The Story of John M Olin as told by Larry Reid One of the most historic sites in the world of shooting is nestled upon 640 oak- and hickory-filled acres just outside Alton, Ill. The land was once the personal paradise of one of North America’s conservation pioneers, John M. Olin of Winchester-Olin fame. Named for Mr. Olin (“Nilo” is Olin backwards), Nilo Farms was established in 1952 as one of America’s first game preserves. For decades, it has maintained a commitment to the development and demonstration of hunting preserve and game management techniques. Nilo has contributed a wealth of new information to the hunting and game preserve community. Many of the land management, farm crop selection and rotation and plant cover design techniques developed on the property’s 640 acres are now standard in the management of waterfowl and upland game bird preserves. Larry Reid shares personal stories and memorabilia from John Olin and Nilo Farms.