John Deere Collectors Center
The John Deere Collectors Center was opened in 2001. It is for enthusiasts interested in the nostalgia and legacy of John Deere and the collection of early John Deere tractors, equipment and memorabilia.
The center is a one-of-a-kind agriculture facility because no other agricultural company has a facility like it devoted to preserving the history of their products, according to Brian Holst, manager of the center.
"When the Pavilion opened 10 years ago, there were more requests to see older equipment, so the decision was made to open this facility," he said.
All the equipment that is at the center, except for two pieces, is on loan from collectors across the country. Holst keeps a file of people who have contacted the center in order to display new equipment about every six months.
"We are grateful that there are collectors out there who want to display their families history with pride," he added.
A list is also kept of people who want to restore old equipment they have. When the people contact them they must know what they want done and what their budget will be. "We want to do what the customer wants. They may have a single component that needs restored or an entire tractor," he said.
Some of the limitations to a restoration project include that the equipment must be pre-1973 and fit in the area they have for restoration. Holst said they have done fewer than 50 complete restorations in the six years the center has been opened.
Frank Ege, John Deere retiree of the planter division, works at the Collectors Center and enjoys sharing the history with some of the nearly 250,000 visitors each year.
One of the company-owned pieces that is on display is the Dain Tractor. There were only 100 ever built. The tractor actually spent one year on display in the Smithsonian Institution.
The Dain was an all-wheel drive tractor and it was built more than six years before the introduction of the famous Model "D." Ege said that people will travel to the center just to see this piece of history, which was originally sold for about $1,500, but it is now worth considerably more than that.
Deere & Company World Headquarters
In addition to the corporate offices, the Deere & Company World Headquarters has a display floor where current and historical John Deere products are showcased along with the Girard Mural, made up of more than 2,000 historical items from the period of 1837 to 1918.
Quad Cities Botanical Center
Mother Nature's finest art can be seen at the Quad Cities Botanical Center. The center provides exhibits that promote the beauty and enjoyment of plants, while increasing botanical and horticultural knowledge through education and encourages ecological concern for plants that help sustain our Earth.
The center has an impressive 70 feet tall skylight peak in the "Sun Garden," which is showcased by a 14-foot waterfall, rainforest mural and reflecting pools.
The garden is a year-round paradise for tropical plants including banana trees, coconut trees, vanilla orchids and an allspice tree, along with many beautiful tropical flowers.
The banana tree trunk is made up of leaf after leaf that start growing at the bottom of the tree and move up. The bananas actually start at the base as well and work their way up the trunk to eventually become a full-sized banana that we buy at the store. The tree may look like it is light, but it can actually weigh 400 to 500 pounds.
A vanilla orchid can grow to be quite a long vine crawling up and down trees, rocks or cliffs. The flower only lasts for 24 hours and then a bean forms, which is harvested for the vanilla flavor.
Two Pacific parrots live in the garden as well. They are the smallest parrot species and are only about 5 inches tall, but they can live 20 to 30 years. The parrots, just like many of the trees, flowers and plants in the garden are found in the tropics of South America.
The Machine Shed
"Now that's cookin'!" That's definitely what you think after you've had a meal at the restaurant.
The first Machine Shed restaurant was opened in 1978 by Mike Whalen, on the outskirts of Davenport. The original restaurant had only 100 seats, but was started with a powerful commitment: "Dedicated to the American Farmer."
On the back of the menu it reads, "That dedication meant that we worked hard to have a restaurant that wasn't just 'farm-themed' but would be something that farmers could be proud of. We use only the best beef, pork and poultry. We cook from scratch using fresh ingredients and still peel our potatoes."
Jeff Grunder, chief operating executive of the Davenport facility said the Machine Shed really is committed to Midwestern hospitality.
Meals are started out with an assortment of homemade breads, cottage cheese and creamy coleslaw. Servers wearing bib overalls and red plaid shirts serve farm-style meals.
The agriculture antique décor is an important tradition in the restaurants. Grunder said they are all antiques that are purchased and no reproductions used. "The décor is a definite conversation piece and helps people remember memories that are important to them," he said.
"Because we believe in supporting local farmers we buy as much produce locally as we can. During the summer months we buy sweet corn, tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables locally," said Grunder.
Menu favorites include the roast pork loin, classic fried chicken, baked ham and plowman's meatloaf along with the great steaks and chops. The meals are served with all the fixins' to make you feel at home.
Desserts are another favorite at the Machine Shed. Real butter and heavy cream are used to make the desserts even more delicious.
At the Davenport restaurant alone, 2,000 pounds of mashed potatoes, 3,600 eggs and 25 gallons of heavy cream are used each week. He said that if the amount of 6-inch bacon slices that they have used since the restaurant was opened were laid end to end, the distance would be from California to Florida and back.
Partnerships are made in each region with the local farmers and producers. "We have built these relationships and these people become loyal to our restaurant. It's the 'we're good to you and you're good to us' mentality," said Grunder. "We are committed to success."
These producer relationships have led to many awards for the restaurants, including the Beef Backer Award from the Iowa Beef Industry Council, the National Pork Restaurant of the Year, the Golden Egg Award from the American Egg Board, the Pork Restaurant of the Year in the states of Iowa, Kansas and Minnesota, the Golden Butter Knife from the Scott County Dairy Association and the Tom Award from the National Turkey Federation.
The restaurants also support youth in agriculture by providing scholarships to youth involved in agriculture and by purchasing livestock at county and state fairs in the region.
"We are more than just a business," said Grunder. "We're more like a way of life and building relationships."
Currently there are six locations in the states of Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois and Wisconsin. Grunder said they continually have calls from people wanting to bring a restaurant to their area, but they have decided they don't want to get too big, because quality is the most important thing to the company, not quantity.
Jennifer Bremer can be reached by phone at 641-938-2342 or by e-mail at jbremermaj@hotmail.com.
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