SUBLETTE – During the 1990s and the early 2000s, Max Armstrong spent many second weekends of March at the Sublette Farm Toy & Antique Tractor Show.

Although he has been to the show in the last 10 years, it has been a few.

This year, the man who broadcasted for WGN radio and TV for 31 years and is on the 18^th season of This Week in Agri Business, broadcasted on RFD TV each weekend in Rockford as well as small to medium markets all over the country, will be at the toy and tractor show.

“It’s such a great community. I’ve been privileged to know the folks there through the years. I’ve been to the farm toy show quite a few times,” said Armstrong, who has been in agricultural broadcasting for almost 50 years. “My antique tractors have been there, too, as part of the display. It’s always neat to be there and meet folks who not only love the farm toys, but the tractors, too.

“There are people with an agricultural background and there are people who come to the show who make their living in other walks of life. The hospitality and the kindness in Sublette are unmatched.”

Armstrong has made his living behind a mic, but before his broadcasting days, he grew up on a tractor.

He remembers those memories fondly every time he returns to Sublette.

“I grew up on a farm in southern Indiana. I grew up driving an old tractor, which I still own today,” Armstrong said. “The tractor and I have been together for over 70 years. The International Harvester Super H, made in 1953 in Rock Island, was delivered to a dealership in the town I was delivered in during the same summer. 

“There is a real connection with folks who grew up on a tractor to the first tractor they drove. We all remember the experience of what it was like the first time. It brings back memories.”

Armstrong is returning for two reasons.

One of them is to promote and sign some autograph copies of his newest book “More Stories from the Heartland” which came out in 2023 after his first book “Stories from the Heartland” was released in 2016.

“They talk about people I’ve met along the way and individuals I’ve covered as a farm broadcaster,” Armstrong said. “The stories range widely from politicians to actors to broadcasters and to individual farmers as well.

“In “More Stories from the Heartland”, there is a story about me meeting John Deere’s great-great-great grandson. We were doing a broadcast three or four years ago in the Quad Cities and someone said you should meet a friend of mine. It ended up being Alexander Hewitt, who’s dad was the last family member in the lineage to actually run John Deere.”

The other reason Armstrong can’t wait for the toy and tractor show is the people.

He has some catching up to do.

“It’ll be neat to see some of those toy dealers. Some of those guys come back year after year after year,” Armstrong said. “Some of those dealers make sure it’s always on their circuit of toy shows. I’ve been involved in some farm toy projects over the years. Some 20 years ago, we did a box set of my tractors. It was made by Scale Models out of Iowa. We sold those to benefit FFA and 4-H organizations. It was the first time that two 1/16 scale tractors had been boxed together. 

“The royalty money that would have come to me, I gave to FFA and 4-H. We contributed close to $20,000 to each organization.”