The Future of Our Great Hobby - PLEASE READ!!!

I’ve enjoyed the tractor hobby for a long time. I was 15yrs old when I bought my first tractor (’39 JD H) and I was already a member of the Oregon Two-cylinder Club. At that time, I was one of the youngest guys involved. Fast forward to the present – I’m now 32yrs old and I’m still one of the youngest guys involved. When I’m at shows, pulls, auctions, and other events, I see a lot of grey hair. In my area, I can only think of a handful of young people who are involved with antique tractors. I’m sure this is similar in other regions of the country. Here’s the thing, I would LOVE to see this wonderful hobby passed from generation to generation before these folks pass away completely. I would also like to see more young people involved that would not only secure a future for the hobby, but give the youth of today a tangible hobby again, rather than waste their time in front of a computer playing games.

I am currently working on a project to address this concern. My idea is to create a reality TV show that is centered on young people and tractors. The idea is to show modern use for old machines (such as tractor pulling), auctions, “retrieval missions” (the thrill of the hunt), and maybe a little restoration. It must be presented in a hip, cool, pop culture sort of way. I would also like to include an educational aspect to the show with physics or psychology. Imagine American Chopper meets Myth Busters – the cool, funny entertainment mixed with a little real world knowledge. I would like to draw young people in who are not from an agricultural background. The idea is to create the same excitement in young people that we have enjoyed for years.

I have seen the tractor shows on RFDTV. They are BORING for young people and I ended up canceling the channel because I couldn’t watch them anymore.

A little background about who I am:

My name is Zack Peterson. I live in the Portland area of Oregon. I did not grow up on a farm but did grow up outside of town. I have a degree in Mechanical Engineering, am a certified Auctioneer, and recently I’ve been certified by Monster.com’s Making It Count program as a Motivational Speaker. I was obsessed with John Deere growing up, but have grown very partial to Minneapolis Moline. My dad and I have a great collection of Moline tractors. I find so much joy in this hobby that I can’t even begin to describe it. My wife sometimes thinks I’m crazy because of the lengths I’m willing to go for these old machines. We would like to have children soon and would love for them to have the opportunities within this great hobby that I have had.

I, along with my friends, believe we have a lot to offer the community. You might have heard these names – Jake Winn, Mark Parker, and Bryan Koskela. Together we gallivant across the land going to auctions, shows, looking for tractors and we have an unprecedented amount of knowledge of old tractors for people our age – all brands.

My goal is to have a pilot TV show to pitch to a major network before June 1st.

I would like a few things from the tractor community:

How many young people (say less than 35 yrs old) can you think of that are involved with tractors?

What are your thoughts about a show like this?

Are there other projects out there to pull young people into this hobby? (no pun intended)

Thank you to those who took the time to read this,

Zack

As one of the old "grey hairs" I would probably watch it if I didn't have to pay extra for a channel to get it... in other words if it were on a channel on expanded basic.
I think one of the problems is there is so much for the younger generations to do these days that there are not enough of them that are, or would be interested. Many people of my generation grew up on farms as I did, and we did it in what I would call the "golden age" of farm machinery. I am of an age where I got to drive everything from A and B Deeres (Hs were not popular where I grew up), F-20, H and M Farmalls, WC, WD and WD-45 Allis', and up through some of the tractors into the 1980s... I don't remember running anything newer than a 4640 JD, but I did put in a lot of hours on it.
I wish you luck with your endevour, but would be surprised if your generation and younger will watch.

I am 27 years old and have collected and restored tractors for 7 years. I am from central MN. In this area I believe we have many people of all ages involved. Many of my friends my age are also into the hobby. Hobby has some of the best people in america. I have met many people of all ages at auctions and all are friendly and willing to talk about this antique equipment. I look forward to watching your program.

