If June 6, 1944, was D-Day for Normandy, then Aug. 30, 1960, was D-Day for John Deere to introduce the "New Generation" tractors. The new multi-cylinder John Deeres were a dramatic departure from the venerable Johnny Popper, requiring a dramatic introduction to John Deere dealers.
The introductory show had to be spectacular, for corporate advertisers had to sell the 4010, 3010, 2010 and 1010 to the dealers, so the dealers would sell the new, multi-cylinder tractors to skeptical customers. Indeed, tradition is important to Deere and its customers: Legend has it that some folks cried when they learned that the two-cylinder was gone. And among all four new tractors, the 4010 and 3010 represented the greatest departure from tradition.
After seven years of Deere's engineers developing the new tractors in the secret "Meat Market," a closed down grocery store, Deere executives set their D-Day for Dallas, Texas (Miller 13). Deere chose Dallas for the big event based on the logistics: exhibit space, lodging, weather - the whole bit.But long before the show started, in Moline, Deere planned with care, right down to a 1/16 scale mockup of the show layout using wooden human figures and Ertl 630 and 430 toys. After all, Deere's extravaganza had to accommodate over 6,500 people. The big show started at 10 a.m. in the Dallas Memorial Auditorium with entertainment and John Deere films in the round.

Terry Johnson, East Lansing, Mich., describes his life as having moved "from hoof to mouth." He elaborates, saying one must roll with the changes in life.
Terry spent several years working for Michigan Glass Lined Storage, a dealer for A.O. Smith Harvestore Products, but after investing more than 11 years into what he thought was a lifelong career, the agricultural economy nosedived in 1984.
"I could have remained with the company and moved from Michigan to Texas or Washington, but Michigan is my home, and my wife, Diane, and I wanted to raise our children around family. So, I accepted a position selling dental supplies. Although I had always felt weird in a coat and tie, I decided to give it my best, and in 2018, I retired after 34 years," Terry said.
Retirement has allowed Terry to begin his second childhood. He travels and does yard work, which he truly enjoys. "The farmer in me bought a new John Deere X738 garden tractor to help mow, haul mulch and plow snow. It's the largest tractor in my subdivision"" he said. But his days and dreams are filled with toys.

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From crafting a homemade scooter to salvaging toys from the sandbox, an early mechanical aptitude eventually led Paul Henry to collecting and building scale models.
"When I think back over the eight-plus decades of my life, I discovered a pattern for mechanical interest.
I loved riding on the tractor with my dad when I was knee-high to a grasshopper. At about age 8, I grabbed the steering wheel on the John Deere Model B and drove it for the first time. During my seventh grade, I started building a motor scooter. That mechanical interest has continued into my years as a seasoned citizen," Paul shared.
Paul's mechanical aptitude has been expressed in a special form - scale models built from scratch. An early project was a scale model racetrack built some 50 years ago. He expanded on that interest by constructing a 1/32 scale slot car racetrack that measured 4x16 feet. Paul's true passion is building 1/16 scale farm tractors and equipment models from his home in Moorhead, Minn.

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While not everyone who grows up in farm country falls into the temptation of the farm toy world, Jason Shireman still prefers to blame growing up in west central Illinois as the gateway to his favorite affliction.
"From riding a New Holland 9882 with my dad dis ripping to tagging along in the grain truck with my grandpa or spending hours in the combine with my uncle, it seemed like few days went by when I was not around a piece of farm equipment. Due to space and budget reasons, it is hard to collect the real thing, so I have found farm toys to be a suitable substitute," he said.
Like most farm toy collectors, Jason started carpet farming as a child.
'I had a plethora of Ertl tractors and implements growing up, and every one covered some serious acres on the carpet. Of course, I wanted to make the miniatures look just like the real thing, so customization was the key. My first custom was a Case Agri-King. We took the tires off another tractor and glued them on to make duals. Those duals didn't last long carpet farming, but a passion was born nonetheless," he shared.

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During the 43rd National Farm Toy Show in Dyersville, Iowa, Amanda Schwartz, director of the National Farm Toy Museum, said the museum has been busy updating and changing displays!
The National Farm Toy Museum was open during the show and is open for collectors to stop by on a regular basis. Of course, it is always prudent to check ahead in case hours change during this turbulent time.
The first display that Amanda discussed was "100 Years of the Nebraska Tractor Law."
The law was passed in 1919 by the Nebraska Legislature requiring that any agricultural tractor sold in the state must have its advertised performance claims verified. Prior to this time, tractor manufacturers could (and did) make a lot of claims that their tractors could not meet. This law helped protect farmers to ensure the tractors met the reliability standards.
The actual working states, "No person shall be permitted to sell or dispose of any current tractor model of the hundred or more horsepower in the state of Nebraska without first having (a) made application for a permit and obtained a permit to sell the tractor model (b) the model tested by the University of Nebraska."

