DYERSVILLE, Iowa – The 47th National Farm Toy Show took place in Dyersville Nov. 1-3, 2024. The show is at the National Farm Toy Museum, Beckman High School, and Commercial Club Park and Outdoor Sales. Outside vendors set up before the opening of the show on Friday afternoon, and farm toy collectors from all over the country come to see the latest and greatest farm toys.

Prior to the show, visitors can find toys, and unusual models like the one that vendor Brent Smith, from Grimes, Iowa, had at Commercial Park. He had a pedal tractor that came out of an auction in Southwest Iowa. Two daughters said that their dad got the pedal in the 1930s, but no one, including Smith, who has been selling farm toys for 35 years, knew much about this rare find. It says Super Tractor and has no other markings. He is hoping to learn more.

There are several events held during the show that is sponsored by Toy Farmer magazine. Each year, there is a National Farm Toy Show tractor, and this year it was the Wagner WA-17. This tractor replicates the FWD Wagner WA-17 on the 1/32nd scale and 1/64th scale. The 2024 National Farm Toy Hall of Fame inductee was Kenneth Updike, of Evansville, Wis. He is the 59th member inducted. Each year a new member is inducted, and a plaque appears in the National Farm Toy Museum. Updike worked at Carter & Gruenwald, a Case IH dealership in Brooklyn, Wis. From there he got involved in the IH brand. Updike also writes for Red Power Magazine.

One of the most popular events is the display contest held on Saturday morning in Beckman High School’s gymnasium. Adults and kids alike compete, and this year there were 14 youth in the younger generation category. Andy Holthaus, from Urbana, Iowa, won 1st place. This 12-year-old 7th grader said, “I will be 13 in 23 days,” counting down the time until he enters his teen years.

“This is my first win,” Andy, who has completed four farm layouts, said. His farm layout consisted of a large farmhouse, pond, two sheds, cows, grain bins, and farm fields.

Jackson Brady, of Amarillo, Texas, made his first visit to the toy show. This 11-year-old is a fifth grader. “I have been in one other competition,” Brady said, “In the Canyon Competition.”

Brady got out of school a few days for the trip and show. His classmates were cheering him on. “My class sent me a video wishing me good luck,” he shared. The video must have served a good luck charm because out of 14 contestants, this first-time visitor placed next to the top.

When asked how many farm layouts he has created, Brady said he is a newbie.  “This is the first display I have made. The Canyon Competition was in March, and I have been adding since then.”

Brady’s detailed farm display is based on faith and family. Visitors could see the name of the ranch – St. Isadore – gracing the entrance to the ranch. “We are Catholic, and St. Isadore is the patron saint of farming and ranching,” he added.

Clay Goodman, of Mayetta, Kan., is a 6th grader and experienced at creating farm displays. “I have been doing displays for three years. I started laying out farm toys,” Goodman said.

He added, “I was inspired by something different (this year),” and that was a grain elevator scene. His dynamic display of the Jackson Farmers Inc. elevator is based on the local coop in Holton, Ill. Along with his display, Goodman had a book with his story, and photos of the progress of this challenging layout. He wrote, “This was a tough one to build. Some things worked and I had to make changes so they would work. It took a lot of different tools to build.”

Goodman went on to thank the manager at the local coop who gave him a tour, and his parents and especially his grandma who helped him along the way. “So, I took a lot of pictures, and grandma and I have drove by to see what all we missed several times a week,” Goodman wrote, explaining how together they viewed what needed to be updated on the display as he built it.

This turned into wonderful family time with his grandpa helping as well. “A special thanks to grandpa for making all kinds of jigs… and showing me all the different tools and why we used them,” he wrote, adding a fun note, “I still have all my fingers.”

One young woman, Josie Shireman, included an amazing display showing a grain bin rescue, a wonderful farm safety story. Darrel Cox was also on hand with an amazing rendition of a county fair display.

Besides the farm layouts, there is also a sanctioned micro mini pull, sanctioned pedal pull, and auction by Tom Cornwell & Associates.

Another cool idea for farm kids big and little is Boundri Map Based Printed Products. They take a map of your farm and create farm mats for kids to play on, or mugs and more.

The National Farm Toy Museum is a great place to see farm equipment, and most years there are new exhibits, so the displays are always being updated. Mary Baker, assistant at the museum, said, “At the museum, harvest scenes are new. The displays included a cotton stripper, Vintage Case combine, and swathers as well.”

For those that like to see new equipment, Baker said, “There is a Tracked X9100 JD by Ertl.”

The other new display is the Lowell Davis collection. Director of the museum, Amanda Schwartz said, “They refer to him as the Norman Rockwell of rural art.”

The display shows a collection of figurines and porcelain characters on Ertl equipment.

The talented Bernie Kluesner that creates beautiful wooden toys also had some new additions to his show display. Over the past year, Kluesner has given 25 tours to visitors that came on tour buses to visit the museum. For those wanting to know more about the 2025 show, check out the Toy Farmer website.