Rudin's Olde Tyme Farm Days Party Teaches about Farming

9/2/2012 (Updated 11:05:27 PM)

OWEGO -- Thousands of people flocked to Rudin's Olde Tyme Farm this weekend for some farming fun.

"The old farm stuff is dwindling away," said Darwin Wood, of the festival staff.  "And we need to get the younger kids involved, keep them off the street. and it's good, clean fun."

The party has been a tradition for nearly 30 years.  Kids and their families got a taste of the farming lifestyle with cute animals, chainsaw carvings, and tractor pulls.

"My son actually got to ride a tractor for the first time with his stepfather," said attendee Blake Lane.  "We've never done anything like this."

The event was also about teaching people about farming-- and its history.

"What you see on TV is totally different from what actually happened back in those days," said Earl Spencer, the president of Shadows of the Old West, a Western re-enactment group.

"Our goal is to both be entertaining and educational," said Kevin Rung, also of Shadows of the Old West.

An American-built Robinson 44 helicopter was a very popular ride over the weekend.  Pilots say that helicopters have been an important part of agriculture for many decades.

"They take a helicopter out and they fly it at a certain height over the crop to blow away the cold air that would destroy your crops," said Michael Graham, a pilot for Class Act Air.

Planning for next year's party starts tomorrow. and the next event on the farm is the handicap halloween.

Samantha McDonald, Fox 40 News.