The Legacy of Joe Ertl: 50 Years of Crafting Farm Memories in Die-Cast Metal
For generations of farm kids, the magic of Christmas wasn’t found in a sleigh, but in the heavy, cold feel of a die-cast tractor under the tree. While Santa Claus gets the credit, for many in the agricultural community, the real architect of those dreams was Joe Ertl of Dyersville, Iowa.
A recent feature by Todd Gleason for the University of Illinois highlights the profound impact Ertl has had on American agriculture, not through crop yields, but through the preservation of rural memories.
More Than Just a Toy
To the uninitiated, a toy tractor is just a plaything. But for seasoned farm broadcasters like WGN’s Max Armstrong, these miniature machines are emotional time capsules.
“Every kid loves a tractor,” Armstrong says. “But as we get a little bit older, some of us who grew up on those tractors think back to those days.”
For Armstrong, looking at a model Farmall Super M isn’t about the metal; it’s about remembering a chilly October harvest, watching the moon rise over the cornstalks, and the bond shared with his father in the Wabash bottoms. This deep-seated nostalgia drives a massive collector’s market. At a recent auction benefiting scholarships for future farm broadcasters, Armstrong paid $300 for a single one-eighth scale Farmall M Diesel—specifically because it was a 50th-anniversary model signed by Joe Ertl himself.
Born from a Foundry Strike
The story of the Ertl toy empire began by accident in 1945. Joe Ertl recounts that his father, then a worker at a local foundry, went on strike. To pass the time and perhaps make ends meet, he began making castings in his basement.
“One day he made a farm toy,” says Ertl, who was 10 years old at the time. “The toy tractors sold so well he never went back to his job again.”
Joe grew up alongside the business, eventually taking drafting courses in high school to help the family transition from sand casting to the more precise die-casting method. He began creating the technical drawings for the toys as a teenager and has been designing them ever since.
A Life at Scale
Today, Joe Ertl operates Scale Models, continuing the tradition of high-quality craftsmanship. His designs, such as the Meadow Green Oliver 1955 trimmed in clover white—complete with a fender-mounted radio—are celebrated for their accuracy.
Despite his legendary status in the toy world, Ertl remains humble, viewing his work as a tribute to the farmers who supported his family for half a century.
“I can’t think of anything more wholesome than a little toy tractor and to be a pretend farmer,” Ertl says. “It’s been a pleasure for me to be associated with the farmers and the farming industry. It’s just been a wonderful life.”
For collectors and former farm kids alike, Joe Ertl isn’t just a manufacturer; he is the custodian of their childhoods, ensuring that the legacy of American farming fits perfectly under the Christmas tree.
