It was something Mr. Ray Newman, a lifetime Peninsula Tractor Organization member, had wanted to do for a long time; lead the parade of antique tractors at the Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce Ag Fair, held October 4, 2025. He knew which tractor he wanted to drive, a 1938 RC Case he had purchased about eight years before, but had never quite gotten the tractor ready. This year, 2025, was going to be the year.

This tractor was special to Mr. Newman. The RC was just like a tractor that his father had bought and Mr. Newman had learned to drive when he was a young boy. You see, Mr. Newman is five years older than the tractor. Born in 1933, he is the oldest farmer on the Eastern Shore of Virginia and still going strong.

At 93, Mr. Newman tends about three thousand acres of corn, wheat, and soybeans each year. A hands-on farmer, he can be found planting, combining or whatever it takes to get the job done.

The farming tradition continues with Mr. Newman’s son, Mark Newman and his grandson, Luke Newman. Mark and Luke are farmers also tending corn, wheat, and soybeans as Mr. Newman has done for so many years. They are also Peninsula Tractor Organization members.

Mr. Newman got to lead the parade of antique tractors in the parade on his 1938 RC Case and both his son and grandson participated as well. While so many young people have chosen to not follow in their father’s or grandfather’s footsteps, the Newmans have continued to be active in agriculture for many years.