Tristan Gingerich winner of a Pollinator Basket at the Northwest Agricultural Show.
Congratulations Tristan Gingerich, winner of the Farm Tool Identity Drawing at the NW Ag Show!
Each January you can see the shiniest tractors, newest equipment and a multitude of companies promoting farm services at the Northwest Agricultural Show. Producers and vendors from across Oregon and Washington converge on Portland’s Expo Center for three days of exploring new products, attending seminars and reconnecting with friends and neighbors.
The Clackamas County Soil and Water Conservation District partnered with other Oregon conservation districts and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service to offer a display focusing on our services as well as promoting pollinator conservation awareness. As a draw to our booth, we held a contest to identify two unusual farm tools. The winning answers were entered in a drawing for a Pollinator Basket. The basket included a mason bee box and nesting tubes, hummingbird feeder and cleaning brushes, and an Attracting Native Pollinators book.
We had many folks stop to discuss the mystery items, but only a few gave correct guesses. Here are the identities of the mystery tools.
Item #1 Fowl Killer
Item #1 - Fowl Killer
Yes, this guillotine-like device was supposedly used to behead chickens as indicated by the imprint “Fowl Killer” underneath the white label.
While this was perhaps not the most efficient method, reports are that it was effective!
Item #2 Water Trough Escape Route
Item #2 Water Trough Escape Route
Place this item in a water trough for small animals to use as an escape route.
It’s not uncommon for small creatures to get trapped in a livestock watering trough while getting a drink of water. Without a way to get out of the tank, many of these creatures drown and die in the tank. This also pollutes the drinking water needed by livestock.
A wildlife escape ramp can provide an escape route for trapped animals. Various sizes are available to fit the many shapes and sizes of water troughs.
