4-Wheel Tractor Operation, Safety & Applications (Eastern PA)

Join us at The Seed Farm in Lehigh County, PA, for a two-day hands-on workshop on 4-wheel tractor parts, safety, and operation with trainer Sarah Groat, with additional tractor supervision from David Sell,  The Seed Farm’s Farm Manager.

Day 1: Basic operations & maintenance – We will cover the basic parts of the whole tractor, including how an internal combustion engine functions, how the engine transfers power to the rest of the tractor, and how the operator controls these processes. Special attention is paid to fluid checks before operation, and we will introduce basic diagnostics and maintenance of the equipment. We will discuss safety precautions to take when operating tractors to keep yourself and others free from injury.

Day 2: Hands-on operation & safety – Trainers will work with folks in small groups and one-on-one to provide new operators with little-to-no tractor experience, supervised, hands-on time driving 4-wheel tractors, including the use of 3-point hitch to attach and detach implements safely, and, weather + field conditions permitting, the use of implements in the field.

This class is ideal for folks who have little to no experience operating a 4-wheel tractor or who have experience but lack formal training.  

Participants have the option of registering for both days or for day 1 only. Participants may not opt to participate in day 2 without participation in day 1.

About the instructors:

Since 2018, Sarah (sg/she/they) has been providing timely, honest, and affordable service and repair work and teaching new farmers how to operate and maintain equipment in the Hudson Valley. Though Sarah loves to repair equipment, she’s found she’s most joyous when teaching. Sarah has traveled across New York State (and now around PA!) to train farmers on how their equipment functions and best practices for operation. In the winter, Sarah works with the Hudson Valley Farm Hub to teach a ten-day Farm Mechanic Basics program for farmers to learn how to repair and maintain their own equipment. She has found a real passion for making mechanical information accessible to Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, people of color, women and non-binary folks. 

David Sell is Farm Manager at The Seed Farm, overseeing both the Farm Business Incubator Program as well as vegetable production that goes directly into Second Harvest Food Bank’s pantry network. David has worked on small farms for over a decade and has been responsible for operating a range of tractors for a variety of applications.

This course will also be offered in Western-Central PA on March 21-22.

Notes

• There will be a 1-hour lunch break each day. The price of lunch is included in registration. 
• This is a hands-on workshop. Please wear weather-appropriate clothing and footwear, including closed-toe shoes and work gloves as needed.  
• Capacity: This event is limited to 12 registrants (day 1) and 10 registrants (day 2).
• COVID-19: The entirety of this event takes place inside. Please review our safety protocols for in-person events.
• Weather: We will be in a semi-heated space, please dress for the weather to stay warm!  Bring layers as needed!
• Questions? Check out our in-person event FAQs. If you still have a question, contact events@pasafarming.org.