The annual Drive Your Tractor To School event was organized by the school’s Central Plains FFA chapter, and invited students to drive tractors to school as a way to celebrate agriculture’s role in the community.

“I drove a Case IH 8920 Magnum,” said Southeast Valley sophomore Lane Ahlers. “This tractor gets used on my family’s farm to run the sprayer, round baler, manure spreader, fertilizer spreader, and the disc.”

Emilia Bloomquist, a junior, and Landon Bloomquist, a sophomore, brought their great-grandfather’s 1948 Ford tractor and 1952 Ford tractor for the annual event.

“We still use these tractors on our farm, and it’s fun to show them off,” said Landon Bloomquist.

-Photo by Tonya Harrison
Southeast Valley High School junior Emilia Bloomquist drives her great-grandfather’s 1948 Ford tractor to school Thursday as part of Central Plains FFA chapter’s annual Drive Your Tractor To School event.

Participating FFA members drove in tractors that were newer, some had implements attached, others had a family legacy, and all were parked front and center in the student parking lot for their peers, teachers, and members of the community to see.

“It’s fun because you get to drive a tractor to school,” said Ahlers. “It is a reminder of how blessed we are to live where we do because not everybody gets to have the experience of living or working on a farm. Agriculture is the backbone of our community, and this event is a fun way to show off your tractor and take pride in what we do.”

“It’s really a fun day for everyone to show off their tractors to students,” said Southeast Valley High School senior and Central Plains FFA Chapter President Riley Carlson, who drove her family’s John Deere tractor. “It’s also a great way to celebrate agriculture in Iowa.”

Nationally, FFA chapters have been celebrating agriculture with Drive Your Tractor To School for more than 40 years.

-Photo by Tonya Harrison
Southeast Valley High School senior Colin Johnson drove his tractor to school Thursday as part of Central Plains FFA chapter’s annual Drive Your Tractor To School event. Nearly two dozen tractors lined the high school’s parking lot for the annual celebration.