I"m (only) 44 years old and grew up with all what are now called "vintage" tractors and equipment on our dairy farm: Farmall Super A, H, 350, 400, Massey 65, 175,etc, most of which were bought new by my father and grandfather. My love of "old" farm machinery started there, probably because that is what we used every day. I have found that most people in their 20"s I have worked with at different dealerships are most interested in newer machines, which will end up being the "vintage" machines when they are older. I think there is always going to be interest in the machines we love, but the next generation may need to get a little older before as many of them appreciate them as we do.

Honestly? I think it is nonsense. I believe that the concept that "youth is the future" of any activity is seriously flawed as is the concept that you can "make" something attractive to someone who is not fundamentally attracted to it in the first place. When I was a youth, I exhibited poultry. Senior breeders gave me stock to encourage my participation. When I went to college, I had to get out of it. My parents sold the family place and I had to live in a small apartment. When I returned to the hobby I found very little interest in helping me get back at it. I was no longer a kid and, apparently, not the "future" of the hobby anymore. I came to tractors at an age older than you are now. I am, and will be, the future of the hobby until the day I drop. Too much emphasis on interesting kids at the expense of the majority of interested participants is a mistake too often made.

Well, not trying to throw cold water on you or anything, but you will need sponsors right? Where are you going to find businesses who will pay for adds on a show not devoted to gay*, Se*, drugs, or scantily clad women?

Then you have to find a TV station to run it, and they are obsessed with Hollywierd and external_link.

Now if you could do a show where Barak himself tore down an ole F-14 in the oval office, now that might have a chance.

Good luck, Gene

MM Zack: You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. Then you may be whipping the horse so hard he doesn't have time to drink.

I know of numerous young people, would love to be involved in this hobby. Most are scrambling just to make ends meet with young families, house, etc. Problem, those damn BABY BOOMERS, have just taken too much out of the economy. Now they're getting set to do nothing, and still want big pay.

Here is my opinion based on my experience. I grew up on a farm, went away for 5 years (most of the time) and came back and farmed 32 years before semi retiring. By farming, I mean 1440 acres, 80 head of cattle and doing without at times. Now that I am old and grey I can afford the time, the energy, and the money to participate in the vintage machinery hobby. I only began said hobby in the last 5 years of my active farming. Had I worried about vintage machinery at age 32 one of the above (time, energy, money) would have suffered. There might not have been any horse left to lead to the water. People find hobbies (or not), I don't think they need to be talked into them. My belief is "lead me not into temptation, I'll find it by myself."

MMZack

I agree with Hugh. The reason you don't see a lot of young guys are because they don't have the extra money to do it. They have families to take are. I just got physically involved about 10 years ago, was spending money on raising family, not tractors. Now, I am 51, have 6 tractors, and 6 gas engines that I could not afford before.
Jim

I grew up and went away to college in the late 60's and never came back to the farm. My dad had a 200 that I loved. My mom sold it along with all the other tractors in the 80's when dad got sick. I spend many hours on a Farmall SA, Farmall SC, Farmall 200, Farmall 240, Farmall 656, Ford 640, Ford 2000 Dexter, and many others belonging to neighbors. The kids I know now farming the same land could not understand how a sweep would work or how to set up a cultivator. I would love to put the 200 I now have back into the field just to show the kids how it worked. I believe the middle to the second half of the 20th century was the golden age of farming. My dad started on a one row Avery and ended up on a 656. I started on a 200 and a 640 Ford and have used the most modern JD's. Dad plowed behind mules and ended up on a very modern tractor. That period of change and excitement is gone to the younger generation. They are living it in computers and data processing. All this to say that the kids just may not have the same passion we have. These ventage tractors are in our blood.

I'm into model airplanes as well as antique tractors, and a lot of this discussion is similar to what you hear in the model airplane hobby. "The children are the future of the hobby."

They might be the future, but they are the FAR future. Expose them to it at a young age and make it fun and interesting. They'll sock the experience away in the backs of their heads. They might come back to it when they're around 12 or so, for a couple of years, until they discover cars and the opposite gender.

