Joe's Dreamin' and Livin' Tractors @ Potter's Mud Creek Farm - Flat Rock...

by Joe Potter

It is Saturday of 9 a.m. and there is a crowd of folk assemblin’ at Potter’s Mud Creek Farm. There’s lots of good mornin’ howdys bein’ offered twix folk; also, lots of coffee, O. J., sweet milk, ham biscuits and the widow Cora’s mini cinnamon rolls bein’ consumed.

Area and community Flat Rock folk along with The Flat Rock General Store regulars and other invited guests are congregatin’ for "fun day" at the farm. There’ll be new friendships established, plenty of food (L.O. Bishops Bar B Que, Joe’s chicken stew) and sides — corn on the cob; sweets; Daniels’ Dutch oven cobbler; even some early-season, homemade, Butterfinger® ice cream. Wow! Then there’s entertainment storytellin’, ATV ridin’, horseshoes, softball, music, spot golf, skeet and archery shootin’, and hay ridin’s. Even a marshmallow roastin’ and smores-makin’ for folk of all ages there at the fire ring b’hind The Cabin.

All The Store regulars are contributin’ in different areas: food, music, the fun activities, etc. Slim brought out his "bought-new" 1950 "M" Farmall and Farlow his "bought-new" 1952 "8 N" Ford for pullin’ of the hay-ridin’ wagons.

God couldn’t provide a more perfect day, ceptin’ Heath and my Daddy "Pop" C.C. ain’t here. Heath did so enjoy the fire ring and we all three wanted it to be a true playplace for pure people fun and enjoyment, our motto: "The more the merrier." Lynn and me do hope to have a "we got married" celebration party sometime this summer.

As I pulled up an Auburn chair and began to enjoy the music of Harley Hood and friends; they even got Dustin and Lynn to sing. Here I come on admirin’ Slim’s "M" and Farlow’s "8N" as they each passed pullin’ loads of ridin’ folk, first straight-arrow west and then in all directions ‘bout Potter’s Mud Creek Farm. I comenist to recollectin’ and dreamin’ on all the tractors through the years on our C. C. Potter Family Farm – plus my five "Dream Team" tractors.

It all started with our "B" John Deere with the hand clutch, next Mr. Tommie Masterson’s "8N" Ford that I ran through his store wall one afternoon. Then "Smokey Joe," the "801" Ford, not just anybody could drive it, but, at 14, I did. We had an over-wide pickup disk on it and you almost had to guide it with the brakes. There was also a "bought-new" "841" Ford Powermaster, then came the "bought-new" "3020" John Deere–it was a true workhorse. As our crop acreage increased, more tractors came – the "504" Farmall, our one-row cottonpicker tractor. It carried a very sad memory for me, Arley, our farm employee, 5 years my senior, was killed on it when it overturned around 1964. Next came the "1850" Oliver, a rough powerhouse tractor, later the John Deere "4320," our first dual-wheel tractor, then another planter tractor, a John Deere "4020." The next big John for our farm was a John Deere "4430," then, my first tractor purchase, a John Deere "2130" with a time-and-effort savin’ front-end loader, gosh wow…. Today on Potter’s Mud Creek Farm there is a John Deere "5410" and Kubota "L2500."

Course as a True Southern Farm Boy/Ag-Man and writer, there is still my true "Dream Team" the "8N" and "841" Powermaster Ford, "B" John Deere, "M" Farmall, we never owned one, but to me they are beautiful and carry lots of agriculture history, and to have "our" my Daddy "Pop" C.C.’s "3020" John Deere fully restored – hey, a guy can dream….

As dusk fell and the wood inside the fire ring turned to smolderin’ embers, the remainin’ folk joined Harley Hood and friends to wind up a very blessed day of family, friends, fun and food with "God Bless the U.S.A." Hey, laugh, dream, play, share, never grow old and above all –

REMEMBER YOUR HERITAGE!!!
ALWAYS, THINK GOOD MEMORIES!!!

Joe Potter, Potter’s Mud Creek Farm is located at 5840 County Road 339 (County Line Road), Russellville, near "Our" Flat Rock, in Lawrence County; email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .