“Gathering” Speakers      Hi, I’m Meli. One of my duties as hostess of the “Gathering” web site is to tell you about the scheduled activities and attractions of the next conference. The picture is of Johnny Dickinson who was the keynote speaker at the 2010 banquet. It is now my pleasure to introduce our evening speakers of 2012. Evening Speakers: Ken Buell – Demonstrating the Difference – Retired from Deere & Company, Ken held many positions with the company during his notable career including territory manager in Oklahoma, supervisor with John Deere credit, manager of sales promotions and manager of college partnerships. He is an active member of his local two-cylinder club, operates his own small business and is a collector of John Deere tractors. Ken was our 2008 keynote speaker and he returns with a presentation on Demonstrating the Deere Difference. He will talk about the events of the 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s that put Deere as the farm equipment leader. With a focus on Deere Days in Dallas, Ken will use video-made interviews with people who had a connection with the event that propelled us into the New Generation. Along with information on the development of the revolutionary tractors, Ken will entertain you with some of the marketing and promotion activities during those transitional years. Corey Rabe – Keeping Everyone Happy: John Deere Dealers, Service Personnel & Customers – Long-time customer service representative for Deere & Company, Corey Rabe covers all John Deere dealers in southern Illinois. He hails originally from Iowa, earned a degree in agriculture technology from Iowa State University and began with Deere as a trainee in 1979. Join Corey as he shares information on how dealers have evolved over the years as well as interesting and humorous stories of his interaction with dealers, service personnel and customers. Keeping everyone happy is his goal but it’s often a challenge! Holly Spangler – Tales of a Young Farm Wife – Holly is a young professional woman who brings with her a western Illinois family agricultural background and over 12 years of covering Illinois agriculture as the associate editor of Prairie Farmer magazine. She is a 1998 graduate of the University of Illinois where she was selected as the outstanding senior in the College of Agriculture and was named as a Master Writer in 2005 by the American Agricultural Editors Association. Agriculture is an industry full of fun folks and quirky stories, many of which Holly has had the pleasure of covering during her tenure at Prairie Farmer. This Illinois farm girl-turned-farm wife will share stories from both on and off her farm as she documents how life on the farm has changed so rapidly in such a short period of time. Banquet Keynote Speaker: Ray Defenbaugh - Life of a Farmer - In 2010 Ray Defenbaugh received a Master Farmer Award from Prairie Farmer magazine for his exceptional community service and farm management abilities. The focus of the award only scratches the surface of his background and contributions to agriculture. Ray is an extraordinary gentleman whose experiences as a farmer, family man, teacher, banker, business man, community volunteer, John Deere enthusiast and farm accident survivor will be of interest to all “Gathering” attendees. In addition to farming 3000 acres with his wife, Alice and sons Dan and Matt, Ray is CEO and chairman of Big River Resources (ethanol) with plants in Burlington and Dyersville, IA and Galva, IL, serves on the board of directors of the Midwest Bank of Western Illinois and is involved in any number of other agricultural and community activities. Ray and Alice are the 9th of 10 generations of Defenbaughs to farm American soil. 2010 marks their 300th consecutive year of making a living off of the land. The original Defenbaughs farmed in Pennsylvania and Ohio, and by 1851, they traveled with 11 wagons to homestead and break sod in the virgin Illinois prairie. To date, five generations have farmed in Illinois. You are in for a most interesting evening as Ray shares his observations on family, agriculture, business and life in the heartland of America with the anticipated 700 plus attendees at the concluding activity of the 2012 “Gathering.” Sally Lang – Saturday Luncheon Speaker at Hotel Blackhawk -  Ladies (and guys too), put this special luncheon on your "Gathering" calendar for Saturday, March 17. It will be held in the Davenport Room of the Hotel Blackhawk (next to the RiverCenter).  This lovely room has been artfully restored to its original grandeur and will provide the perfect setting for a delicious lunch.  Sally Lang, Manager, Dealer Licensing for Deere & Company, will be our guest speaker.  She will share her experiences growing up in a dealer family (her father was a central Iowa John Deere dealer for 42 years), helping out in her father's store, traveling with him to visit John Deere dealers around the country when he served as president of the National Farm Equipment Dealer's Association, and serving as a long-time Deere employee herself.  The luncheon will begin at 12:noon and conclude at approximately 2:00 p.m. Cost is $28. Maximum capacity is 100. Please preregister on the “Gathering” Registration Form which you can download and print from this site or register online. Click on REGISTRATION. HOME STAY TUNED TO THIS WEB SITE FOR NEW INFORMATION.

"Greenfields"