Find farming history books you'll love

John Deere Plowing Pioneer

John Deere - the name is known all over the country. Did you know John Deere is more than just a tractor company? John Deere was a blacksmith from Vermont! His invention of the self-polishing steel plow was just the beginning of a long and successful career. <br>These popular readers include easy-to-read information, fun facts and trivia, humor, activities and a whole lot more. They are great for ages 7-12 (grades 2-6), because although simple, these readers have substance and really engage kids with their stories. They are great for social studies, meeting state and national curriculum standards, individual and group reading programs, centers, library programs, and have many other terrific educational uses. Get the Answer Key for the Quizzes! Click HERE.

The Horse and Tractor Wars Letters and Lessons from an Old Horseman

Confined to a nursing home in Iowa in 1960, a time-worn horseman seeks to educate his grandson about the great transformation in American agriculture when horse power gave way to tractor power (1910-1950). Walt Decker spent nearly four decades as the chief national defender for the continued use of draft horses on the farm, especially Percherons. His grandson Jethro is a student in agricultural engineering at Iowa State University and does not understand the significance of the shift from equine power to tractor power. Grandfather Decker seeks to teach him with seven historical lessons that tell the story of this remarkable transformation as well details about the tractor wars that erupted after Henry Ford introduced his famous Fordson tractor in 1918. The historical lessons are nested in a series of letters from grandfather to grandson in which Walt Decker seeks to bridge the chasm of mistrust that exists between Jethro and himself. This is a work of history and historical fiction. It is enhanced by dozens of illustrations and archival images, along with a bibliography of suggested readings. Walt Decker has been loosely modeled after Wayne Dinsmore (1879-1966), longtime secretary of the Percheron Association of America and then the Horse and Mule Association of America.

The Complete John Deere A Model-by-model History

Tells the full story of one of the world's best known tractor manufacturers, and the landmark models that helped to make the company an industry leader.

Dream Reaper The Story of an Old-Fashioned Inventor in the High-Tech, High-Stakes World of Modern Agriculture

<i>Dream Reaper</i> follows Mark Underwood, farmer and inventor, and his salesman cousin as they strive to perfect and market Mark's breakthrough invention, the Bi-Rotor combine.<br> <br> "This intriguing tale weaves together the creativity and ingenuity of an inventor and the hurdles he and his partner face in selling and producing what appears to be an amazingly efficient Bi-Rotor combine."—<i>Science News</i><br> <br> "Canine writes with style and flourish. . . <i>Dream Reaper</i> is a riveting journey into America's heartland, where necessity is the mother of invention—and hard work, conviction, and sacrifice are its lifeblood."—<i>People Magazine</i><br> <br> "Canine deftly interweaves the story of the two men's struggles with a history of the mechanization of agriculture. This lively account of men working under pressure, improvising repairs and demonstrating the new machine, is also a story of courage that illustrates the barriers facing an independent inventor."—<i>Publishers Weekly</i><br> <br> "Craig Canine's <i>Dream Reaper</i> is a delight. It's an important book, rich with history and stories. It brings our most essential industry—farming—into new perspective. Reading it made me want to get out a crop."—Bobbie Ann Mason<br> <br> A volume in the Sloan Technology Series. The series presents to a general audience highly readable accounts of the development of 20th century technologies and the ways these have shaped and are shaped by society.

The International Harvester Company A History of the Founding Families and Their Machines

<p> Ancient farmers used draft animals for plowing but the heavy work of harvesting fell to the humans, using sickle and scythe. Change came in the mid-19th century when Cyrus Hall McCormick built the mechanical harvester. Though the McCormicks used their wealth to establish art collections and universities, battle disease, and develop birth control, members of the family faced constant scrutiny and scandal. This book recounts their story as well as the history of the International Harvester Company (IHC)--a merger of the McCormick and Deering companies and the world's leader in agricultural machinery in the 1900s.</p>

Warman's John Deere Collectibles Identification and Price Guide

All John Deere collectibles, from a few rare items including tin dealer signs to the commonly collected coffee mugs are identified, priced and described in this full-color book. Of the thousands of listings in this great guide to "Green" featured items include modern dealer signs and displays, paper products/ephemera items, petroleum pieces, toys and models, and tools.<p>&break;&break;Delve into the history and collectible-rich legacy of the Green tractors that draw devotion from farmers and non-farmers alike. All John Deere collectibles, from the most rare to the common are identified, priced and described in this book, to aid in your collecting endeavors and historical appreciation.<p>&break;&break;Featured items include:<ul><li>&break;&break;Dealer signs and displays <li>&break;Paper products/ephemeral items<li>&break;Petroleum pieces<li>&break;Toys and models<li>&break;Tools</ul>

Ultimate John Deere The History of the Green Machines

Red Tractors 1958-2022 The Authoritative Guide to International Harvester and Case IH Farm Tractors in the Modern Era

<p>This award-winning history of International Harvester and Case IH tractors includes data and photos of every model built from 1958, as well as in-depth information about how these tractors were designed and constructed.</p> <p>With interviews of engineers and executives, the book covers how the 40 and 60 series were created, and thoroughly covers the red tractors from the 1960s through the 1980s. The book also traces the innovations and struggles of the final days of International Harvester. The authors unearthed a treasure trove of concept drawings and photos of prototype machines to shed new light on how these tractors were created.</p> <p>The book includes the exciting story of the creation of the Case-IH Magnum, an innovative machine that blends some of the great engineering done by IH with the Cummins engine built by Case. The modern era of Case IH is also included, with the story of the creation of the Quadtrac as well as the entire line of tractors. With a mix of new photography of some of the most exceptional collectible models in existence along with hundreds of previously unpublished photographs, this thorough book is the most authoritative guide on red tractors ever published.</p>

