ALTAMONT, Ill. – This is a summer of tractor shows profiling John Deere. The granddaddy of the John Deere shows of the summer promoting the Deere brand was the Classic Green Reunion. What is Classic Green? Classic Green is a nonprofit organization for everyone who enjoys John Deere products, collectibles, and memorabilia through exhibiting, collecting, preserving and restoring all things related to John Deere.

The 2023 reunion was held in Lebanon, Tenn., on Jun 15-17, on the grounds of the Wilson County Fairgrounds. The fairgrounds are a 260-acre property that includes the Agricultural Complex, the Wilson County Exposition Center, and Fiddlers Grove Historic Village, which is a village that uses real cabins and buildings.

At the Classic Green, the John Deere D was profiled because the Ds are celebrating their 100th anniversary. These beautiful tractors could be found everywhere throughout the show, nestled under trees in the village, and set in exhibit buildings as well. Besides the Ds, JD 110’s were also highlighted because 110’s are celebrating 60 years of being built in Horicon, Wis. Along with tractors, there were also John Deere model farm toys, John Deere bicycles, literature, memorabilia, and a very cool JD shop recreation built by the talented Darrell Cox. This exhibit includes a wonderful array of collectibles.

Green Magazine, the premier John Deere magazine, was also on hand for the event along with Lawn and Garden Magazine, promoting lawn and garden John Deere tractors. The Classic Green Reunion happens once every two years. At the final evening banquet, they announced that the next show will be in West Bend, Wis., June 12-14, 2025.

Visitors from all over the U.S., especially the southern states, were represented at this event, the Classic Green Reunion.

Historic Farm Days, in Penfield, Ill., is hosted by the I & I Antique Tractor & Gas Engine Club. The show was July 13-16. John Deere was the featured tractor at the Historic Farm Days that have the positive motto, “Building the Future by Preserving the Past.”

Like the Classic Green show, at Penfield, they featured the 100th anniversary celebration of the introduction of the John Deere D tractor, and E engine. Friends of Green, a branch of the I & I club, along with other members, has been promoting the show all year long. One way the John Deere brand was celebrated at the show was through featured workshops put on by plow book author, David Wolfe. His first workshop at Penfield on Friday was John Deere Model D Tractors. “Our hobby is a family-oriented hobby that you can enjoy for a lifetime,” Wolfe said in opening the workshop.

The presentation included the history of the Ds that were manufactured from 1923 to 1953, and Wolfe said they were the longest produced tractor that John Deere ever made. The D was built to replace the Waterloo Boy N. Wolfe pointed out the differences through the production timeline. At first, he said, “The John Deere D was used a lot on the threshing machine.”

The second workshop, again presented by Wolfe, included taking visitors at the show on a John Deere D walk, where he pointed out the differences between the Ds over the years. Visitors to the show got a chance to see the Ds in action when they paraded at noon. Another special event that took place in the featured tent was the birthday celebration of Kenny Read’s 1928 Spoker D, serial #30404. “This could be the oldest John Deere D tractor,” Read said. “The tractor was built June 3, 1923, and was fourth in the production line. There were 50 of these built, and 17, I believe that still exist.”

There was a birthday cake and cupcakes to celebrate Read’s tractor’s 100-year anniversary. Participants even sang happy birthday and cake was shared by all.  Next year J.I. Case will be the featured tractor at the Historic Days show.

Coming soon, Aug. 10-13, 2023, in Altamont, at the Effingham County Fairgrounds, is the John Deere G Reunion. This is the 2nd John Deere G Reunion.  The first reunion was in Greenville, Ill., at the American Farm Heritage Site. Mark Berkel, who planned the first John Deere G Reunion along with the Southern Illinois Green iron club, and many others, said that there had been 502 Deeres onsite with 224 of them Gs. It was a successful reunion indeed.

The first show was held in 2017 when John Deere G turned 80. “The G was made between 1937 -1953,” Berkel shared.

At the show, they like the other shows are hosting a John Deere Centennial D Celebration. Put on by the Southern Illinois Green Iron Club, and Mill Road Thresherman’s Association, the event has tractors, engines and more.

These are a few of the events where the John Deere brand was celebrated. It has been a John Deere summer indeed.