Get ready to wave from the roadside and hear the hum of history—because the Humboldt Vintage Club is gearing up for its annual Spring Tractor Run on May 31, and everyone with a vintage tractor is invited to join the fun!
“Anyone who has a vintage tractor is welcome to join the parade,” says Ralph Kiefer, a wheat and canola farmer who’s not only organizing the event but also deciding which of his 50 classic tractors to drive. (Yes, you read that right—50!)
The route is a scenic loop that starts at the Humboldt Vintage Club and winds its way through the countryside: south on Peck Road, a right onto Highway 20, another right on Manor Park Road, and then east on Township Road 372. The convoy will cruise north back onto Peck Road and roll into the Gas Can Café for a well-earned lunch break—because even tractors need to refuel (and so do their drivers).
After lunch, the group will head back to the Vintage Club, engines purring and hearts full.
So far, about 30 tractors are signed up, but there’s always room for more. Whether you’re driving a rusty relic or a polished showpiece, it’s all about celebrating the machines that helped shape prairie farming.
Kiefer is still torn between two of his favourites: a 1952 McCormick WD9 or a 1952 Farmall Super MD. “Those are my favourites,” he says. “I still use some of the old equipment on the farm. It really makes you appreciate how far we’ve come.”
He reflects on the contrast between past and present: “Today, farmers can get 160 acres of work done in a short period of time. Back then, it could’ve taken days.”
So if you’re in the Humboldt area on May 31, keep your eyes peeled for a parade of prairie pride—and maybe give a friendly honk or wave to the folks keeping vintage iron alive and rolling.
If you would like to enter a tractor into the run can call Kiefer at (306) 231-7886, or Wes Crone at (306) 231-7257.