Farm show brings tractors, food and families to Arena Park

The sixth annual Cousin Carl Farm Show once again brought crowds to Arena Park to see tractors, tractor pulls, food and vendors.

�This is my third year to be here. I brought my old tractor over,� said Don Bogenpohl, who traveled nearly 20 miles with a friend to attend the weekend event. �It�s an 860 Ford, from 1956. My dad bought it new in the spring of 1957, the year I graduated from high school.�

Bogenpohl said he�s not into the tractor restoring business, but his is �kinda special,� and it�s �going to stay in the family.�

Buchheit of Perryville, Missouri, hosted a similar event, and Bogenpohl said that�s when he won the first trophy for his tractor.

Sadonna Lewis from Sikeston, Missouri � representing The Original Fried Pie Shop � was one of the many vendors Saturday at the show, which is sponsored by Pure Country C106.1 radio.

KASSI JACKSON ~ kjackson@semissourian.com From left, John Bledsoe and Nicholas Bledoe, 11, look at toy tractors at the Cousin Carl Farm Show on Saturday, March 10, 2018, at Arena Park in Cape Girardeau.

�We�re extremely popular. We have people from all over the United States who stop in, traveling from north to south and east to west,� Lewis said. �We have a map where everybody can come in and put a pin [on the map] on their hometown; we just have pins all over the place.�

Lewis said employees represent the company at farm shows, car shows and Charleston, Missouri�s Azalea Festival, and they�ve been doing so for three years.

�If you want it, we more than likely have it,� Lewis said, as she listed the variety of pie flavors offered.

�We have apple, apricot, blackberry, peach, pineapple, chocolate, coconut, lemon, vanilla and pecan,� Lewis said. �In house, we have our savory pies; chicken and vegetables, beef and vegetables, chicken and broccoli and Tex-Mex � a very popular one.�

The Original Fried Pie Shop even offers breakfast pies, Lewis said.

Mike Wilks, owner of the Sikeston franchise, will be opening another location in Hayti, Missouri, very soon, according to employee Jenni Walters.

Representing Perryville, Missouri�s Davis Farm Supply was Kenny Naeger, who has attended the event since it began six years ago. Naeger showcases merchandise during The John Muench Farm Toy Show, which includes child-sized tractors and New Holland and Kubota farming equipment.

�Basically, you get your spot out here, and you try to cater to the customer,� he said. �We try to emphasize hay equipment this time of year. We brought a bailer and a tractor. We also sell utility vehicles. We also have a subcompact tractor with a mower deck and loader to accommodate some of the residential people who maybe have 3 to 5 acres they want to take care of.

�Yesterday, the crowd was down; it normally is on Friday,� Naeger said. �We saw a lot of grandparents and grandkids here. And then today, you have the younger crowd mixed in with some of the older.�

Naeger�s favorite food so far at the event is the seafood.

�We had fish and fries yesterday, and it was awesome,� he said.

Naeger said vendors who participate in The Cousin Carl Farm Show come from all over, including Southern Illinois, Wardel, Missouri, and St. Louis. The company he represents is part of the St. Louis Toy Club, and the weekend event they�re involved with is in honor of John Muench, who recently passed away.

Bill Tuttle, a volunteer at the event, spent part of his Saturday morning transporting children by a Cub Cadet International tractor owned by Dave Powers � with multiple, colorful, child-sized �train cars� attached.

Tuttle said he lives in Cape Girardeau, but is originally from Iowa, and said the kids love the idea of getting to ride the shuttle through the park.

Tuttle only had one prerequisite for a trip: riders must smile.

�Can you give me a big smile?� Tuttle said to a young girl as she approached one of the �cars.�

Cape Girardeau natives Kristen Steffens, her husband and children also attended the show Saturday, and said they�ve visited a couple times.

�We�re here for the tractor pull, because he loves tractors,� Steffens said.

jhartwig@semissourian.com

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