Letter to the Editor 9-3-21

Letter to the Editor,
I had the great pleasure of attending The Big Dig on Saturday, August 28, at the Kurt Kocher Farm. I’d like to congratulate the entire community for their efforts in making this happen. Clearly, it took an enormous amount of work to figure out everything from logistics at the farm site to arranging for food and water.
Several things struck me that made this event far from ordinary.
The first thing was that Kurt Kocher allowed his farm ground to be used for this. Thanks to him, we all experienced an unforgettable environment for observing historical equipment at work.
It must have taken a herculean effort to get the historic equipment (from all over the U.S.) down an unpaved road to this rural location, and then to figure out the perfect space for it to be displayed or demonstrated.  
There were no computers to help solve a mechanical problem with this old equipment and no doubt there were issues over the weekend. But the guys at this event had the skills, the knowledge, and a language that allowed the art form of fixing these antique machines to take place.
What cannot be known is the impact this event made on each attendee. I thought of those who had probably never smelled that aroma of turned over ground when the soil goes from a crusted surface to a deep rich crumbly aerated texture. To get close to machines at work, to feel their power, and to see the transformation of the earth was likely a revelation for many.  
I’m also now on a campaign to recommend that every community put in place a giant sand pile like the one at the Big Dig. Kids were in nirvana as they played with trucks and sand on the best playground ever.
Brad, Jerry, Dane, Susie, Marian, Dennis, Barbara and many, many others, you should be so proud of how you educated all of us. Thanks to you all.
Marci Penner