A former Pennsylvania farmer left Manasquan, NJ, last Saturday, April 26,to begin his cross country trek driving a 1948 John Deere, Johnny Popper, all the way to Crescent City, CA. C. Ivan Stoltzfus is an auctioneer and real estate broker, as well as a retired farmer. He divides his time between Honey Brook, PA, and Sarasota, FL. Classic Tractor expert John Harvey (NAFB honorary member, Wilmington, DE) alerted us to this journey knowing that farm broadcasters may want to connect with Ivan along the way. John said, “Ivan grew up farming with John Deere tractors and loved the sound of the 2-cylinder engine. He dreamed of a cross country adventure on an old John Deere tractor to see the United States of America and to raise funds for a special mission. His goal is to raise a million dollars for the Wounded Warriors Project.” John was with him recently and saw his restored tractor, with its impressive cab. “He will pull a 22-ft RV, and AAA helped select all the back roads, highways and byways,” John said. You can follow his adventure by going to the “Track” tab on his website, www.acrossamericaforwoundedheroes.com. To arrange an interview or get answers to questions, call Tina Brown at 610-883-3653. In the first few miles of Ivan’s travel in eastern Pennsylvania the tractor’s axle broke, but he still should be right on schedule reaching Gettysburg, PA, on Friday (May 2). John explained, “I’m just helping him spread the word about a huge, aggressive adventure with a great cause.”
- Retired farmer to drive 1948 John Deere to raise funds for the Wounded Warriors Project.
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Map showing the cross-country route.
