To anyone who’s not involved in agriculture or passionate about farm equipment, a tractor may just be a tractor. I may not know a lot about equipment, but I can tell you what a tractor is worth and I’m not talking about the MSRP at the implement dealer.
This 1946, Ford 2N was the first tractor to replace horses on my family’s farm. This tractor has been driven by three generations thanks to my father’s love and care for it.
Two years ago on June 14, 2014, my husband and I were married. Being an emotional person, I figured I would be in tears for the majority of the day. To my surprise, the only time I cried that day was after the ceremony, when I looked outside and saw the special surprise my father had arranged.
This June, when my mom asked me if I wanted to plant sweet corn using the Ford, I was dumbfounded. My parents trusted me with the most important and most precious piece of equipment they own.
I was nervous, scared, excited and overall clueless since I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve driven a tractor.
Although, my rows did not turn out perfectly straight, I was asked again the next week to finish planting sweet corn and to me, that was an even bigger deal.
The best part about all of this, not only were both my parents watching and working with me, but my husband (who is also a 5th generation farm boy) and my 11 month old son, were all there to watch me in my proud moment.
Tractors are important and make farm work more efficient. Today’s models have computers, GPS, WIFI, auto-steer, air conditioning, radios, and Bluetooth. Our industry has come a long way.
It is also a humbling experience to drive a piece of my family’s history with the hopes of continuing their legacy.
So what’s a tractor worth?
To me, it’s worth is three generations strong, it’s worth stories that are passed down over time, and it’s a part of two of the best days of my life so far.
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