All members and interested persons are invited to attend the 2026 Annual Meeting of the Membership, Friday, January 16, 2026, at the First Baptist Church in Greenview.   Doors open at 5:30 p.m., with dinner served at 6:00 p.m. by Hamilton’s Catering, featuring their delicious Fried Chicken dinner.

Tickets are $20. To make your reservation, call Louise at 217-968-5620 or purchase online here by January 9, 2026. 

Special Program:

Richard (Dick) Lyons will introduce Jonathan Baldwin Turner, highlighting his role in Illinois as an educator and scientific experimenter whose vision led to the creation of land-grant universities, including the University of Illinois. Dick will then draw connections between Turner and John H. Marbold—two men with little direct personal contact—by showing how their distinct careers nonetheless complemented each other in advancing Illinois agriculture.

Dick has had several careers, but his longest was for thirty years as an agriculture instructor at Lincoln Land Community College.   He commonly says, “I have over 2000 former agriculture students who make me look good every day by the work they do in the field of agriculture”.  Dick is the ideal person to shed light on an important aspect of agriculture introduced in the 1850s.

Following the program, a short business meeting will be held.  The agenda will include the president’s report and financial report, as well as the 2026 election of directors.  To conclude the evening, door prizes will be awarded.

Mark your calendar and make your reservation for Friday, January 16, 2026, and plan to join us for Marbold’s Annual Meeting.  A reminder: membership dues may be paid at this meeting.