Photo courtesy of Jon Schreurs A group of Marshall High School students arrive at school on tractors Thursday morning. It’s become a tradition for students to drive tractors to school to celebrate National FFA Week.

MARSHALL — Getting to school took a while longer for some Marshall High School students on Thursday morning. But that’s just the way it goes when you’re driving at tractor speed.

“I had 13 miles to go,” MHS student Casey Williams said of his route to school. While the ride might have been long and chilly, it was fun, Williams said.

Several MHS students drove tractors into the high school parking lot on Thursday, as part of celebrations for National FFA Week. It’s a tradition that Marshall students have participated in for close to 20 years on and off, said FFA adviser Jon Schreurs.

“There were nine or 10 of us” who drove tractors to the high school this year, Williams said. Not everyone in the group was in FFA. “Everyone was welcome to drive a tractor today, if they heard about it,” he said.

National FFA Week was Feb. 15-22 this year. However, due to the extreme cold temperatures earlier this month, Marshall students waited to drive their tractors, Schreurs said.

Williams said most students driving tractors to MHS opted for a more comfortable ride, and took tractors with enclosed cabs. “Normally, it’s the newer stuff,” he said. “There were two of us who had open cabs, with nothing.”

Williams said he went with a tractor that didn’t have a cab, but was fun to drive. The tractor had been upgraded to 150 horsepower, he said.

“It was a cold drive,” Williams said. Depending on how far students had to drive to get to school, it could also mean getting up earlier. But it was fun to see people’s reactions at the school, Williams said.

Taking part in FFA was both a way to learn new agriculture skills and to have fun, Williams said.

“It’s nice to meet people, along with what you’ve learned,” he said.

Williams talked about events like Greenhand Day, which introduces new FFA members, and competitive events like Career Development Events.

“Me and my friend David (Lanoue) are doing ag mechanics,” Williams said.

The event includes different stations for skills ranging from welding to troubleshooting an engine, he said.

Schreurs said students enjoy bringing attention to FFA during special events like FFA Week and the tractor drive.

“They are very excited about showing off their skills,” he said.