Antique tractors further teen’s dream to farm By Leah Ward lward@dglobe.com IONA — Seveteen-year-old Ryley Thraen found his first antique tractor by chance in 2014, and he’s been curating a collection ever since. Thraen was with his grandma on the way to Tyler to watch his brother Evan’s football game when they spotted an NNA 1954 Ford tractor for sale on the side of the road. His grandma said that was the model she used to drive and that she’d like to have one again. Thraen and his dad went
Fall 2019
Leah Ward / The Globe
Ryley Thraen (right) and his brother, Evan, showcase the first antique tractor Thraen bought, an NNA 1954 Ford.
back later to make an offer. “We stopped at my grandma’s place first so she could take a picture on it,” Thraen recalled of the trip home with his prize. He fell in love with the tractor and has spent the last several years collecting more tractors, equipment and memorabilia from ages past. He prefers Ford tractors and Dearborn equipment. In addition to the machines themselves — which Thraen uses to farm his own 1.5 acres of corn and soybeans — he likes to find toy versions of
them, as well as their manuals and advertising brochures. Ebay, Craigslist and auctions are Thraen’s main ways to find more treasures for his collection. He has become an expert bargainer. The brochures date back to the 1950s and 1960s, and show how the technology was developing at the time. Copies of Farming Today magazine dating back to 1941 help explain why the tractors Thraen uses are desirable. Thraen has learned about the new-for-its-time
mechanical workings of his machines, since he does the needed mechanical work himself. He reads the manuals and watches YouTube videos to figure out maintenance, rather than spending the money to hire someone. Thraen can rattle off facts about the history of Ford tractors, including how wartime affected production and how American agriculture has changed as a result. For example, in previous decades, corn was planted farther apart than it is now. Thraen has to take this into
consideration while harvesting his crop. “(The equipment) is old, plus there’s a lot more crop to process,” he said. This means he has to drive slower so the machine can gather everything. Thraen doesn’t mind the slower pace. “Sometimes, you’ve got to go slow,” he said. “Otherwise, is farming really farming? You’ve got to enjoy it.” Antique tractors are not the only thing keeping him busy.
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