Tractors will be cruising through Platte and Buchanan counties later this month.

The Missouri Farm Bureau Federation is holding its 2016 Keep Missouri Farming Tractor Cruise on July 16th. Vernon Hart with the Missouri Farm Bureau Federation said the tractor cruise raises funds for a variety of causes.

“This is our third annual tractor cruise. The money goes to educational purposes for our youth. We’ve got collegiate farm bureaus,” Hart said. “We use this money for scholarships and help train these collegiate people to be Ag leaders.”

The 38.5 mile cruise goes through Buchanan and Platte counties, starting and ending in Dearborn.  Greg Gaines, Northwest Regional Coordinator with the Missouri Farm Bureau said the tractor cruise is quite popular.

“Up here in northwest Missouri we’ve had golf tournaments. We’ve had trap shoots and different things. Seems like we’ve had more interest and participation in this antique tractor cruise than we have anything else. We’re trying to keep building on that,” Gaines said.

Hart said there are reasons the tractor cruise is successful.

“I personally think it’s just because everybody likes to restore old tractors. There’s something about tractors. Everybody, even if they don’t farm they like to remember the history of growing up with a certain model,” Hart said.

Gaines said there are places along the route the public can meet and greet the drivers as well as get a close up of the antique tractors.

“The best thing to do would be to be there in the morning at the start or at the lunch, the ice cream break in Faucett or when we finish up that afternoon,” Gaines said.

Pre-registration for the event runs through July 8. For more information click here.