OFI 1989: Unequaled Passion For Massey Ferguson Tractors | FFA SAE Edition | Andrew Curtis Szalach | Cazenovia High School FFA

Andrew Szalach is a really amazing FFA student. He has been very involved in the FFA since 6th grade, even before he could officially join in the 7th. So much so that he served as his chapter’s vice president during his freshman year and has served as his chapter’s president the past two, subsequent years.

There is no doubt that when Andrew finds something he is passionate about that he goes “all in”. He has demonstrated this in the FFA for the past 5 years, and his supervised agricultural experience is another glaring example.

Andrew has a passion for Massey Ferguson tractors, specifically those from the 1970’s. So, in 2021 he found one in Northern Pennsylvania that was for sale, a 1974 Model 14. He and his father drove down from New York and purchased it, and he got to work on it once they got home. He says that today he is 80% of the way done with the restoration and hopes to have it complete for shows this summer.

In pursuit of this project Andrew applied for and received a $1,000 SAE grant. He also sent out letters asking for donations for his project and received multiple, totally about another $1,000. Just when I thought I knew everything about his SAE he told me that he was obtaining and selling both parts and manuals for 1970’s Massey Ferguson tractors. At restoration lots if he finds one that cannot be restored, he will pull parts off of them and sell them online. In addition, he will locate hard to find repair manuals online and then offer them for sale online, printing and binding them only when they are requested. He does this all for little to no profit, just to keep people interested in 1970’s Massey Ferguson tractors!

SUPERVISED AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE: Tractor Restoration

HIGH SCHOOL: Cazenovia High School; Cazenovia, New York

MASCOT: Lakers

FFA ADVISOR: Mandi Millen

CONTACT INFORMATION FOR ANDREW CURTIS SZALACH:

Click on the picture below to be taken to the Cazenovia Central High School Ag. Department’s website:

Andrew’s FFA Advisor’s Email Address: mmillen@caz.cnyric.org

Cazenovia High School’s Telephone Number: 315.655.1370

FFA LINKS:

National FFA Organization

Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE’s)

Support FFA

Donate to FFA – One way that FFA students are able to start small businesses is through an FFA grant of $1,000. In 2014, 141 FFA students received these grants. With your donations, more students can get this head start – pay it forward.

REASONS TO DONATE TO FFA:

Only 2% of Americans grow and raise most of the food and livestock consumed by the other 98% as well as the rest of the world. FFA is providing the needed education, training and resources to Americans that will carry that torch forward and insure that America continues to have inexpensive, quality food.
Rural Communities will rely on entrepreneurship in the future for population growth and job creation. The FFA is a major catalyst to that entrepreneurial growth.
Farmers, ranchers and those working in agriculture give the rest of America incredible amounts of freedom because the search for food is as simple as going to the grocery store:

“Because American farmers are able to provide for so many of us, they give more and more of us the freedom to pursue goals and livelihoods beyond growing the food we need to survive.”

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack