Over the years, campers, parents, staff, and friends of Jõekääru may have become familiar with the Estonian children’s camp’s well-loved, blue 1970s tractor. From mowing to towing to fun hay-rides for the little ones, Jõekääru’s old tractor did much of the quintessential work that keeps the camp alive. But, things break down, and soon it was clear that Jõekääru needed a new one. Eesti Elu spoke to Eerik Valter, long-term Jõekääru board member, to learn more about the new tractor and the value of keeping Jõekääru running. Find the conversation below:
What’s the story of Jõekääru’s old tractor? How did it contribute to the upkeep of camp?
The previous tractor was bought used in the late 1970s. One of its main uses was mowing (we attached two different mowers to it), but we used it for a bunch of stuff: brush clearing, clearing the roads, or anything like that. It was all integral to keeping the camp going. We also used it to take kids from one place to another, like a little hayride. The surrounding non-Estonian community used it as well, for example, hauling kids around for Halloween trick-or-treating. It’s a huge area around the laager, so it made sense for all the kids to hit each house together. I or someone else would drive from house to house with all the kids in the back.
From your point of view, why do you think maintaining equipment like this is important for Jõekääru’s future?
I think its value comes from keeping Jõekääru presentable and accessible. Without mowing, the place would become overgrown—everything grows so quickly here! We’re constantly doing maintenance and repairs, and the tractor is one of the most valuable tools for that. Clearing the brush and mowing the fields allows for things like lõkked (bonfires), playing in the spordiväljak (sport field), and other important camp activities. Around the köök (kitchen) we have a smaller mower for more precision, but the big tractor is used to keep everything in order and looking good.
“It broke down at the most inopportune times. The other thing is that it doesn’t have the power to help us do some of the work we’d like to do to improve laager… Also, the old mower is really hard to drive. It was becoming a little prohibitive. When you make a sharp turn, it takes a physical toll.”
(Eerik Valter)
What made it clear it was time for a new tractor?
The old one is over fifty years old. It still runs, but we were repairing it every year. It broke down at the most inopportune times. The other thing is that it doesn’t have the power to help us do some of the work we’d like to do to improve laager. The new tractor has a bucket on the front, so we can move dirt, logs, and grade dirt a lot easier. Also, the old mower is really hard to drive. It was becoming a little prohibitive. When you make a sharp turn, it takes a physical toll.
Because of that, we bought a new tractor this summer, but it wasn’t cheap.
What do you hope people understand about the work that goes on behind-the-scenes to keep Jõekääru running?
People only see laager for the month that it goes on, but for the other eleven months there is a huge team of people who thanklessly work on keeping it going. They’ve all done so much work mowing, maintaining, and doing general upkeep to keep the camp alive.
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To help keep the fields clear, the facilities strong, and campers happy, please consider contributing to Jõekääru’s GoFundMe to help alleviate the cost of the new tractor, which was $40,000. Contributions will help cover the cost of the new tractor, ensuring that the camp can keep running for generations to come. Visit the page at gofundme.com/f/joekaarus-new-tractor
This article was written by Natalie Jenkins as part of the Local Journalist Initiative.
Responses have been edited for clarity and length.
