Tractors rolled to Firelands H.S. for 'drive your tractor to school' day (VIDEO)

Once a year, Vermilion Road outside Firelands High School becomes the home of a different kind of traffic jam. That day was Friday for this year's Future Farmers of America's "drive your tractor to school'' day, and nearly two dozen tractors of all sizes and ages were parked outside the school. Garrett Schlechter, 17, and president-elect of the FFA, said the event has been going on for as long as he can remember. Tractor day is about more than just driving the tractor, he said, it's an FFA program to bring awareness to farming and it ties into class work across all grades. "I remember coming over and looking at the tractors on tractor day when I was in elementary school. That was always a fun experience for me," he said. The event has 17-year-olds driving tractors valued at up to $700,000 to school for the day. For a little perspective, the latest Ford GT supercar can be had for $200,000 less and those certainly aren't found often in a high school parking lot. Josh Kovach, 17, of Henrietta Township, said the John Deere he brought to school isn't his; it's owned by his employers, Jake and John Dovin of Dovin Farms in Oberlin. He said he understands the faith it takes for someone to lend him a $700,000 tractor for the day. "It takes a lot of trust and I really appreciate the opportunity," he said. Josh isn't exactly new to handling tractors. He said his family does a little bit of farming and he's been driving tractors since he was 8 or 9. He's been working at Dovin Farms for the last couple of years. Henrietta Township isn't exactly deep farming country, but Josh said he knows the difference his lifestyle offers. "It's beautiful out here, it really is," he said. Looking at the future, he said he'd like to continue his life in the agriculture field but the reality of modern farming stacks the deck against most people. "It's kind of hard to get into these days unless you're established and have been doing it for a while, but we'll see how it goes," he said. Josh said he plans to attend Lorain County Community College then will try to get into the business. "I can't really see myself doing anything else, but land is so expensive ... seed and fertilizer are ridiculous right now. Like I said, the tractors are super expensive," he said. "Unless you've inherited and your family has been doing it for generations, it's really hard to get started in it." On the other end of the farming spectrum is Garrett. He drove his great-grandfather's John Deere Model 80 tractor, purchased brand new in 1956 from the Amherst Elevator for $5,100. He's a seventh generation farmer and has helped on the family farm his entire life. "I hope to work on the family farm when I'm older and continue it to the next generations," he said. The Schlechter Brothers farm on Baird Road, just one road west of Firelands High School, is the height of diversification, Garrett's family has a farm market where they sell everything from pumpkins, cornstalks, and flowers in the fall, beef and pork and, in the spring, maple syrup. The biggest advantage he sees for the future is population growth. "There is a good future ahead for us with rising populations and more people eating better food," he said. Garrett's thoughts on the future of farming were obliterated as another class of school children arrived at the line of tractors and were participating in a scavenger hunt to learn about the farming implements. And for those students who missed question No. 8? The oldest tractor was an International, built in 1947. Contact Bruce Bishop at bbishop@chroniclet.com.