Tractor-loving Waterloo family continues to honor late son with annual Plow Days event – Wisconsin State Farmer
WATERLOO, Wisconsin ‒ Scott Skalitzky was always interested in farming, machinery and helping others. He particularly liked taking young people into the outdoors to learn about nature and animals.
Skalitzky grew up on a farm in Waterloo and while he enjoyed working with the animals, his first love was the machinery.
When Scott lost his battle to cancer on October 2, 2008, at the age of 31, his parents, Gary and Diann Skalitzky wanted to find a way to keep his memory alive and continue his interest in helping young people. That’s when they came up with the idea of hosting a Plow Days event on the family farm to raise funds for scholarships in their son’s name.
On Saturday, Oct. 25, the family hosted the 16th annual Plow Day with nearly 30 tractors participating. Following the plowing event, the tractors paraded through downtown Waterloo and then enjoyed a dinner at the farm with more than 200 people in attendance.
Food for dinner was grown right on the Skalitzy’s farm, with the meat provided by the family of the late Dave Koning of Monroe, who originally donated the meat until his passing. It’s a tradition his family has carried on in his memory. The Skalitzy’s nephew, a chef in a 5-star restaurant in Milwaukee, comes out to prepare the meal.
Gary Skalitzky says that since they started the event, they have raised enough money for 75 scholarships for young people who strive for many of the same attributes and goals he believes his son thought were important. The scholarships help these young people as they pursue further education in agriculture, mechanics, natural sciences or the medical field.
The Skalitzky’s wanted to offer the scholarship to 4-H or FFA members because Scott was a member of the Rock Lake Troopers 4-H club and Waterloo FFA where he earned his State FFA Degree. The tradition of Plow Days creates scholarships to benefit 4-H and FFA members in Dane, Dodge, Jefferson, and Waukesha counties, continuing their education in agriculture, conservation, mechanics, or any area of the medical field.
Members of Scott’s family have come together to support this event. His sister Jodi Joas and her husband, Kyle, were instrumental in coming up with the idea Plow Days, and with other family members ‒ aunts, uncles, cousins ‒ have helped support and promote the event in numerous ways. Some realted events they hosted included old-time harvesting demonstrations and parade events.
Scott attended MATC where he was enrolled in the Diesel and Ag Mechanic course. He served an internship at Frohling Equipment in Watertown and then worked for F & W at Sun Prairie and later Hanley Equipment. During that time, he restored a 1951 Farmall H. His dad says Scott was always interested in how machinery could be used to improve conditions on the farm.
At the time of his death, Scott was the plant manager at Waste Management -Renewable Energies in Johnson Creek.
The Skalitzky family has been raising animals and farming at Chester Home Farm for over a century in the Waterloo area. They have shown Chester White hogs and purebred cattle at county, state and national shows, but were best known for their purebred Chester White hogs since 1932.
The late Earl Skalitzky, Gary’s dad, was very instrumental in forming the Wisconsin Pork Association. He also sparked his son’s and grandchildren’s interest in farming and showing livestock. Earl was on hand for the first few Plow Days in honor of his grandson.
When the family first came up with the idea of doing the plow-day fundraiser Diann said, “We wanted to do a scholarship in his name because we understand how much it means to young people to get encouragement and some financial assistance. Scott received scholarships for his schooling, so we know it is really appreciated.”
The family shares their interest in antique tractors so much that they participate with other members of the Ixonia Antique Tractor Club in a tractor drive to the Mackinac Bridge each year. While some tractor collectors haul their tractors to the event the first weekend after Labor Day, the Ixonia Tractor club, including the Skalitzky’s, make the 300-plus-mile drive on their tractors. It takes about four days and tractor club members have driven a variety of routes over the years, including crossing Lake Michigan on the ferry and driving up on the Michigan side.
