Lovers of things green-and-yellow from across the U.S. are meeting today (Tuesday) in the Quad Cities for the annual John Deere Collectors Center Memorabilia Conference. Brian Holst, manager of the Collectors Center, says it’s much more than a swap meet — the two-day gathering is an educational workshop for the serious Deere enthusiast. Lectures include sessions on paper collection — like Deere manuals, ads and sales brochures. Another session will be on prototype tractors that were never produced. Another will focus on a biography of John Deere himself. Holst says there’s another big gathering in August that’ll focus more on the tractors and tractor parts. This conference focuses more on the items that were given away or sold, from belt buckles to toys, paper products and other items from the 1950s and before. An auction of more than 340 items of John Deere memorabilia will be held at The Mark of the Quad Cities in Moline, Illinois, at 4 P.M. today.The conference is underway today and tomorrow at the John Deere Commons in downtown Moline. The free two-day indoor event is open to the public and will be held each day from 8 AM to 5 P.M. A schedule of events is available at “www.JohnDeereCollectorsCtr.com” or call 800 240-5265. On February 7th, Deere & Company paid tribute to the company’s founder on the anniversary of his 200th birthday.