When you really get them is when they turn [b:0077c95ea5]50[/b:0077c95ea5]. Now the kids are getting older, maybe moved out of the house even. Good job, lots of free time... Then they remeber that experience they had as a child, how much fun it was to play with old tractors, cars, model airplanes... Hey, maybe I ought to give that a try now that I can really settle down and concentrate on it!

The biggest influx of new members in my model airplane club is people in their 50s, and their stories are remarkably similar...

As a verry young boy I sat on my grandfathers little b tractor on his wheat farm in brenford S D,I must have plowed-planted and harvested all of the 300 acres in my mind tractor off.
Then came the day when I was older and had the responsibitly to run the farm and use the SMTA. And yes my gray hair shows now.
Grandpa passed farm was sold,moved to the big city.Many years passed and developed a passion for tractor pulling,found and restored a wide front SMTA.Try to my dismay none of my daughters boyfrends had any interest in helping with the restoration.My point,if it's not in your make up or in your past old tractors will remain with those who cherrish them.
Paul

MM Zack:

You asked, so I'll share a couple of thoughts with you.....

First, speaking only for myself, I am so sick of the "reality show" format I could puke.

Second, this so-called hobby-problem over a lack of youth interest is universal; Model A Fords, antique Colt six-shooters, old outboard motors, on and on - ad nauseam.

You work your tail off for 40 or 50 years, and if you were half way successful, you get a little time and money on your hands and you get a little nostalgic about things that made for good memories in your youth.

I've got two grown sons; both are working long hours, paying for houses and saving for college tuition for their two sons. Neither gives a rip about a Colt six-shooter or a Model A Ford. They do show some interest in Glock pistols and 1992 Mustang GT's - but neither has one - yet.

My sons are probably not going to be any more interested in Farmall tractors than I am in Cyrus McCormick's horse-drawn reaper. Other than a few rare exceptions, that's just the way it is........

mike

I wouldnt get my hopes up!!

Zack,I empathize with you and I think you have a noble idea if impractical. I think the problem is that nostalgia drives the interest in anything old whether it's tractors or dolls and "old" or "from the past" are relative terms. My "from the past" is not the same as my children's. Many times I've been asked by people outside of the hobby what attracts me to the old machines. Simple, I grew up in the suburbs, nowhere near a farm but my dad had a '55 Cub Lo-Boy. I was born in '53. I spent the first three to five years of my life on his lap behind that steering wheel eventually graduating to the driver's seat. That tractor was my first restoration. To me, Farmalls are a piece of American history as well as a part of my childhood. I have six grandchildren now and I can guarantee that red tractors will be a part of their childhood memories years down the road but getting them to watch a show like you envision..?? Who knows? I wouldn't let all the naysayers discourage you though. It would probably be the first "reality" show that I would watch.

Mike: You make a good point, right now my keenest tractor guy is the soon to be 3 year old grandson. He'd spend all day on the tractor if I'd let him. His mom, dad, aunts and uncles, don't have time to give tractors much attention. This damn tractor hobby is a full time job, one does not have time for full time employment.

I am confident my tractors will stay around after I'm gone. Next generation are hoping I hang around until they have time to use them, and not see them go to storage 8-10 years. The problem I see is the next generation, Most of us had our children in our 20s, thus have followed in our footsteps 20 years later. They in turn have not had children until mama had a career and in her 30s. That alone creates a gap in family retirements.

Just maybe the strength of the tractor hobby lies in what Archie Bunker once said, "Edith, throw Gloria's damn pill out the window to the Jefferson's cat, and replace it with a plesebo."

Hugh
You stated it very well. Worked in Houston,Tx. for 38 years and what you said about not having to work hard and draw a big check is true in too many instances!

