Where would you find a 1918 Waterloo Boy tractor, a grain sickle from the 1900s, and a first-generation GPS receiver together? Only at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC.

The museum is celebrating 2018 as the Year of the Tractor with two new displays showcasing the past, present and future of agriculture at its enterprise exhibition.

“History is best when iconic objects and anniversary dates coincide,” says Peter Liebhold, the museum’s agriculture curator. “Making 2018 the year of the tractor gives the public an opportunity to appreciate the past and learn insights about the process of innovation.”

A green, yellow and red 1918 Waterloo Boy tractor is on display, marking the 100th anniversary of Deere and Company’s entry into the tractor market with the acquisition of the Waterloo Gasoline Engine Co in 1918. A new display titled “Precision Farming” tells a more modern story of how far farmers have come in adopting new technologies that are also changing agricultural practices.

“The linkage between the Waterloo Boy and the innovation of lightweight tractors in 1918 with the precision farming display is a natural,” says Liebhold. “Both exhibitions provide insight into agricultural revolutions.”