The rain poured down on July 11 at the Historic Days Farm Show, but this didn’t daunt the group of Charleston, Ill., FFA members attempting to sell raffle tickets for the 1953 Farmall Super M that they restored.

The funds from the raffle tractor are going back into the FFA chapter. “The money helps the FFA chapter pay for officer and training conferences and conventions and about anything needed in the FFA chapter,” Julie Niemerg explained.

Julie is the ag teacher who heads up this chapter at Charleston High School. This was the second year her group participated in a tractor restoration project as a fundraiser. The first year started off with a bang when their 1949 Farmall H placed tenth in the nation.
While all is rosy now, Julie said it took a bit of convincing from the chapter to get her to buy into the idea of restoring tractors as a fundraiser. “I was super reluctant,” she said, to start the project. “I know nothing about tractors.”

The group, headed up by Justin Thomas, didn’t let a little reluctance from their teacher slow them down. He knew just what to do because his family has been involved with the hobby for years. “My family has restored about five projects before the FFA projects,” Justin shared.

Putting their heads together, the chapter members did what any entrepreneur would do who wanted to get a new enterprise rolling: They came up with a business plan. “They got the tractor donated,” Julie said. “Then they did a price list for the cost. They got my support.”

And now this busy teacher says, “This is a great way for them to use their talents.”

This year’s project was possible because a local farmer, Dick Ashmore, donated the tractor. Three years ago it was burned in a brush fire. “We have had it for a year,” Justin explained.
Once the tractor was completed, the chapter had a tractor-starting party in February. “Dick Ashmore got to start it for the first time,” Julie said.

The tractor was just officially finished this past May. The students had to completely go through the tractor adding a new engine, seals, a rear end, clutch and gaskets. Because of safety concerns and not having the required items, the sandblasting and painting was not done at the school.

“We didn’t have the facility for it, so Ernie Hershberger did it,” Justin explained.

Bringing a machine that was basically just a frame back to the beautifully restored tractor that visitors to the Historic Days Farm Show saw was quite a feat.

This enterprising group is already primed for their next project. They have two more tractors in the queue they plan to restore – a Farmall 400 and an Allis Chalmers C with a belly mower.
“We are going to restore them both and auction them next year,” Justin said.

Readers with questions or comments for Cindy Ladage may write to her in care of this publication.