"Mini" Model Farm Draws A Crowd

"Mini" Model Farm Draws A Crowd AG WORLD 28-4-24 "I keep improving it all the time," says 82-year-old Roy Schwebke, Juda, Wis., about his miniature 1/16-scale farmstead that he takes to farm shows and country fairs all over the Midwest. It's been featured in FARM SHOW before (Vol. 18, No. 6) but it keeps growing so we thought we'd show it again. The mini farm measures 8 by 24 ft. and is displayed atop six sawhorses. It folds in the middle for transport. Numerous working parts all operate electrically using transformers, relays, and time delay relays. "This replica is set up the way I'd like to have a farm if I was still farming," says Schwebke. "As far as I know it's the biggest 1/16 scale farm display around. Quite a few people have much smaller 1/64 scale displays. I like 1/16 scale because it allows me to use electric motors to make machines run." The farmstead features several machines such as a bale elevator, silo unloader, grain auger, and a grain dryer that actually blows hot air (thanks to a hair dryer under the floor). The silo doesn't have a roof on it so you can look inside and see the unloader slowly rotating. The corn crib has a working bucket elevator and a wagon hoist that takes the wagon up to dump the load out. There's even a working grain elevator leg. There are yard lights and lights inside the buildings. The light poles are made from old pool cues. The windmill's pumpjack is fully operative, thanks to a motor out of a junked VCR. "I get a lot of the motors out of old VCR's. I also get motors out of can openers, computers, typewriters, and blenders," says Schwebke. The project started in 1988 with a single barn. "I still work on it every day in my spare time. The only parts of the display that aren't hand-made are the 31 toy tractors. The house was designed by my wife, Wauneta, and decorated by my daughter. My son-in-law, Paul Heimann, who is an electrician, helped with the numerous working parts. "My family usually goes with me on the road. It takes about 4 1/2 hours to set up." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Roy Schwebke, Box 204, Juda, Wis. 53550 (ph 608 934-5377).

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