ABOUT THE PROJECT |
Page Last Updated: 8/20/2024 @ 2:30 p.m..
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The John Deere Model A was produced from 1934 until 1952. This tractor was originally designed to start on gas and switch to kerosene. This time frame was during WWII when gasoline was being allocated to the U.S. military operations. There were a total of 300,000 Model A’s manufactured in John Deere’s Waterloo, Iowa facility. There are many types of model A’s, such as the AR, AO, AOS, AW, AN, AWN, AI, and ANH, all of which served different tasks for farmers.
Our tractor restoration started in 2022, when our FFA Alumni and Supporters organization received the 1946 John Deere Model A tractor as a donation from Sam Hanson, alumni member from Oshkosh West FFA Alumni. Our Alumni realized many students involved in FFA were also enrolled in Tech-Ed classes and thought that it would be a great opportunity for them to complete a project in Ag mechanics. Since our school does not offer agricultural mechanics classes, it would offer the students and Alumni members hands-on experiences and gain new skills. In total 12 FFA members and 13 Alumni members worked during the restoration process. The restoration process was hosted and led by the Kesler family, as Miguel Kesler is familiar with restoration projects, has the shop tools for this type of project, and has a diesel mechanics associate degree along with industry experience with restoring antique tractors. We worked on it during the weekends and several nights throughout the school year. We started by disassembling and cataloging parts in January of 2022. Most of the necessary restoration parts were obtained through the summer and fall with student involvement starting back up in late fall. That same year our FFA Alumni chapter applied for a National FFA Foundation Legacy Grant. They were awarded a $1,000 grant as the project promoted student engagement for this type of joint FFA and FFA Alumni activity. The money was used towards buying replacement parts for the tractor. As the replacement parts arrived, we started putting the tractor back together. The following year, new students joined the project. One of those students was able to start an SAE, for herself, while working on the tractor. She was interested in learning more about how the painting process worked since her SAE was in agricultural mechanics repair and maintenance. She also applied for a grant to help build a portable paint booth that could be used for this restoration project and future projects. She was awarded $500 for supplies which included personal protective equipment and PVC pipe for the frame, plastic sheeting, and ventilation. With the help from an experienced Alumni member, she was able to learn how the painting process worked, and hopes to secure more projects in the future from local farmers and community members that desire painting of machinery. The tractor was painted and put back together just in time for the Oconto Falls Community Memorial Weekend Celebration in May 2024. This tractor restoration project finished with a total of 700+ hours of Alumni and student time. The John Deere A was showcased at a local car show and driven in the Oconto Falls Memorial Day parade. In the future, plans are being made for it to appear at various events. |
PROJECT SPONSORS
S&L Tractor Parts The Brillman Company J&J Ag Equipment LLC Gaertig Farms LLC Oconto Falls Quick Lube Kelsey Coatings Riesterer & Schnell TNT Tire Bay Speed Center LLC National FFA Foundation Legacy Grant WI FFA Foundation SAE Grant 
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EVENTS TO PURCHASE TICKETS2024
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