Posted by MM ZAck on February 13, 2009 at 14:49:53 from (170.2.52.28):
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,
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