Bartholomew County, Ind., is one of several counties that decided not to hold a county fair this year due to COVID-19 restrictions that would have to be imposed. That meant no carnival — but more importantly, for died-in-the-wool enthusiasts, no tractor pulls.

Life dealt lots of lemons to many people this year. When you get lemons, you can endure the sour taste, or you can make lemonade. Kevan and Ashley Pence, Hope, Ind., decided to make some lemonade and have some fun with it when the opportunity came along.

At wheat harvest, one of their semis was parked along the edge of the field. It didn’t take much encouraging, Ashley says, to get their 15-month-old son, Tucker, to position his pedal tractor not too far in front of the semi. Dad threw out a chain and Mom snapped pictures. It looks like Tucker is ready to pull the big semi with his mighty Case IH red pedal tractor.

“We may not have had a fair this year, but here at Pence Farms, we take tractor pulls very seriously,” Ashley says, laughing. Tucker made that point very clear.

“He is barely old enough to reach the pedals, but young enough to still care,” she continues. “It made my husband and I chuckle, so we wanted to share it with other people.”

Look for humor

Yes, Bill Field, I realize hooking up a tractor that’s too small to a truck that’s too big in a real situation is a recipe for disaster. The too-small tractor could tip over backward almost instantly, causing serious injury or death.

Field, Purdue University Extension safety specialist, would likely be the first to acknowledge that while safety is important, that’s not what is going on here. It would be too ludicrous to think little Tucker could budge a semi for anyone to think this was sending a negative safety message. If you thought that, this story is for you — lighten up a bit!

The Pence family used the mock tractor pull moment to add a touch of levity to a challenging summer. It also provided time to spend with and enjoy their young son.

“He got his red pedal tractor when he was born,” Ashley says. “It matches up well with his daddy’s Case IH tractors.”

The semi in the photo belongs to the Pence family too. It’s part of their farming operation.

We felt it was important to share the photo and story with you to emphasize the point that no one can deal with COVID-19 debates and restrictions, or worries about crop conditions and finances, all day long, day after day. Look for those lighter moments, and celebrate them when they happen.

If the stress is mounting and you need some relief, provide what you can provide for yourself. Indiana Farm Bureau has put together a very helpful webpage focused on mental health resources. Check it out at infb.org/mentalhealth.

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