The Tractor Shirt

My Dad's farm where he grew up was off Hwy 89 just west of Shelburne.  They had 100 acres called the home farm and another 200 acres for the pasture farm.  The farm next door was my Great-grandfather's and together, everyone helped to get the work done.  

In the early years they didn't have a tractor, they didn't get one until the late 1940s after the Second World War, which means they had to do the ploughing, cultivating and harrowing with teams of horses.  They walked behind the plough, the old-fashioned way.  

Dufferin County's roots have always been in farming and for many, that has always meant hard work.  When developing concepts for shirt designs I stumbled upon this black and white photo.  The tractor is pulling a well drilling outfit, and if you look closely my grandfather is underneath one of the wheels fixing something.  

Getting a tractor was a big deal at the time, and a shift in how people farmed.  It represented progress and desire for a better life, and I don't think that notion has changed in 150 years.  I think its important every now and then to pause, and think back to appreciate how things were done.  

This design is a tribute to our farming history.  It was created to represent Dufferin's big open fields, slow moving vehicles, dirt, and hard work.  This shirt is for you... and for anyone who appreciates our farming community.