CALIFORNIA GIRL’S Dream Comes True
When the Chevron Delo Tractor Restoration Competition (TRC) crowned its 2021 national Grand Champion last fall, 12 talented contenders vied for top honors. Few would have put their money on the rookie – a selftaught young woman in her first individual competition – but the rookie closed out the night as the new champion.
Meet Annika Ernstrom from San Luis Obispo, California. She’ll humbly inform you that her mechanical knowledge was self-taught, and limited at best, prior to entry into the tractor restoration world. She also confesses to being “that quiet introvert in the back of the classroom.”
Ag mechanics wasn’t on her radar until she was inspired by friends who had completed restoration projects for local competitions. “I’ve always liked knowing how things work,” she says. “I watched two
