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DeKalb Ag Memories exhibit in Illinois lasts until April 21

By DEBORAH BEHRENDS
Illinois Correspondent

DEKALB, Ill. — Memories of a company that played an important role in DeKalb County’s history are on display for the public, thanks to the DeKalb Alumni Assoc., made up of former employees of DeKalb Ag Research.

“DeKalb Ag Memories” will be featured at the Nehring Gallery at 111 S. Second Street in DeKalb through April 21. Featured are artifacts, photographs, historical information and products related to the company. Exhibit hours are 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Wednesdays, 2-4 p.m. on Sundays and by appointment.

Emerson Wells, president of the association board, said members have worked on the exhibit for several months. They have combined their skills to help put the exhibit together.

“They have utilized their talents very well,” Wells said. “One of the board members, for instance, is the individual who put together all of the displays for the agricultural fairs and farm shows. One did the graphic arts for DeKalb Ag, so she did (the informational posters). We’ve had a lot of various talents.”

He said members of the organization have been collecting items related to DeKalb Ag for years.

During the past few years, the items have been stored in various locations. Wells said he is pleased those materials will now be displayed in an exhibit.

Items featured are just a small percentage of the materials that association members have collected. “What we’re going to have here is maybe half a percent of what we have,” Wells said. “It’s a very small percentage.”

There also will be informational talks relating to the history of the company conducted every other Wednesday during the display. The presentations will be conducted by DeKalb Alumni Assoc. members and former DeKalb Ag employees.

“They’re very well-qualified speakers. We have no idea what the turnout is going to be. They will be half-hour presentations that, hopefully, will encourage open discussion,” Wells said. “We’re encouraging other former DeKalb Ag employees to attend and to participate in those discussions.”

Discussions remaining in the series include:
• March 10: “Sales and Marketing Innovation” by Greg Olson
• March 24: “The XL Explosion: Research Pays Big Dividends” by Bill Crum and Emerson Wells
• April 7: “DeKalb Ag: More Than Corn” by Rich Ryan and Jack Nelson
• April 21: “The Winged Ear: Its Fight around the World and Into the Future” by Ed Eggers and Charlie Krull

Wells feels the exhibit will attract many former DeKalb Ag employees as well as area residents. He said many DeKalb County residents were involved with the company throughout its history.
“There’s a lot of people in the DeKalb-Sycamore area, that they or someone in their family worked for DeKalb Ag at some time,” Wells said. “Thousands of kids used to be hired for detasseling corn; Cindy Crawford (the supermodel originally hails from DeKalb) said the worst job she ever had was detasseling corn.

“We think it will bring back memories, particularly for those who did work for the company. There’s a lot of retired DeKalb Ag employees around.”

David Smith, former DeKalb Ag employee, said he also feels the exhibit will attract many residents. He said he has enjoyed being involved with the exhibit.

“It’s going to bring back a lot of good memories, and you get a sense of history of an organization and how it contributed to the area,” Smith said.

Wells said he hopes the association will have an opportunity to host another exhibit in the future. “We don’t know where the materials are going to go from here, but we put it together in such a way that it could be reconstructed fairly easily for another exhibit or another show,” he said.

DeKalb Ag Research was formed in the early 1900s. The company developed and conducted research for hybrid corn, poultry and swine. DeKalb Ag was purchased by Monsanto in 1998.
For more information, call 815-758-6363 or visit www.nehringgallery.org

3/17/2010