Wages in Practice and Theory: McCormick and International Harvester 1860-1960

Apparent first edition hardcover

Tractor Wars John Deere, Henry Ford, International Harvester, and the Birth of Modern Agriculture

<b>"Mr. Dahlstrom...has written a superb history of the tractor and this long-forgotten period of capitalism in U.S. agriculture. We now know the whole story of when farming, business and the free-market economy diverged, divided and conquered." <br>—<i>Wall Street Journal</i><br><i> </i><br><br><br>Discover the untold story of the “tractor wars,” the twenty-year period that introduced power farming—the most fundamental change in world agriculture in hundreds of years.</b><br><br>Before John Deere, Ford, and International Harvester became icons of American business, they were competitors in a forgotten battle for the farm. From 1908-1928, against the backdrop of a world war and economic depression, these brands were engaged in a race to introduce the tractor and revolutionize farming. <br><br>By the turn of the twentieth century, four million people had left rural America and moved to cities, leaving the nation’s farms shorthanded for the work of plowing, planting, cultivating, harvesting, and threshing. That’s why the introduction of the tractor is an innovation story as essential as man’s landing on the moon or the advent of the internet—after all, with the tractor, a shrinking farm population could still feed a growing world. But getting the tractor from the boardroom to the drafting table, then from factory and the farm, was a technological and competitive battle that until now, has never been fully told.<br><br>A researcher, historian, and writer, Neil Dahlstrom has spent decades in the corporate archives at John Deere. In <i>Tractor Wars</i>, Dahlstrom offers an insider’s view of a story that entwines a myriad of brands and characters, stakes and plots: the Reverend Daniel Hartsough, a pastor turned tractor designer; Alexander Legge, the eventual president of International Harvester, a former cowboy who took on Henry Ford; William Butterworth and the oft-at-odds leadership team at John Deere that partnered with the enigmatic Ford but planned for his ultimate failure. <br><br>With all the bitterness and drama of the race between Ford, Dodge, and General Motors, <i>Tractor Wars</i> is the untold story of industry stalwarts and disruptors, inventors, and administrators racing to invent modern agriculture—a power farming revolution that would usher in a whole new world.

International Harvester Refrigeration

<p>A history of International Harvester involvement in the refrigeration industry. Learn about history of how a truly International Tractor and Truck company started selling household refrigerators and freezers!</p><p>More products were available to everyone - Harvester is Out of the Field and in the home, with refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, dehumidifiers as well as </p><p>commercial milk, beverage, and walk in coolers. </p><p><br></p><p>Full of photos and reference pages, this is a long awaited book for everyone who is curious about International Harvester Refrigeration!</p>

John Deere Yesterday and Today

<b>Celebrate the history of a beloved American brand that has become familiar to generations of farm families.</b> <ul> <li>Follow this iconic agricultural company from the early 1800s, when John Deere himself devised a plow blade in his blacksmith shop, through the automation of the two-cylinder tractor nearly 100 years later, and into the 21st century of advanced technology and the future of farming equipment.</li> <li>Stunning color photographs and illustrations, many of which feature John Deere memorabilia, such as a commemorative Barbie doll, down through the years.</li> <li>Hardcover, 192 pages</li> </ul>

Hydraulics

John Deere Tractors

Including more than 130 colour photographs, the story of two-cylinder tractors shows superbly restored tractors owned by enthusiasts in the United States, Britain and Canada. Some of the photographs are detailed shots showing special features. These provide a fascinating record of the design changes that took place over more than four decades of development.

Your Successful Farm Business Production, Profit, Pleasure

Twenty years ago Joel Salatin wrote <i>You Can Farm</i>, which has launched thousands of farm entrepreneurs around the world. With another 20 years of experience under his belt, bringing him to the half-century mark as a full-time farmer, he decided to build on that foundation with a sequel, a graduate level curriculum.<br>Everyone who reads and enjoys that previous work will benefit from this additional information. In those 20 years, Polyface Farm progressed from a small family operation to a 20-person, 6,000-customer, 50-restaurant business, all without sales targets, government grants, or an off-farm nest egg.<br>As a germination tray for new farmers ready to take over the 50 percent of America's agricultural equity that will become available over the next two decades, Polyface Farm in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley stands as a beacon of hope in a food and farming system floundering in dysfunction: toxicity, pathogenicity, nutrient deficiency, bankruptcy, geezers, and erosion. Speaking into that fear and confusion, Salatin offers a pathway to success, with production, profit, and pleasure thrown in for good measure.

The McCormicks of International Harvester

This is a story of the McCormick family with its roots on a Virginia plantation in the 1830's. It is the story of Cyrus Hall McCormick and his family which evolved from that plantation to become one of the richest and most influential families in the US. The influence of this family has been felt around the world. The McCormick name can be placed alongside other influential family names such as Carnegie, Ford, Edison, Rockefeller, and J. P. Morgan.Cyrus H McCormick developed the reaper harvester machine which revolutionized farming worldwide. Cyrus, along with his brothers Leander and William established the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company. This company rapidly expanded and eventually became the basis for the International Harvesting Co. which at one time was the fourth largest corporation in the United States. While there are many facets of the McCormicks which will be touched upon in this book, it concentrates on the family as it relates to the development, success and demise of the original International Harvester Company. The story of the McCormick family and the story of International Harvester are embedded and cannot be successfully separated. It is the story of the McCormick family members who served as the chief executive managers and chief operations managers of McCormick Harvesting Machine Co. and International Harvester. It also tells of other McCormicks who distinguished themselves through achievements of great wealth and social influence.