It takes a minute for Wayne Koehler to think about what his great-great-grandparents would think about the drone hovering over the family’s farm fields or the idea of using auto-steer technology.

"I’d sure hate to give them up," Koehler says.

But then again, the family has a long history of innovation in the Charles City area.

The Koehler family is set to receive its Heritage Farm designation this week at the Iowa State Fair. The...