After twenty-six years, the Kentucky FFA Foundation tractor collection is coming to a close. The tractor collection was started in 1995 in a partnership with Southern States stores, led mostly by agriculture teacher Brenda Oldfield. To date, the program was raised well over $500,000 for the Foundation and it’s maintained a connection to hundreds of tractor collectors that support FFA.

Income from the tractors allowed the Foundation to hire staff, giving us stability, leadership and an opportunity to grow. I can confidently say that the Kentucky FFA Foundation wouldn’t be what is today without the collectible tractor program. If you have a closet full of tractors, know that your investment in Kentucky FFA has prospered!

Our tractors are retailed in all Southern States stores and this partnership is absolutely invaluable to us. It’s what made the program successful across Kentucky. We look forward to offering some new ways to partner with Southern States in the future, but it’s important to thank them for housing, shipping, retailing and promoting our tractor collection for twenty-six years. Many states have tried to do a collection, only a couple have been successful. The secret sauce to our success was Southern States, they’ve been great partners.

The most essential thing to our success are the hundreds of folks that bought our tractors every year. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting many of them at trade shows and have delighted in your stories. Many grandchildren have been commemorated by KY FFA Tractors and we sure have made Christmas presents for many dads and grandads easy! Thank you for supporting this program for 26 years.

Though some will be sad, I know this will come as a relief to the many wives who say without fail, “Where are you going to put this?!” And they describe their kitchens, living rooms, closets that are full of FFA tractors.

Though we are sad to see this collection come to an end, I sincerely hope the support of the hundreds of folks that bought one each year does not. I invite you to include the $10 donation on your Ag Tag bill, to make a gift during Give FFA Day at www.kyffa.org and continue to proudly share your support of FFA with your friends.

If you want to dig through your tractor closet and check your collection, I want to make that easy for you.

The Kentucky FFA Foundation started our collection with Ertl in 1995.

1995- Farmall Super M-TA

1996- Farmall 706

1997- Farmall H

1998- International 140

1999- Farmall C

2000- John Deere A

2001- John Deere G

2002- John Deere 60

2003- John Deere B

2004- John Deere 4020

2005- John Deere 520

2006- Ford 8N

2007- Ford 901

2008- Allis Chalmers D21

2009- Allis Chalmers D19

2010- Oliver 1950-T

2011- John Deere 720

2012- John Deere 2010

2013- Farmall 1256

2014- Farmall 656

In 2015, we released a commemorative collection, honoring Kentucky FFA history with SpecCast.

2015- John Deere 62

2016- Farmall 350

2017- International 544

2018- Oliver 1850

2019-  Pink Case DC3

2020-  Massey Ferguson 62

While you’re reviewing your tractors, let me answer some questions many folks ask. The Kentucky FFA Foundation does not keep or resale our old inventory. If you are looking for a tractor, I send folks to eBay. If you are wanting to sell a collection, that’s also usually the best bet. Post what you have or are looking for on Facebook, tractor news travels fast there!

Like most collectibles, they don’t have a certain defined value. I have had someone tell me they paid $800 for the 1995. It was the one they needed and they finally found it. I have also had collectors sell their entire collection for $50 each.

Whatever it is worth to you today, I can promise you the investment you made in Kentucky FFA has came back ten-fold. 26 years ago the tractors started with a goal that maybe one day… the Foundation could raise a collective $75,000 or so a year. I’ve been told stories of “passing the hat” at State Convention to get us there. Not to boast, but to share the impact of your gifts, we closed 2020 by raising more than $1,000,000 for the third year in a row. More dollars means more impact to FFA chapters and members in Kentucky. If you have shelves full of FFA tractors, thank you. Your investment and support matters deeply and its made an immeasurable difference to young people in Kentucky agriculture. If you see me at a trade show, I hope you’ll still stop and talk, even if I don’t have a new tractor to sell you!