A self-proclaimed John Deere man, Collier says he inherited his love of the famous brand of tractors from his father, Dennis, and his uncle, Scotty, both of whom grew up on a farm. Collier, co-owner of a local repair shop that bears his family's name, said his late grandfather bought into the brand — with some prodding — when he switched from mules to tractors years ago.

"It was a lot better than looking at the rear end of a mule," Scotty Collier says with a laugh.

Dennis Collier would go on to work for a John Deere dealership beginning in 1963. He's never strayed from the brand. The repair shop he and his son now operate specializes in repairing and restoring John Deere tractors. Father and son have also made a hobby out of acquiring older model John Deeres dating back to as early as the late 1930s.

Among their most prized possessions: a pair of World War II-era tractors once owned by racing legend Richard Petty's crew chief. They also have a 3020 Diesel — the first model with an automatic transmission — made in 1963. And father and son are both proud of the 2020 Diesel that's usually stored at Robbie's home.

"It will be the last to ever leave my house," Robbie Collier says of the tractor, which was on display Saturday at the Four Oaks Farm Park on Tettersville Road. "It was my granddaddy's."

The Colliers are not alone in their passion for tractors. There's also Lee Thomas, who touts a rare collection that includes a 1947 Leader stunt tractor once used at Knott's Berry Farm, an amusement park in southern California. And there's Bobby Joyner, whose collection includes a 1945 Leader built with Chevrolet parts, save for the Hercules-brand engine.

"It's a very unusual tractor," Joyner says. "There's only one other like it in the United States."

Although tractors have many Johnston County fans, Dennis Collier says he was surprised that a love of farm equipment could ever lead to the formation of a club, much less a mini-festival for its members.

And yet it has. Dozens of families turned out on Saturday for the first-ever fall picnic hosted by Carolina Antique Power Inc. Those in attendance both watched and took part in a number of tractor games, including slow racing and barrel rolling.

Among the more-unusual contests was an egg race in which participants placed an egg on a spoon and held it in their mouths while driving in a circle around a track. When an announcer yelled stop, the drivers had to maintain control of their egg over any sudden shifts and jolts.

After a morning spent battling for bragging rights in a number of tractor games, the participants and their audience dined on a country feast. On the menu were barbecued ribs and chicken, hot dogs, baked beans and potato salad, among other dishes. Desserts included homemade banana pudding, chocolate layer cake and various cupcakes.

"It's all just part of having good, clean family fun," said Carolyn Joyner, a participant and member of the club's nine-member board of directors.

Glenda Thomas, the club's treasurer, says the club was founded about two years ago. "There was just a bunch of us that had old tractors and had begun restoring them," she said. "We started talking and thought it would be good to organize something for other people who shared our love for tractors."

The group began with 13 members who met monthly at the Four Oaks Auction House. Since then, the club's membership has swelled to include about 85 families. Thomas says that number includes children who are allowed to be on their parents' or grandparents' membership until they turn 18 years old.

"Our children are in it because our main goal is to educate them about tractors and their history," Thomas says. "But overall, we're all in it for the good fellowship."

For more information about the club, call Thomas at 963-2798 or 795-9713.