Zack,
First thing, good luck. I too would like to see more young people involved. Our club has made a few young people that come out to help us honorary members. They are there rain or shine. Our club is centered around educating the children. But as one of the guys said this is a hobby that takes the bucks. I'm 42 and just got my second tractor last week. I'm fortunate my house is paid off so are my trucks & tractors. But most young people can't say that. They are too in debt to think of a tractor unless they go more in debt. The next thing is as my husband is always telling our youngest son who is into tractors. Most the young people 30 & under are not interested unless it has a cord or a phone connected to it. Sad but true. I still hold hope I have two young grandsons 2 & 5 that think grandma's tractors are the bomb!

Not sure what effect that would have in trying to get kids interested in old iron, but I'm not a television executive. Personally I got the bug as a little kid on the farm and wouldn't have been interested otherwise. I only know what I'd watch, and while the RFD programs are mildly interesting, I would rather watch a show geared more to the actual restoration process. I've seen a farmall in the background in Jesse Jame's shop and would definately sit still for an American Chopper type format on a tractor restoration.

Here's another point of view.

I am 32 raising 4 kids, 12,10,3 and 15 months. I placed the chance to see my grandchildren and them to know me before tractors. I have the 3 tractors from our family farm + 6 more in various states of repair, we farm 90 acres with 20 head of beef cattle along with working full time. Money is short but memories are forever.

My oldest children all know which tractor is which and that daddy keeps them running. Hopefully one will take to them.


My father whom is 64 helps to restore our tractors, the H is done, The 200 in the process, The 400 is an up and running and very useable tractor, the A mows the lawn, the M does as needed, The 1466 and 806 do the bull work, The backhoe does everything else. With a couple more A's waiting.

But as I said money is short when you are raising children, so without my fathers help, $$$, things would not be as nice.

I beleive you hit the nail on the head with lack of money and no time. Once you get your children raised you will have more time and $$ for your hobby what ever it is.

I too would be classified as one of the younger bunch, But that doesn't mean my blood doesn't run Red. I just could not afford to tackle these tractors that somebody let rot away.

I have more fun bringing these tractors back to life than more anything. There is nothing nicer than driving a pile of parts in and in the spring taking it to a parade.

The future is that these old tractors will be around along time and so will there be people who restore, use, restify and respect them.

My daughters will most likly always know dad had red tractors and hopefully they will have one of their own. If not somebody will have one of them and hopefully they will pass it onto another.

I want to see that one!!!!!!!!

I don't usally enter the post very often but just had to put in my two cents here, I grew up on the prairie of South Dakota and was cultivating corn with a Farmall M and 238 cult. in 1951 when I was 9 years old. My folks bought a new Farmall 350 diesel in 1958 which I drove home brand new. (Still have 350 and was my first restoration and what started me doing this)Worked on the farm until done wirh school, then spent time in the army.came home and spent 40 years working for a Power Co,
During this time I did not have as much time to spend on tractors as I would like to have as the time needed to raise a family took more time and money. I have 3 boys and 1 girl who like to spend time working on projects, going to shows and tractor drives. The problem is that they are in the same place as I was 45 years ago in that they have families and responsibilities that take precedense over old tractors. I hope that in a few years that they will take some of my tractors and continue doing what us oldsters are doing now. I am also teaching my grandkids how great it is to drive an old tractor. This way they put the pressure on mom and dad to continue also. (Called burning the candle from both ends.) I believe that all we can do is keep promoting the sport and the young people will respond. Looking back it seems funny that we love doing today what we hated doing yesterday.

Red Mist us on point. It's sorta like sunday school at church...when they go off to college, the church is gone in defference to other things. I have sons and sons in law, and I cannot entice either of them into my shop other than a walk by to see what I am "wasting" my time on this week...I cannot give a good suggestiion as to how to sell your project.

tw

Red Mist us on point. It's sorta like sunday school at church...when they go off to college, the church is gone in defference to other things. I have sons and sons in law, and I cannot entice either of them into my shop other than a walk by to see what I am "wasting" my time on this week...I cannot give a good suggestiion as to how to sell your project.

tw