Stratford’s Ron Neeb tours central Ontario from an antique John Deere

Claire McRoberts on his 50s-60s Oliver 1650, Ron Need on his favourite 40s-50s John Deere 60 and Dave Proudlove on his 60s Cockshutt 1350. The three toured central Ontario on top of their machines, seeing Ontario’s beauty for themselves.

Stratford’s Ron Neeb, who grew up on a farm near Gadshill in North Easthope Township, has been a big fan throughout his life of old, antique John Deere tractors. You may have seen him in area parades, with his polished two-cylinder green machines.

Neeb is a past president of the Stratford and District Agricultural Society and works hard to put on the city’s fall fair, which entertains thousands every year.

In early August, Ron and two of his fellow antique tractor enthusiast friends, Claire McRoberts and Dave Proudlove, took a tour from Gadshill to Stayner, Ont., to visit one of the member’s relatives.

They left Gadshill at 7:20 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 9, and with a few stops along the way, arrived at Stayner by 4 p.m. that same day. The route they chose was 156 total kilometres, and took them through Millbank, around Conestoga Lake, and onto Arthur.

In leaving Arthur, they made their way to Highway 89, passing through Damascus and Mogk.

To avoid the busy area of Shelburne, they took Highway 17 to the north of Masonville. From there they worked their way north-east through Honeywood and Lavender, catching Highway 9 at Dunedin, at the base of Lavender Hill, a continuous descent for about three kilometres.

From there it was on to Creemore and then to Stayner to meet up with cousin Lincoln Mueller.

Mueller is a vintage car collector himself and has approximately 20 cars and trucks from the 1920s to the mid-1930s. His collection includes many vehicles of the Yundt Brother’s vintage car and truck collection from Stratford. Two of the dump trucks and a pickup truck are all early 1930 models and were used to build Highway 19 from Stratford to Milverton.They will be on display at the Stratford Fall Fair from Sept. 18 through to Sept. 21.

Neeb, McRoberts and Proudlove had a great day that Sunday touring the Stayner area with cousin Mueller, taking in a number of waterfalls and viewing a huge international truck and tractor collection in the town of Coldwater.

Monday saw the trio heading south and west with the final destination of Elmwood, just north of Hanover, to spend the night there with another friend. There were, however, a number of stops to be made along the way before reaching Elmwood. The first stop was Eugenia Lake to view the lake and take in the waterfalls.

From there, it was on to Kimberly, to the north and then crossing the Niagara Escarpment. The three said that crossing of the escarpment was quite a treat for them.

They crossed on the road just beside the Kimberly Ski Resort Road, with the climb of over 500 feet including two road “switchbacks.”

After getting about a quarter of the way up, it became necessary to shift to a lower gear to get up and over the top.

The view from the top of Kimberly, overlooking Beaver Valley, was most spectacular, they shared, and from there, they continued going west on a road that was not maintained during the winter.

This road, for about 20 kilometres, happened to be a snowmobile trail in the winter, offering absolutely stunning, narrow, tree lined and hilly sections.

After a good night sleep at another friend’s place, Tuesday morning saw Neeb, McRoberts and Proudlove heading to Hanover to accept an invitation to join a local group for coffee at McDonald’s.

Next on the schedule was to refuel the tractors and then head south from Hanover going through Austin, Harriston and Teviotdale. After a stop along the way, south of Teviotdale, they visited with friend Shawn Flewelling, and another stop at Poole, to visit with Gid Jantzi.

The three are back and enjoying Perth County again, almost back to their starting point of Gadshill. Neeb said the trip was a great way to view some of Ontario‘s natural beauty at a slower pace on an antique tractor.

The sites, the sounds, the smell of newly cut hay, the waves of people on their front porches waving like old friends revisited, and new friends made, will never be forgotten.

“If anyone reading this is ever invited to go on an extended vintage tractor tour don’t pass it up,” Neeb said. “You won’t be sorry!”