Farmer Rings In The Season By Using Tractor To Carve Holiday Message In The Snow

Dec 07, 2022

The holiday season has always been a time for fun, laughter, merrymaking and love. No matter who you are or where you come from, you probably love giving and receiving warm holiday greetings.

In your time, you've probably seen countless Christmas cards and heard countless Christmas carols on your doorstep or in the church, but I'll bet you a kiss under the mistletoe that you've never witnessed a tractor carving a Christmas greeting in the snow.

In 2015, Prunty Farms in South Dakota had this idea all planned out, and when 10 inches of snow fell upon their cropland, they sent a farmer by the name of Dan Prunty to get the job done. While this all sounds like fun and games, Dan was in for a hard day's work.

Now, the thing about writing messages in the snow with a tractor is that everything has to be perfect. Routes have to be planned, turns have to be flawless, and there are absolutely no do-overs. Needless to say, Dan had his work cut out for him.

Little did we know that despite the stress that naturally comes with jobs like this, Dan was a professional tractor driver and was ready for all of it. Every curve, every line and every letter was carved into the snow with precision and style.

After the crop field was successfully engraved with a big, whopping "Merry Christmas,” Prunty Farms posted the video they recorded via overhead drone on their Facebook page, and the response was much bigger than they expected. Their video went viral, spreading across the internet, accumulating views and receiving media coverage across the country.

According to the local paper, the Argus Leader, Dan and his family have been working the land for five generations. But it was Adam Prunty, Dan’s son, who came up with the idea for “Deere Tracks.” The video combines his two passions: video editing and agriculture. 

"I drove it first with the tractor, and then I had my dad drive it again while I filmed with a drone," Adam told the paper. "I just kind of freehand-ed it."

"It's kind of going viral," Adam added.

That’s an understatement. Since Prunty Farms uploaded “Deere Tracks” in 2015, it has accumulated more than 2.7 million views, over 1,000 likes and dozens of comments from impressed viewers.

“Wow, great job! That's my kind of Christmas Card!  Merry Christmas from N. Colorado.  May the joy of the season bring peace to you and yours!” Montgomery Farms wrote on YouTube.

Many apost.com readers were also blown away by Prunty Farms’ video.

“What a talented Tractor Operator. I love that you recorded this and I love your message. Merry Christmas, God Bless and I wish you a Happy and abundant New Year!” Susan Dumais Berntsen commented on Facebook.

Since then, Prunty Farms has uploaded a handful of other videos, including a timelapse of corn growing, a series of clips in which farmworkers have fun destroying Christmas popcorn tins with fireworks, a potato gun and a Bobcat utility vehicle. But none have been as successful as their 2015 Christmas special.

Prunty Farms’ video is reminiscent of crop art, which uses plants, seeds, tractors, drone photography and other equipment to etch artwork into the landscape. 

Stan Herd, a native Kansan, is one of crop art’s most prolific practitioners. 

“I think mainly it was a result of spending my early life on a tractor and on heavy equipment and my interest in Christo‘s massive works,” Herd told Modern Farmer of how he got started as a crop artist. 

“I have gravitated to the idea that the earthworks need to be more than just something to look at … that the background story of mankind’s relationship to the earth, in agriculture, and in stewardship of pristine nature, is what the act of creating the work is about,” he added.

Although it’s on a much larger scale, the Prunty family’s tractor-etched snow art isn’t much different from Herd’s earthwork pieces.

In 2015, Herd made a crop circle replica of Vincent Van Gogh’s “Olive Trees” painting. But beyond resurfacing the landscape, Herd also planted a variety of crops like watermelons, cantaloupes, squash and pumpkins to give the piece color. 

“The amazing thing about van Gogh’s painting is ... there’s not a single straight line in the whole canvas. Everything is organic and curved and flowing, and it’s like a pulse,” the artist told artnet. “I’m just amazed that after months of looking at one painting, that I continued to discover things in it. When I’m here I don’t see the ground and mulch and pots, I see the painting.”

While the Prunty family’s message in the snow might not be considered art like Herd’s work, it’s sure to spread holiday cheer this winter. And who knows, maybe Adam will draw a Christmas tree with his tractor next year.

What do you think of the Prunty family’s message? And have you ever seen crop art or earthworks before? Let us know — and be sure to pass this story on to others.