Red, green, blue or gold. Innovation in agricultural equipment and technology can be found in all shades. For a closer look at your favorite brand’s manufacturing process, visit a local plant or museum.
1. John Deere Tractor and Engine Museum
Avid John Deere fans will delight in the opportunity to experience the amazing evolution of agricultural machinery at the John Deere Tractor and Engine Museum in Waterloo. Gain understanding on the history of John Deere and how the hard-working machines help people do their work today.
2. Case New Holland
Case New Holland's implements dot the Iowa landscape and many are manufactured in the "Backhoe Capital of the World," Burlington. Explore the factory where construction and agricultural equipment is manufactured.
Plant tours are available the first Thursday of every month at 9:30 a.m. or by appointment (must be 12 or older for tours).
3. Kinze Innovation Center
Just like their blue farm machinery stands out on farms across the country, the Kinze Innovation Center stands out among learning centers. Located at the Kinze World Headquarters near Williamsburg, visitors can explore founder John Kinzenbaw’s inventions, see tillage equipment from the early years and design their own Kinze planter and grain cart.
4. National Farm Toy Museum
After getting your fill of the full-size machinery, go on a small-scale adventure at the National Farm Toy Museum in Dyersville. The massive toy collection teaches methods of farming and the history of tractors. Visit in early November to attend the National Farm Toy Show, where you can buy, sell and trade toys.
5. Froelich Historic Site
Celebrate Iowa’s proud history of innovation at the Froelich Historic Site, a quaint 1890s-replica village where in 1892 John Froelich invented the first gasoline-propelled tractor. Froelich went on to lead the Waterloo Gasoline Engine Company that was eventually sold to powerhouse tractor manufacturer John Deere.
