Rediscovering My Roots: Honoring Diesel in Agriculture and Beyond

DUSTIN KORTH . September 19, 2024 . Diesel World

Save ArticleLogin to save it

As I wrote some of my other contributions to Diesel World this month, it struck me that I’ve been somewhat one-sided with these articles. For anyone who has read my snippets and random ramblings (thank you for your continued support by the way), you’ve seen me talk about trucks, racing, the diesel scene, and life in general. With that being said, I feel as though we’ve left out a massive subsection of the diesel world—the agricultural sector. And how absolutely unfair and unjust of me to do so, especially with my history in that field.

For those of you who don’t know, I grew up in the small town of Waldo, Wisconsin. Yes, before you ask—I do in fact know where Waldo is. You see, Waldo is a small town. Heck, it’s hardly incorporated at all and just lucky enough to have a post office for its four-hundred fifty odd residents the last time I was there.

Waldo is a bit of a different place compared to some places I’ve been. It’s a single stop sign town, the kind of place where you’re either saved by a church pew or damned to a bar stool. Either way, the impact of diesel engines is everywhere over there. From the semitrucks that pass through on their way to the many cheese plants in Sheboygan County to the hum of a 1086 planting corn on a warm spring day, diesel engines are everywhere there and are ultimately responsible for a large part of who I am today.

So here’s my vow to you the reader as we move forward: I promise to continue to talk about tractors, semis, construction equipment, and all the other cool diesel-powered stuff that exists outside of the truck world. It’s who I was, it’s who I am, and it’s who I want to be when I “grow up.”

Until next time, keep it real.

-Dustin aka @Dusti_LBZ