Approximately 3,000 John Deere enthusiasts turned out for the Gathering of the Green conference in Davenport, Ia., which was held between March 16 and 19 at the RiverCenter.
Attendees came from 40 states across the country, as well as areas around the globe, including Canada, Sweden and the United Kingdom. This year marked the ninth Gathering of the Green.
“Lovers of Green spent last week attending historical and technical workshops where they could learn some of the skills necessary to make an old two-cylinder green tractor run once more, or merely stand looking at a John Deere, high-wheeled wagon filled with ear corn, and remember picking corn by hand and filling one of those wagons,” Jerry Apps (2016 banquet speaker) said last week. “Countless exhibits of antique John Deere tractors, plows, corn pickers, combines, and more brought back tears, memories and stories.”
Some of the workshops held at the event focused on topics including two-cylinder tractors, basic tractor restoration, and combines. The event also included a John Deere Harvester Works tour, a Wallace Garden Center Tour, and a Milan Parts Distribution Center tour. Attendees had an opportunity to go off-site to learn more about the industry.
Deer Valley Collectors, Illinois Valley Two-Cylinder Club, North Eastern Illinois Twin-Cylinder Club, and Northwest Illinois Deer Collectors all sponsored the event. For more information on the Gathering of the Green, visit www.gatheringofthegreen.com.