Started 15 years ago by owner Dan Cowan, who was inspired by an artist's rendering of a tractor that still hangs on the wall, the Tractor Tavern became the "Northwest's Mecca for alt-country," according to the Seattle Times.
Although the Ballard Avenue neighborhood, where the Tractor occupies an old fisherman's union hall, has changed into a haven for hipsters, the tavern still caters to its neighborhood clientele and the musicians that play there with a country-style respect for authenticity.
"Ballard has changed and grown - that's how a city works," said Jason Dodson, whose country group is the house band, according to the Times. "To me, the Tractor has always been there and hopefully always will be."
Farmers likely hope their agricultural way of life doesn't end up as some kind of kitchy piece of cultural memorabilia, only found in theme restaurants and bars.
But like a good agricultural museum, there likely isn't any harm in exposing a few city folks to the farmer's trusty farm implement, the tractor.
