Lincoln Land opens Kreher Agriculture Center

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The legacy of a humble central Illinois farm couple will benefit generations of agriculture students at Lincoln Land Community College.

Representatives from LLCC, LLCC Foundation and the Kreher Farm Charitable Perpetual Trust celebrated the opening of the new Kreher Agriculture Center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony May 6 on the LLCC campus.

“Today we continue to honor the intent of our generous donors, Charles and Irene Kreher, to transform and grow our agriculture program and attract more students to this rewarding profession,” said Ken Elmoe, LLCC board chair.

A gift of $18 million from the Kreher Trust to the LLCC Foundation was announced in March 2018. The 19,750-square-foot, $7.5 million building is funded from an annual distribution from the trust to the foundation and is the latest step in the program’s transformation.

Here’s what the LLCC dignitaries said during the ceremony prior to facility tours:

“The Kreher gift has allowed us to expand curriculum, offer scholarship opportunities and provide students with the latest active learning tools including simulators, drones and augmented reality devices. And now to further support the growth of the ag program we officially open the Kreher Agriculture Center. We’re happy to show you cutting-edge classrooms, laboratories and gathering spaces. We want students to see how this new building opens up possibilities for them in agriculture. We want them to know that they belong here, and that there are so many career opportunities in agriculture that they can prepare for in the Kreher Agriculture Center. It is a great honor to recognize a gift from a farm family that will impact the lives of so many people for generations to come.”

Ken Elmoe, board chair

Lincoln Land Community College

“We couldn’t be more excited about opening the Kreher Agriculture Center and these wonderful opportunities for students and our community. We see LLCC as the central hub for agriculture education and the agriculture industry, the No. 1 industry in our state. With this new facility, we will prepare even more students to be successful leaders and innovators in agriculture careers. As this facility was under construction over the past year, we’ve been busy behind the scenes incorporating new computer technologies to train students in supply change management of agricultural products, drone and remote sensing. This fall we will launch a redesigned agricultural curriculum that will incorporate project-based learning and test plots on our main campus and the Kreher Research Farm, research and hands-on learning in new, active learning classrooms and labs; new equipment including variable rate applicator, autosteer and tillage tools; expanded faculty and staff to better support students; partnerships with universities and high schools; and hosting FFA judging contests and high school teacher workshops.”

Charlotte Warren, president

Lincoln Land Community College

“Charles and Irene Kreher’s intent was to support local students and agriculture. Throughout the facility, you will also see the belief in students and the LLCC Agriculture program from community partners including Evelyn Brandt Thomas, Farm Credit Illinois, First National Bank of Litchfield, The Brandt Foundation, Illinois Pork Producers Association and the Illinois Soybean Association. We also celebrate the many scholarship donors joining us today who have invested in the education of students. This started with a very private couple who farmed and lived in Blue Mound. They worked very hard every day. They saved their money. They lived comfortably for them, but very frugally. They had no big frills in life. They had no children and when they talked to us about when they were no longer able to be with us what did they want to have happen to any money that would be left. They wanted it to go first and foremost to agriculture, an agricultural program and more specifically to be local agriculture and even more specifically to be for local students so that the agriculture of the community and of central Illinois will continue.”

Don Wienhoff, representative

Kreher Trust

“Today is major day for all of those who have, are or are going to be attending Lincoln Land Community College as an agriculture student. This new building signifies change in our future of agriculturalists. Throughout this new building, students will be learning to become our next agronomists, animal nutritionists, land surveyors and much more. They will be the future of agriculture. All great things come with challenges and agriculture is no different. Our students will be better prepared and equipped to fight these issues head-on with the education that they will be receiving right here in this very facility. In the building, collaboration, innovation and great moments will happen. It is exciting as a student to see our facilities improving just like the industry and I cannot wait to see what they will do next.”

Alexis Carroll, student and Ag Club president

Lincoln Land Community College