8th annual 'Drive Your Tractor to Work Day' kicks off Palmer farming season

Chilly temperatures, cloudy skies, and the threat of rain could not deter the nearly 30 tractors that gathered for the annual “Drive Your Tractor to Work Day" on May 6.

The event marks the unofficial start to the agriculture season, but is also a way for the community to celebrate local farmers and the incredibly hard work they do providing fresh, locally sourced food.

“I was just so excited to see this,” said Rhonda Larson, who is in town from Wisconsin, excitedly came out to the parade.

“We thought this sounded like fun, so we drove out this morning from Big Lake, and this is just wonderful,” she said, having already sent photos and videos to family in the lower 48 and posting to social media.

The parade kicked off at the Alaska State Fairgrounds, with participants fine tuning their tractors before event creator Arthur Keyes lead the way. Tractors could be seen winding their way through Palmer streets before finishing at the Palmer Pavilion.

Viewers of all ages lined the streets to watch tractors of different makes and models, some new, some vintage give a wave as they passed by. Students from Palmer Junior Middle School also joined in as they took a break from classes to wave signs of appreciation to the drivers.

This is the eighth year for the “Drive Your Tractor to Work,” and is presented by the Alaska Farm Trust and Matanuska Electric Association, with participation from the Alaska Department of Natural Resources and Alaska Division of Agriculture, and is held the first Monday in May.