<p>When I got home from work on Friday, I saw the FedEx truck’s tracks in the snow. I was expecting a seed starting frame, but not copies of my new book: <i>Garden Tractors</i>. My Editor at Voyageur Press originally told that the book wouldn’t be available until February 15. It appears that <i>Garden Tractors</i> has made it to the warehouse … it should be on the GRIT bookshelf soon.</p>
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<i>Garden Tractors</i> is a historical look at the evolution of the American 4-wheeled garden tractor and the many companies that produced them. If you are interested in old garden tractors, this book will help you understand how the many different models from many different makers came to be. If you currently drive a Simplicity garden (sub compact) tractor, this book will show you the importance of that particular brand to the industry. Manufacturing company history buffs will get a glimpse of where many of the most important garden tractor companies came from and where they are today.</p>
<i>Garden Tractors</i> is illustrated with my own photography, that of a couple of others and with vintage marketing images. The book has a hardcover and full-color production throughout its 126 pages.</p>
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<i>Garden Tractors</i> was a labor of love for me. I have a penchant for vintage Cub Cadet garden tractors, but the entire genre continues to fascinate me. To give you a glimpse of what I Cub Cadet nut I am, I wrote a book about the brand in 2005 or 2006 and have collected about 22 vintage machines. I currently mow our lawn with a 1984 Cub Cadet 882 diesel and have models dating from 1984 to 1961. Most of these machines run and several were refurbished some years ago when I had more energy than I knew what to do with.</p>
<p>If you order your copy of <i>Garden Tractors</i> from the GRIT website, I will do everything in my power to be sure you get a signed copy, if that’s what you want.</p>
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<a href=”http://www.grit.com/biographies/oscar-h-will” target=_self>Hank Will</a>
<em> raises hair sheep, heritage cattle and many varieties of open-pollinated corn with his wife, Karen, on their rural Osage County, Kansas farm. His home life is a perfect complement to his professional life as editor in chief at GRIT and Capper’s Farmer magazines. Connect with him on </em>
<a title=Google+ href=”https://plus.google.com/u/0/117459637128204205101/posts” target=_blank rel=author>Google+</a>.</p>