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Sean Weed invests a piece of his heart and soul into each 1/16 scale customized model pulling tractor that he builds, as he finds solace in a hobby that has bittersweet memories for him.
Living in Harriston, Ontario, Canada, with his wife, Raechel, Sean grew up in southwestern Ontario, where both sets of his grandparents farmed. A neighbor who farmed near his paternal grandparents competed with an unlimited modified pulling tractor, and Sean often tagged along with his father when his father went to help with the tractor.
Sean remembers playing in the farm shop, surrounded by the smells of grease and diesel and the sounds of ringing metal and roaring engines. There, Sean also became friends with the neighbor's son, Billy Douglas Jr., who as 12 years older than Sean. Sean also vaguely remembers accompanying his father and the crew to tractor pulls.
But tragedy struck the family when Sean was 8 years old and his father committed suicide.
The grief-stricken family moved closer to Sean's maternal grandparents and Sean began working at a young age, including milking cows on his uncle's farm by the time he was 12 years old.
Sean attended college and pursued a career as a diesel mechanic, now working on motorhomes at an RV dealership in Harriston.
Through the years, Sean also collected farm toys, first getting toys as childhood gifts, then starting to collect them as an adult. His collection totaled about 500 pieces at one point, but he has let most of them go. He now focuses his collection on resin Gottman Toys built by SpecCast, with a collection of about 120 now.

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Sturdy, die-cast, scale model tractors and farm machinery are built for the ages. Ed Erb has assembled a large collection of the durable replicas made by Scale Models.
"Farm machinery is built to perform and last for decades. That's why I like toys made the same way. Dads who played with the die-cast toys often held them over for their children't fun. I've assembled 1/8 model built by Scale Models. They have good detail and they're made to last," Ed said.
Growing up in Ohio and maintaining his Amish lifestyle begs the question: What spurred your interest in scale model tractors? Ed responded, "My family farmed with horse-drawn equipment. However, Dad owned a Case tractor on hard rubber. It was used as stationary power for silo filling and threshing. The only time it went to the field was to pull something that got stuck, like a manure spreader. I did not operate the tractor rowing up. But, I learned to appreciate the power it provided for those tasks."

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Lane Jensen of Ankeny, Iowa, is no stanger to building displays and competing with them at large shows around the country. The teenager is a triple-crown winner, meaning he is a three-ttime winner in farm display contests, he explained. His winning spree has taken place over the last few years.
Lane was a sixth-grader when he took home first prize in the Youth Division of the 2018 National Farm Toy Show. 
He came in second at the 2019 National Farm Toy Show in the Youth Division of the small scale contest. He has also exhibited and won display contests at the Lafayette Farm Toy Show and the Gateway Mid-America Toy Show in St. Louis, Mo.

2018 Display
In 2018, Lances display featured an Iowa farm scene with a beef cattle lot and a corn field being harvested. An Allis-Chalmers MFD tractor can be spotted in the field pulling a John Deere grain cart, transferring corn into a Parker gravity wagon pulled by an IH 86 Series tractor with MFD as well. In the nearby farmyard, a Ford grain truck is dumping corn into an auger leading to the grain bin.

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In the world of custom scale models, Dan Forbis has attained superior craftsmanship. An exceptional achievement is Dan's weathered look applied to his customized and scratch-built farm equipment replicas. Through an informative chat, Dan shared a glimpse into his quest to master this high level of artistry.
Dan's drive is a combination of several facets. His love for agriculture and its associated equipment reigns supreme. Dan't partnership in the Rocky Mountain Agromomy Center in Riverton, Wyo., has exposed him to specific equipment. And then, the aspires to build realistic scale model farm machinery. With humility, Dan stated succinctly, "I'm simple an amateur. Doing what I'm doing is like playing golf. You can learn to master it. I'm continually searching for ways to improve my modeling."
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EARLY TOY FASCINATION
One of Dan't earliest toys was a 1/16 scale, cast-iron John Deere D made by Arced. "Since that was my first toy, I've held onto it. Shortly after receiving the Model D, I received a John Deere two-row corn picker. At age 7, my next toy was a 1/16 scale International 1456 tractor. Back then, it seemed like a huge tractor with its duals, cab and front weights. It farmed many acres as a kid. I restored and customized the Model 1456 slightly larger than life. For example, I was able to retain the identifiable wear marks in the wide front from the tires rubbing into the metal spindles," Dan reflected.