Southern Cross Cane Grinding 2013

 Yesterday, I attended an annual event that is hosted by my sister and her husband. We call it "The Cane Grinding". They grow sugarcane and make cane syrup.  This event is held every year on the Saturday before Thanksgiving near Hilliard, Florida. This is at times a huge event with as many as 400 people showing up. Actually, it ends up being a celebration of the old ways of farming from a time gone-by. Farmers from all over the deep south come and display their antique tractors and old engines. Some are even steam powered.


                                       Welcome to Southern Cross Farm!

 

My brother-in-law is a collector of old farming tools and equipment. This is his barn where he stores some of his collection. The sugar cane grinding and cooking operation is here also.

 

 

Lets take a look inside. This is some of the smaller parts of his collection. A lot of it is donated, but he will buy or accept anything that is old and rusty.

 

 

 

Here is some of the cane and the grinder.

 

 

 

And here they are cooking down the juice to make the syrup.

 

 

 

My sister always cooks up a big batch of Brunswick Stew in an iron caldron. Yum!

 

 

 

And they also have the smokehouse fired up.

 

 

 

This year there weren't as many tractors on display as usual, but here are a few.

 

 

 These are old steam powered tractors ( I guess they could be called tractors).


                       

                                                  This one actually runs.

 

 

There are always old vehicles on display.

 

 

 

Here is an old horse powered cane grinder.

 

 

 

 

And that old antiquated gardener on the left is yours truly.

 

 

 

 

It was a beautiful day and a wonderful time with friends and family.

 

What more could a guy ask for?!

 

 

Soooo...... Until next time...... HAPPY GARDENING!