"Tanking" Down The Cedar River

Tanking Down The Cedar River FARM HOME Novelty Items When it comes to recreation folks near Spalding Neb don t require anything fancy Just give them a stock tank a picnic table and a stretch of river to float on They call it tanking Raymond Bernt whose family farms along the Cedar River got the idea for his business from a bar that came up with the idea in the mid-1980 s The 2 1/2 ft tall tanks are very buoyant and nearly impossible to tip As they float they spin in a slow circular motion Bernt and two of his brothers are busy at least three days a week during the summer renting and hauling 8 and 10-ft poly blue stock tanks They are light and easy to handle Bernt says They stack together and the picnic tables fold up so they are easy to haul on a trailer I made Some customers prefer canvas armchairs especially if a disability makes it difficult to sit at a picnic table The 10-ft tanks are only used in the spring when the water is higher Sometimes floaters need to get out and guide tanks through shallow water The tanks rent for $48 and hold 6 adults in the 8-ft tank Bernt supplies life jackets and a pole to push away from shallow areas or overhanging limbs He offers a couple drop off/pickup points for trips that average about 4 hours He also rents canoes and paddle boats Besides renting vessels the Bernt family makes goat hot dogs and a variety of organic cheeses to enjoy while floating down the river Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Raymond Bernt Cedar River Recreation 82228 499th Ave Spalding Neb 68665 ph 308 223-9643; rbernt@yahoo com

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