Pink Tractor a 'Catalyst for Conversation' About Cancer

Half Moon Bay’s 23rd annual Pacific Coast Dream Machines Show April 27-28 will include a very special pink tractor.

Tractor historian Rod Hisken, 74, of Oregon House, Calif., restored the once abandoned tractor in two and a half weeks and raffled it off for more than $22,000. Meant to support fighting breast cancer, he donated the proceeds to a community center in Oregon House and the American Cancer Society.

Still, the woman he sold it to couldn’t stand to get it dirty, so she sold the tractor back to him and his wife.

“We bring it to golf courses and weddings to teach people how to drive it and raise breast cancer awareness,” he said. “It gets a lot of attention; it’s more than just an old pink tractor. When you take it someplace, people will automatically start talking to you about their cancer and spill their guts out. It’s a catalyst for conversation.”

Now the pink tractor will come to Half Moon Bay for the first time for Dream Machines. Hisken says he is looking forward to seeing the machinery and meeting people at the event.

Sometimes he lines the tractor with 12 flags with the pink breast cancer logo.

“I enjoy telling the story of the little pink tractor,” said Hisken, who is a Northern California native and prostate cancer survivor himself. “I can guarantee people will tell their cancer stories, which is an important part of healing and survival of people who have cancer. I feel very spiritual about little pink tractors.”

Hisken, co-chairman of the annual Vintage Tractor Days in Oregon House, is organizing a display of restored antique tractors, which will include his pink Ford tractor and a 1929 John Deere one. The John Deere tractor is going to be featured in the 2015 Classic  Farm Tractor Calendar run by tractor guru John Harvey.

Over the years, he’s served as a school principle, worked for NASA during the Apollo launches, owned a ski lounge at Donner Summit and for the last 10 years his passion has been old tractors. He owns 50 plus tractors.

“I’m a farm guy at heart,” he said.” “I use antique tractors in equestrian school. I design, sell and build jumps.”

He also runs his “Rod’s Classic Tractor tours” in which he does hayrides, historical talks about the tractors, tractor driving lessons and barrel racing.

Among the other tractors to be displayed:

• Doug and Matt Veerkamp's 1928 Caterpillar Model 60 Tractor.
• The Veerkamp's 1929 Caterpillar Model 30 Tractor.
• Dick Watson's 1/2 scale replica of a 1913 Case 65 horsepower steam tractor. 
• Jim and Norma Escheman's beautifully restored 1952 John Deere Model 60W.
• The Escheman's 1953 pristine International Harvester Phase II Model M.
• Walt and Leora Keller's 1956 Farmall 300. 

Dream Machines runs both days of the weekend of April 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Half Moon Bay Airport. Admission is $20 (or $30 for two day pass) for adults, $10 ($15 for  two day pass) for ages 11 to 17 and 65 and over, and free for kids age 10 and under. For more information on the event, visit the Miramar Events site.

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