Moniteau FFA students ride tractors to school for penultimate day
CHERRY TWP — A small group of agriculturally inclined Moniteau Jr./Sr. High School students skipped the bus and drove their farm equipment straight to school Thursday, June 4.
Thursday, the second-to-last day of school, also happened to be Drive Your Tractor to School Day — an event observed by Future Farmers of America groups across the country.
The five students who participated are members of the school’s FFA chapter, the only one in Butler County. Junior and FFA member Chris Peindle said the group decided to revive the Tractor Day tradition this year after a hiatus.
“The Drive Your Tractor to School Day is something that we didn’t do for a long time,” said Peindle, who brought his tractor. “All of us just brainstormed with each other, and we decided we were going to bring it back this year.”
Of the group’s 25 members, five brought their tractors to school. The other four who participated were Steven Leasure, Zayne Snyder, Frank Irvine and Magnum Gnaway. Four of the tractors were classic International models, with Leasure bringing an old Ford 9600.
Peindle — whose International Cub was by far the smallest of the five — says he drove his tractor 5 miles to school and received some stares as he drove by.
Aside from Tractor Day, Moniteau’s FFA group is active in Butler County and throughout the state in promoting agricultural activity.
“We go to Harrisburg, and we go to the Pa. farm show every year, and we set up a demonstration for people at the farm show,” Peindle said. “We go to a competition called ACES where we learn team-building and things about FFA.”
