid-1800s, were scattered around the property.
Most of the collection belongs to the farm’s owner, Dan
Moore, who must have married a Barker way back when.
In the center of the display, many of the machines were
actually set up and working. With only a thin rope separating
the crowd from things that could surely cause major
harm if used incorrectly, it’s probably best they kept things
small. Along with children and attendees of all ages, a goat
roamed around untethered.
Antique cars such as a 1923 Model T, were on display
in addition to all the machinery. From wood splitting to
shingle shaping, there was a machine for just about every
task imaginable, and demos happened throughout the
day. Perhaps most importantly, an ancient ice cream churn
that still worked crafted up fresh ice cream to serve with
the wide variety of pies offered at one of the two concession
stands.
The entire scene was made even more beautiful with the
fall foliage shining brightly in the sun. If you really want a
Vermont experience, mark the end of September on your
2021calendar for a prime taste of county life that is the
Autumn Round Up.
By Brooke Geery
Excavators and other farm equipment were showcased.