County goes green, in a tractor way

Green is more than currency or an eco lifestyle.

Think John Deere.

The Island County Commissioners blended all three concepts into one tidy package when they recently approved the purchase of a John Deere 4120 for use at the Island County Fairgrounds. The Deere replaces an old Kioti that replaced an old Ferguson, which now resides in the antique barn.

Impetus for the acquisition was the planned construction of a composting station on the fairgrounds to manage the manure produced year-round at the facility. Trundling all the animal waste from various barns to the compost site met with head shakes and long faces from Fair Board members. A new tractor was needed to streamline the process.

Although the Island County Fair is self-sufficient, receiving no taxpayer funding through county coffers, there was scant room in the budget to purchase the green dream.

At the urging of Commissioner Phil Bakke, the commissioners tapped their contingency fund to turn the dream into reality. “I was so excited to be able to do something nice for the Island County Fair, since they take such good care of the county’s property and provide so many opportunities for the youth of Island County,” Bakke said.

Bakke was on hand for the delivery, and took a turn at the wheel before relinquishing it to eager fair hands. The clean green machine glistened as Jerry Reuble of Barnett Implements detailed the operation of the practically foolproof equipment. Included with the tractor was a new drag for the arena, to replace the ancient one held together with baling wire and rust. The dust had barely settled from unloading it before Leandra Reuble hopped onto the drivers’s seat and moved the drag to the arena for use at the 4-H horse show on Saturday.

Reuble grinned and said, “This is just the beginning. We’re going to find all kinds of uses for this tractor.”

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