More than 5,000 people flocked to Somerset over the weekend for the 49th Pasture Party.
The three-day event is held annually by the Somerset Steam & Gas Engine Association (SSGEA) at Fairfield View Dairy Farm on Rt. 231. This year’s event benefitted from sunny, mild weather.
As in year’s past, the show featured antique tractors, steam and gas engines, a flea market and arts and crafts, as well as the popular sawmill demonstration, the steam shed, threshing bailing, corn chopping, the excelsior and shingle mills, steam plowing and more. Exhibitors come from all over, including Pennsylvania and as far away as Washington and Canada.
Austin Boggs provided live music Saturday morning, followed by James Tamelcoff and Band. Dark Hollow Bluegrass Band played Sunday. Vendors offered a variety of wares and food options including pizza, ribeye steak sandwiches, kettle corn, barbecue and sweet treats.
The line for the party’s popular steam cooked beans remained long throughout the three days. The bean sales benefit the association’s scholarship fund. Also benefitting the fund was the sale of shingles which were being cut and branded on-site by several folks including Orange County Sheriff Jason Smith.
Robin Roberts with SSGEA said scholarships are given to students pursuing trade school or a traditional four-year college. The students can be located anywhere in the United States as the association has members throughout the country. Earlier this year, four scholarships were awarded to Orange County students and one was awarded to a Chatham student.
The show is a large part of making those scholarships possible. In addition, it also gives life to history and furthers the association’s efforts to preserve the beauty of antique steam and gas engines.
Attendees were able to witness threshing and corn chopping. Demonstrations of the Excelsior Mill and prony break took place as well as plowing. Blacksmithing demonstrations were also conducted and the oil rig was in continuous motion. The rig is in memory of Ben Plumb, a Somerset resident, former employee of Virginia Tractor and pasture party participant. He passed away in 2022.
Aside from the pasture party, the SSGEA hosts a weekend steam school each April at Fairfield View Dairy Farm. The two-day course consists of two sessions–classroom and hands-on. The course is open to 20 participants and is $100. Registration is first come, first served and begins in January. For more information, visit https://www.somersetsteamandgas.org/steam-school.
