Thousands of agriculture buffs flock to Cousin Carl Farm Show

Thousands of area residents packed Arena Park in Cape Girardeau on Saturday for the fourth annual Cousin Carl Farm Show.

The event, organized by radio station C106.1 KWKZ, featured all manner of rural festivities and was hosted by Bill Anderson, more widely known as his radio alter-ego, Cousin Carl.

The free expo opened Friday morning, but most of the attractions happened Saturday, beginning with the antique-tractor parade that featured dozens of tractors of all shapes, sizes and models.

The inside of the Arena Building was lined with vendors selling everything from soybean technologies to irrigation systems to barbecue grills.

Vendors Gary and Judy Scherer of Benton, Missouri, said it was their first year showing wares at the farm show. Judy sells handcrafted quilts, and her husband sells three-string cigar-box banjos.

“She’s quilted for years, so when she started selling them, I thought I should probably start making stuff to sell alongside her,” he said.

Judy said she was glad to provide quilts, because there aren’t many places to find handmade goods such as that.

“I’m not selling quilts to get rich,” she said. “I’m just doing it because I’ve done it for 35 years, and it’s really a lost art form.”

Outside, there were several family-friendly activities such as carriage and train rides, butter-churning demonstrations and tractor pulls featuring antique and miniature tractors alike.

Area resident Harold John said the tractor pull was his favorite event, but that his daughter most enjoyed the live animals on display, especially the miniature piglets.

“It’s always good to see old tractors like this,” he said, “to remind you of the way things used to be, you know? How my grandfather would have done things.”

tgraef@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3627

Pertinent address:

Arena Park, Cape Girardeau, Mo.