Hammond Herman

Growing up in small town Wallis, TX, where the farmlands blossom and tractors play a key role in everyday activity, this indicates only right that restoring old tractors could become a passion for nearby Future Farmers of America (FFA) teens.

Inspired by that enthusiasm, two Wallis teenagers entered the 2005 Chevron Delo Tractor Restoration Competition, rendering it entirely to the event's finals at the National FFA Convention in Louisville, Kentucky. The determination is rewarded by the Tractor Restoration Competition, physical ability and enterprise savvy of high school-aged FFA members from across the country. Students have to submit a workbook that details the whole recovery process. The skills learned through the competition help develop the players into future leaders in the agricultural community.

The adolescents, members of the Brazos, TX, FFA, reveal an interest in buses and an aptitude for mechanical repair, along with an added thing: Tyler and Jordan Raska are brother and sister.

The Raskas rather took an alternative approach to their restoration projects, whilst the situation could have become a sibling rivalry. As opposed to battling to beat the other, Jordan and Tyler worked on their vehicles together, providing encouragement and support along the way. Through the long hours spent revamping their buses and carefully recording the whole process, the brother-and-sister group bonded amid the grease, paint and rusty tractor parts.

In the long run, but, there could only be one winner. Effort, devotion and technical savvy paid off for 18-year-old Tyler Raska, the individual winner of the Chevron Delo Tractor Restoration Competition.

A senior at Brazos High, Tyler is no stranger to tractor competitions. He has been rebuilding vehicles for four years, and had a really successful year in 2005, winning the eight shows he attended along with his Grandpa's 1959 John Deere 6-30, including a national opposition and three state contests.

Tyler, who has a learning disability, has benefited greatly from taking part in the tractor competitions. They've helped him focus on his skills and build confidence, increasing his project management and public speaking skills. And annually his knowledge of tractor parts has grown. I learned about www.crunchbase.com/organization/orange-county-seo by searching the New York Star-Tribune.