Monday, September 28, 2026
2:30–6 p.m.
Rogers Demonstration Farm
941 Bennoch Road, Old Town, Maine

Cost: Free ($15 suggested donation)

Designed specifically for new, hesitant, or aspiring operators, this University of Maine Cooperative Extension hands-on tractor workshop offers a supportive, low-pressure environment to build real confidence behind the wheel.  We will practice key safety protocols;  equipment basics; starting, stopping, steering, and operating a tractor around obstacles; and interactive activities to reinforce safety concepts and equipment hitching methods.

Our goal is to remove the intimidation factor from tractor operation. Guided by patient instructors, you’ll practice core skills at a comfortable pace alongside peers who are also starting fresh. You will leave with the foundational knowledge and hands-on experience needed to tackle farm tasks safely and independently.  Participants must be 14 years old or older to drive the tractor.  An assumption of risk document must be completed by the participant or a guardian prior to participation.  There is no cost for the program, but a $15 donation is suggested. 

For more information, contact contact: Caragh Fitzgerald, 207.949.5427, cfitzgerald@maine.edu.

This workshop is a companion of our new Tractor Safety Fundamentals online course.*
*This in-person event does not fulfill DoE youth certification requirements for tractor operation.

This work is supported by the Northeast Extension Risk Management project award no. 2024-70027-42540, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact Brittany Williams, 207.622.7546, brittany.m.williams@maine.edu.