Children’s tractor magazine gets new life

GIFFORD, Ill. — A children’s tractor magazine that ceased publication in 2023 after 17 years has been given a second chance.

Amanda Hobbs, managing editor, and Dan Hobbs, technical editor, teamed up to inject new life into “Little Green Magazine.”

A booth featuring the magazine was in the new home goods exhibit hall as part of the 30th annual Midwest Ag Show at Gordyville USA in Gifford.

“‘Little Green Magazine’ started 19 years ago by Hain Publishing that also published ‘Green Magazine.’ They discontinued ‘Little Green Magazine’ at the end of 2023,” Amanda Hobbs said.

“My husband had just subscribed and said, ‘It was a really great magazine for kids. You could call and ask them if they’ll let you continue it.’

“I called and asked and they agreed. They’ve been very gracious to allow us to continue this for kids with the new byline of ‘Little Green — The Tractor Magazine for Kids.’”

The magazine is published six times a year and each issue includes an illustrated story written by Jane Aumann and Cindy Ladage.

“They wrote stories since the beginning. It’s illustrated by Alton Johnson Jr., and he’s also illustrated it since the beginning,” Hobbs said.

“It also has a feature article on a crop or a livestock breed and a recipe that corresponds to that. It also features a tractor centerfold and puzzles.

“It’s kind of a little bit of everything and one story kind of leads to another, but we want to show kids what’s out there that they can do with collecting the big tractors, lawn and garden, toys and memorabilia.”

Features

The Hobbses’ first issue featured Joe Trout’s toy tractor collection. Trout resides in Maryland and serves on the Classic Green board.

“It tells the story about how he had one collection, sold it off to a museum and started all over again with new generation toys,” Hobbs said.

The second issue provided young readers a perspective of how machinery costs have increased over the years.

It featured the Power Train ‘66 when more than 30 rail cars pulled by a Chicago Burlington & Quincy Railroad locomotive embarked on a cross-country journey to show off John Deere’s new products.

The train reached nearly three-fourths of a mile long and carried more than $1 million worth of John Deere equipment.

“Where by today’s standards, you only need one good combine or cotton harvester and you’d be at that $1 million,” Hobbs said.

The third issue featured a woman astronaut from Iowa who was raised on a farm and raised and sold chickens to pay for her initial pilot’s license.

“The fourth issue featured the I&I Historic Farm Days because Penfield, Illinois, is my hometown,” Hobbs continued.

“A young man, Rylan Maney from Michigan, has a YouTube channel called ‘Old Iron Farm Toys.’ I introduced him in that issue and he was at the 100 Years of Horsepower where I met him. He has started writing toy articles, teaching kids how to start their collection, what to shop for at toy shows, and things like that.

“The most recent issue featured Mason Brown. He was the Ohio state FFA proficiency award winner in agricultural mechanics repair and maintenance entrepreneurship. Mason started working on tractors when he was 10 or 11 years old with his dad. He restored a John Deere B which is what he kept records on and won the award for.”

The Hobbses, of Williamsport, Indiana, are now in their second year with the magazine for youngsters.

“We’re getting out there and letting people know that it is a publication that’s great for farm kids or kids who love the farm or love toys, tractors, trains, the whole gamut,” she said.

“Like my husband said, anytime we can get a kid to spend some time away from their tablet or their phone, that’s what we’re after.”