MPFB Foundation to host John Deere bus trip

Discover where the story began! Join us on Friday, August 16, as we travel to "John Deere Country". The cost is $50 for members and $60 for non-members. Reservations are needed by July 31st. Stop by or call the office at (309)364-2501 to reserve your spot. All proceeds benefit the Marshall-Putnam Farm Bureau Foundation.

Our first stop of the day will be Grand Detour where John Deere invented the steel plow. This village is named after an odd turn in the Rock River, which flows north past the village, rather than its normal southwestern course. John Deere settled in Grand Detour in 1836 where he built a house and established a forge. We will tour the original John Deere family home and get an intimate glimpse of pioneer life in 1836.

After enjoying the beautiful Grand Detour area, we will travel to the Butterworth Center & Deere-Wiman House, located in the Overlook District of Moline, Illinois. We will tour both historic homes that once belonged to John Deere's descendants but are now operated by the William Butterworth Foundation.  

We will wrap up the day at the John Deere Pavilion which is recognized as the world's most comprehensive agricultural exhibit. John Deere's dream of producing a superior self-scouring plow for the western farmer became a reality in 1848, with his first manufacturing plant located on the banks of the Mississippi River. This history-shaping development in agriculture is preserved and celebrated at the Pavilion.