GREEN and YELLOW

Meli....
Now, the question we can't find the answer to is, "Why did John Deere choose to paint his tractors green and yellow in the first place?"

    Well, the FIRST part of the answer is, John Deere died in 1886, before the tractor was even invented, so HE didn't have much say-so in the matter.
    Then... In 1918 the John Deere Company purchased the Waterloo Engine Company which was already making a tractor. It was called the "Waterloo Boy", and guess what color it was? Yep... GREEN. (Green and red, actually). But... I'm getting ahead of myself. The John Deere Company established the green frame and yellow wheel combination long, long before motorized tractors, or steam engines were even in use. Deere & Company was very good at buying other companies and their machines, customizing their designs, and selling the product under the Deere name. The Deere & Mansur corn planter, which started out red and cream (or yellow) was one of the first implements in the Deere line to change to the green frame, and yellow wheel combination. That change happened sometime between 1870 and 1880. The decision to "Brand" all of Deere's equipment green and yellow was finalized by 1910, when all of the "Many Brands" that Deere owned were consolidated into "Deere & Company", which became the new company name.
   So... Now the question becomes: "Why did the John Deere Company choose green and yellow to paint all of their implements and equipment?" There are four possible answers:

Why NOT?
Because the competitor's equipment was NOT green.
Because it is a pleasing "agricultural" color combination.
No reason at ALL.

Seriously... This question has been asked before, and it has been batted around, and no one has even gotten a straight answer from ANYONE, not even the "powers that be" at the John Deere Company, because, obviously, THEY don't know, EITHER!!

Why are fire engines red?
Why is the sky blue?
That being said...
THESE facts are TRUE...

Roses are red,
Violets are Blue,
John Deere's are Green,
And so.....

"It's Not Easy Being Green"

If you think you might know the REAL answer to this question, (If there IS a real answer), or if you have an opinion of your OWN, please email HERE and we'll share anything we learn about this. This page has already been revised because we are ALREADY learning.
Interesting theories will be published below.....

Okay.... The first "theory" that arrived by email was this snide remark from W.G. Wilson, an International Harvester fan:

"John Deere tractors are green so you can't see them broke down in the field! :)"

(Of course, John Deere fans claim that the reason Farmall tractors are red is so that it will be EASIER to find them when they break down in the field)

I'm really WONDERING about THIS one:

"John Deere tractors are green because the Irish potato farmers used to use them."

Paddy

This one came from Bill Gates (Yes, there is ANOTHER Bill Gates besides the one you are thinking of!)

"My answer has always been; they love to work in the green fields, and green is beautiful. They don't break down in the field because the farmer takes very good care of his John Deere. John Deeres work hard and live long. That's why there are so many very old ones still going."

Bill

This one was "anonymous".

John Deeres are green and yellow because the person who first painted them was smart.

Pelochins

Here' are a couple of nice ones:

   Green is the color of hope and prosperity for the farmer. Fields of green bring promise of a bountiful harvest.
    Yellow is the color of the newly picked and shucked corn waiting its turn for market or animal or pot.
    It only makes sense that the tractor that works so hard to provide for the farmer should be painted his most revered colors, green and yellow.

Charlie
Cumby TX
working and worked 1947 Model A

    I think that the reason that john deere uses green and yellow is because of fields of green and the yellow corn that is harvested. One day I was driving by a field of corn and field of wheat , the sun was shining and the shades of green of the wheat and corn looked like the color green of a john deere tractor and then I thought of yellow corn and thought that must be the yellow of the tractor. .

Kim Robbins

This is an interesting theory:

I think John Deere tractors are green to help hide your very expensive equipment from vandals and such when it's left all alone in the field. We all are guilty of that, it's not plausable to drive it back to the farm every night. The yellow rims are so that it won't be lost forever !!!

Thanks,
REO in Ga.

Here are some additional PRACTICAL reasons:

Green so they can be found in the snow in the winter! Green to sneak up on the crows in the corn field!

Ron

Here's another slant::

Ok, my theory on why John Deere tractors are green and yellow is that they followed the tradition of Colorado State University whose colors are the same shade of green and yellow...afterall, CSU is a world-renowned agriculture college since the 1800s!

Dorenda
Development Coordinator
St. Bernard Prep School

Here's one from Brian, a teacher in Kentucky (Where, ironically, the grass is supposed to be BLUE)

John Deere tractors are green and yellow because grass is green and dandelions are yellow. The next time a John Deere goes by notice how the colors match a dandelion!

Brian

Go back to the page you just came from......