how does a plow contest opperate

I had an idea for the local FFA chapter to have a plow day and am not sure how to opperate the contest. if any one knows how the old ones opperated, I would really be greatfull. Thanks.

Are you wanting to just have a fun get to gether with friends and do some plowing for the fun of it. Or are you talking about a thru plowing contest. I am not sure of all details of a plowing contest. But most of the time when you talk of a plow day it is just a bunch of people that get to gether at somebodys farm to plow a few acres and work there tractors and have good time. You might be getting the two mixed up. Plow days can be a lot of fun without competion messing it up. Have a good time. Don R

Do you mean a Plow Day, or a Plowing Contest?

Plow Days are fun, Plow Contests are serious business. I have plowed in state plowing contests and it is a very, very different thing than plowing a field to farm it.

I suggest that you have a Plow Day. It is a lot more laid back and fun than a Plowing Contest.

Here are the rules of the USAPO:
USAPO Rules

Plow day would be easy and a possible fundraiser. Find an alumni guy with a 40 to plow and cook up a lunch. Charge a little to plow with a free lunch or let them plow for free and charge/donation for lunch.

I highly recommend a plow DAY, no contest... Seeing how most of the guys at a typical plow day plow, I think you'd be handing out more joke prizes than actual awards...

Crookedest furrow.
Started farthest from the end.
Rustiest moldboards.
Worst-adjusted plow.
Biggest hole dug with wheels.
Pulled out prematurely.
Most steam from gas-powered tractor.
Died in the furrow.
Best cylinder to firing-cylinder ratio...

(quoted from post at 20:46:44 05/09/12) I highly recommend a plow DAY, no contest... Seeing how most of the guys at a typical plow day plow, I think you'd be handing out more joke prizes than actual awards...

Crookedest furrow.
Started farthest from the end.
Rustiest moldboards.
Worst-adjusted plow.
Biggest hole dug with wheels.
Pulled out prematurely.
Most steam from gas-powered tractor.
Died in the furrow.
Best cylinder to firing-cylinder ratio...

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HAHA, not bad. I would also recommend Worst Trash Plug. This could be judged on the length of travel without realizing the plow is plugged, OR how long it takes to clear the trash from the plow. If you resort to lighting the trash on fire, I think you've won.

That is an old link. If you go here: http://usapo.org/ and click on the Rules link it will include the revisions from 2010.

Sounds like you better research just what you mean when you say "plowing contest"

I think He's looking to have a plow day that also happens to have a friendly competition for the FFA members. I admit, plow days are competetive enough without a contest. There is a whole bunch of us that know each other at our local plow day, and you can bet anything that we all watch each other and evaluate. Not much is said, except when somebody pulls too big of a plow too shallow and think's they're proving something- or when somebody does a horrible job of plowing and they're actually proud...

That being said- I think if you set it up as an FFA only event (I think that is your idea?) that is for FUN, and have a small award, like a certificate on a sheet of paper, It could be done. You'd have to know the personalities of the kids.

Judging would be on trash coverage, level-ness of plowing, clean furrow, just to name a few.

I would think that the friendliest way to hold an actual contest for the members would be each person starts with a tractor and trailer plow, set in "transport", and each person gets to set the plow. Consideration for number of adjustments to get correct. All contestants use same tractor and plow, so the non- tractor owning FFA members can also compete. That at least takes the considerations out that one contestant's dad spent $1000 putting on new iron on that old plow, and another couldn't afford such a thing.

Just a few thoughts... -Andy

I forgot...you could also do this. :twisted:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TczQZUboe0

I think you have a great idea. Maybe teach those young people what good plowing is. We started having plow days about 15 years ago. I have tried to get the guys interested in competitive plowing but most say they just want to plow "for fun" They are not interested in doing a good job. That"s fine for them I guess but as the years go by it is increasingly more difficult to find landowners to let us plow. One lousy job sours them real fast.

I guess to clarify what I was dreaming up is actually both a contest and a day of pleasure. That way the beginner and the experts can all have fun. I realize that leaving a good job behind will make us more welcome next year. Not to mention that this is on ground of a good friend. I am hoping for the kids and the old timers alike to have an enjoyable day and have relive a part of history. There is 100 acres there so we have room to compete and do pleasure work both. I am wondering what to judge contest on. I like covering, levelness, straightness and evenness. Just wondering what else I was missing.

We had our 6th annual plow day 3 weeks ago in central Wisconsin. About 55 old tractors were plowing and another 5 were pulling disks, cultipackers, etc. Large crowd came to watch, local 4-H served the food and drinks and cleared nearly $600! The kids were thrilled and did a good job.

We have a rule stating only 1959 and older tractors allowed to plow....first round was led by a 1927 IH "10-30" on steel. Newer tractors operate the loaders (help unload plows off trailers)and pull people movers. Many of our participants try to show up with the oldest tractor they own or buy for this great day.

We had 44 tractors last year and we were surprised at the numbers who showed up this year....we had 45 acres of wheat stubble to plow and it was all black in 1 hr and 45 minutes; done by noon. Everyone enjoyed a good lunch and lots of visiting...no one complained that there wasn"t anymore land to plow after lunch. But next year I have 70 acres of wheat stubble lined up so maybe we can plow after lunch....unless a bigger group shows up!

The participants love every minute of it, if someone doesn"t plow as deep or whatever the land owner doesn"t care much because today"s big machinery smooths it all out in one pass anyway.

We charge tractor drivers $5 to pay for porta potties, signage, etc. We have a man who does professional level work with videos and he ends up with 35+ minutes of excellent viewing; we sell the videos for $10(he gets $5 of that and donates it all to local food banks), our $5 will be donated to something ag related for youth plus some also goes to food banks. So far have sold over 70 videos in 3 weeks (you want one?.

We started 6 years ago with 7 old tractors and have grown every year. No passengers on tractors, no tailgating while plowing, nobody gets silly and shows off. Last rule of the day is YOU MUST ENJOY YOURSELF.

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A plow contest will get you enemies very fast if not operated correctly. Go see how the Canadians do it...they have contests and do it by international contest rules. I intend to watch one in Ontario, northeast of DeTroit, in September.

But we will stay with a "plow day".
LA in WI

Wow!!! I don't want to see anything like that in my
neighborhood.

(quoted from post at 06:21:44 05/10/12) Wow!!! I don't want to see anything like that in my
neighborhood.

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Anything like WHAT? Like, a plow day?

Why?

Can't you stand the sight of other people having a good time?

Did you watch the video? That's cool but to wild for my
neighbors.