Have you noticed the popularity of antique tractors in central Illinois this summer? For a limited amount of time you can still see some of the great tractors on exhibit or travel to a tractor show over the upcoming Labor Day weekend.

Tractors have been the backbone of the farming community since the transition from horses and mules. The importance of the machine and how it changed farming cannot be minimized. Almost every one of us can trace our roots back to a farm, whether it belonged to our grandparents or great grandparents.

As summer wanes and fall waxes, take a minute to check out a bit of agricultural heritage in Illinois and the surrounding area. Kids from every background enjoy moving machines — tractor shows are a quick and cheap fix for the “What is there to do?” question.

Act quickly if you want to see the (APLM) exhibit The Agricultural Vision of Abraham Lincoln, which winds up Aug. 30. The centerpiece of the exhibit is the all-wheel-drive John Deere tractor that was named after Joseph Dain, the engineer who designed it. The tractors were built in 1912 as prototypes. The Dain tractor is on loan to the museum from Deere & Company in Moline.

If you’re going downtown on an ag trek, be sure to include the ’s offering of “From Humble Beginnings, Lincoln’s Illinois 1830-1861.”

While tractors are not involved, the display includes a rare 1855 corn planter, which is number 158 of 300 made, as well as archaeological artifacts excavated from the site of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum and other historical materials. From Humble Beginnings explores the dynamic changes in Illinois’ agriculture, industry and transportation. The exhibition runs to Jan. 10, 2010. For those who like the really big machines, check out that weighs in at a whopping 100,000 pounds. The tractor was built to produce 760 horsepower using a 16-cylinder Detroit Diesel engine. According to the Half Century of Progress Web site, “The tractor measures 27 feet long and 20 feet wide. It stands 14 feet tall! The tires are 8 feet in diameter, and Big Bud is ready to work... with its 1,000-gallon fuel tank.” This tractor will be at this year’s show Aug. 27-30 at the Rantoul National Aviation Center Airport before it heads back to Montana. The Big Bud 747 was built in Havre, Mont., in 1977 by Ron Harmon of Northern Manufacturing Company for the cost of $300,000 and is in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Robert and Randy Williams, who use the Big Bud to farm, found the mammoth tractor is a tourist attraction bringing 400-500