THE GATHERING OF THE GREEN 2016

Hotel reservations are now being taken at the Radisson Quad City Plaza, Davenport (563-322-2200) and Hotel Blackhawk, Davenport (563-484-5911), which are both adjacent to the RiverCenter, as well as the Radisson on John Deere Commons, Moline (309-764-1000). Continue to check back to this website and/or follow our Gathering FACEBOOK page for information as plans evolve.

For questions, you can message us on FACEBOOK or send an email to info@gatheringofthegreen.com. Online registration will begin on or about October 1, 2015.

If you've never attended a Gathering, plan to attend in 2016, as it's a "must destination" for all John Deere enthusiasts.

Gathering Plans for 2016 Move Ahead: Banquet Keynote Speaker Selected A gentleman from down on the farm, Jerry Apps will be the” Gathering of the Green” banquet keynote speaker during the 2016 conference - March 16-19, 2016. This well-known Wisconsin author, historian and PBS personality will share his experiences growing up on the family farm in central Wisconsin along with humorous anecdotes – a mixture of wit and wisdom. Jerry often shares memories like “I remember the Sears & Roebuck catalog that came each spring and fall, creating never-ending wishes and eventually ending up in the little house in back of the big house.” Jerry Apps is a Professor Emeritus (retired) from the University of Wisconsin – Madison and award winning author of more than 30 books, many of them on rural history and country life – with topics ranging from barns, one-room country schools, country boy pranks and early farm tractors to name a few. An excellent public speaker, Dr. Apps is often the keynote at agricultural organizations, historical societies and civic groups. Gathering planners are certain that conference attendees will enjoy a banquet evening with Jerry Apps. It's never too early to get started for 2016... Email us at info@gatheringofthegreen.com to be added to our e-mail mailing list or if your club or organization would wish to participate in the conference displays. WHY DO WE DO THIS? During the course of Gathering 2012, this writer was asked an interesting question by one of our guests…”Just why do you folks (the four sponsoring clubs) do this? (offer the “Gathering of the Green?”) I must say that I had to give that some thought. The four sponsoring clubs meet every other year at Grand Detour, John Deere’s home, for a tractor show, and during a group meeting there during the 1999 show, Mark Johnson, an NEITCC member, shared that he had recently attended a conference sponsored by another tractor company. Given the fact that no such conference had ever been sponsored for John Deere enthusiasts, it was his opinion that our four groups together could create such an event for our faithful green and yellow collectors. After some serious conversation, the group agreed to give it a try, and the rest is history. I know that bit of history doesn’t answer the original question…”Why do we do this?” We do this because of…YOU…ALL OF YOU! We do this because you are so very appreciative of our efforts and you offer your kind understanding when everything doesn’t run perfectly. We do this because of your generous, positive comments. We do this because you are friendly and eager to share your love of John Deere products. No one “talks tractors” better than GOG attendees. We thrive on your kindness, friendliness, and eagerness to strike up a conversation. You never fail to share your enthusiasm for the activities we have offered during the event, and that is so deeply appreciated. The amazingly kind comments so many of you share when completing the opinion form at the closing banquet are so meaningful for us. We honestly don’t know whether to smile or cry. Thank you so very much! So, that’s “why we do this.” Thank you so much for joining us at “Gathering of the Green” 2014 and for sharing your warmth and kindness so freely. It’s what keeps us going. If you weren’t able to join us, plan to do so in the future.