Old-Fashioned Threshing in Thorhild County

By Brandie Majeau

Brent Chomay said, “It was finally time to do it.” It had been years since he had pulled out his antique
binder and thresher, but as the October weather remained beautiful with no rain in the forecast, he and
his family decided to harvest a portion of their oats crop the good old-fashioned way. Chomay explained
he has had the equipment for about twenty years and used to farm this way with horses after meeting
someone who did the same. He expressed that this method is a lot more work and moves at a slower
pace but was a fun hobby. As Chomay and his wife, Kathy, began their family, life became more fast-
paced, and this technique was no longer feasible.

Over the past weeks, the decision was not made lightly. As a family, they went back and forth over the
idea, and Chomay finally decided they were not going to do it; so much time is needed for this
experience, and on a farm, there is always so much to do and catch up on. His son changed his mind by
saying they should. So, with sons Jonathan and Levi, preparations were made, setting the stage for a
traditional threshing bee. While traditional would involve the use of a team of horses, they made an
exception and attached the binder and wagons to tractors. With only a handful of people being told of
their project, word spread, and on the afternoon of the threshing day, over a dozen vehicles pulled into
the field. A team of friends and neighbors armed themselves with pitchforks and were ready to put in a
day’s work for the opportunity to be a part of a piece of farming history.

Retired farmers beamed as they watched the younger generation scramble to throw bundles onto the
slow-moving wagon. Laughter erupted as people took their turns to feed the bound oats into the
thresher with calls of “Whatever you do, don’t drop the pitchfork in!” It was an afternoon that gathered
people together, showing a future generation how it was done. Brent Chomay conveyed that this was a
dying art. Conversations could be heard about the dangers of the original wooden threshers and how
they would blow apart. People spoke about their grandparents. Several expressed the soothing nature
of the methodic and physical labor, the satisfaction of the demanding work behind it all. As Kathy
Chomay called her son to bring a truck closer and the end gate was opened to reveal coffee, hot
chocolate, and refreshments for the “crew,” one could almost imagine past generations of farming
ancestors smiling out at the scene unfolding before them.