Plowing Days draws families to Wilson Creek

"Look, a horse!" the little girl exclaimed, with surprise in her observation.

Her mother grinned.

"Anyone would think you've never seen a horse before."

"Another one!"

Actually, there were quite a few horses to be seen Saturday, the first day of the annual two-day Plowing Days event on the Bohnet family farm, put on by the Bohnet and Walker families in partnership with the Wilson Creek FFA.

Saturday morning, about 10 teams of draft horses and/or mules pulled old-fashioned farm equipment along about 15 to 18 acres of land owned by Harvey Bohnet, as onlookers either looked on from their vehicles or got out, walked around and watched the land get plowed just like it did in the old days.

"If the weather holds out, they'll have it all done by Sunday noon," Bohnet said. "They quit at noon, because they come from 200 miles, some of them. They have a trip to go home."

Bohnet said his sons have taken over the land, as he is retired.

When one particularly excited mule let out the first bray of the morning Saturday, Bohnet's daughter, Katrina Walker, smiled.

"I love it when mules bray," she said. "I'm a horse person, but I appreciate mules. I think they get a bum rap."

The event first began when the Bohnet family became interested in draft horses, acquired a few and began attending plowing events around the state, Walker explained, adding that the Washington Draft Horse and Mule Association sponsors several events throughout Washington, many of them for much longer than the Wilson Creek event.

"We decided it would be really nice to host one ourselves," Walker said. "We are wheat farmers here in northern Grant County and we have the space, so …"

The first two years were hosted at Walker's sister and brother-in-law's farm, and then moved to the Bohnet family farm.

"It's our big social event of the year," Walker said. "We enjoy hosting the various draft horse teams and their people."

Walker thinks the event has lasted as long as it has because it's so near and dear to her family's hearts.

"Farming is definitely part of our family's heritage and part of the area's heritage," she said. "It's neat to be able to share these old-fashioned farming techniques with the community and for the old timers to come and reminisce about what they had experienced. When they can bring their kids and their grandkids and say, 'See, this is how it was done,' that's pretty outstanding."

Walker estimated 10 to 20 teams usually work the field, and about 300 to 400 people show up over the course of the two days.

"They really should come out and experience it at least once and share it with their family," she said. "It is part of our heritage, and it shouldn't be forgotten. When you see how hard the work is, and man and animals working together as a team, and truly in a team effort, to break ground, it gives us a real appreciation for the homesteaders, like my great-grandparents, who homesteaded Grant County. It truly brings me a very deep appreciation of my ancestors."

That appeared to be a reason many people turned out for the event.

Moses Lake resident Mitch Awbrey and his family, including 9-year-old son, Clayton, own horses and mules in town. It was their first time in attendance.

"I was raised on a ranching farm, and my dad always did this kind of stuff," Mitch said. "So bringing mom and the kids out to see how it was really like."

Mitch added he was really impressed with the event.

"It's hard to believe that people have the patience to train these animals to all work like that together, and turn — that's incredible," he said.

"I think it's cool because I've never seen any horses or animals this big before," Clayton said.

Sherri Redmond said she wanted to show her family, including 5-year-old Olivia, 3-year-old Jase and 2-year-old Dominic Ramsey, whom the Redmonds were watching, how farming used to be.

"The kids like animals anyway, so they like seeing the horses and the plowing," she said, adding with a laugh, "They were wondering where the tractors were, but they'll get over it."

Clyde Clark was with his grandchildren, 9-year-old Sebastian Seibel and 15-year-old Ryan Bates.

"It's something we may not see in time," Clark said. "It's like all of the old things going away and becoming less and less available for people to experience the past. I think it's wonderful. I would not have been disappointed if they would have only had one team here."

Barbecues were held around noon to raise funds for the FFA.