Posted on August 23, 2021 at 10:14 AM by Emily Saveraid
Tom has been involved in 4-H in some aspect beginning when he was nine years old. He loved showing cattle, hogs, and sheep at the Adair County Fair for nine years with the Lincoln Hawks 4-H Club. During his later high school years, Tom was asked to be a junior member of the Adair County Sheep and Wool Growers Association. This was a great opportunity for him to learn more about the sheep industry.
When Tom was 18 years old, he was recruited to become a member of the Adair County Pork Producers and worked with Paul Steele helping with hog weigh-ins at the fair for the next eight years. As a member of the Pork Producers, he also assisted with grilling at the community supper during opening night of the county fairs.
A few years later Tom became a board member of the Adair County Cattlemen's Association and served in a leadership role for six years. During this time, he helped facilitate the implementation of the Adair County Cattlemen's Association scholarship for high school seniors. Shortly after his tenure on the Cattlemen's board, he was asked to join the Adair County Youth Action Committee. Working with ten other adults and 4-H members, they evaluated county fair policies and procedures for the purpose of improving the experiences and learning opportunities that 4-H members had at the county fair.
During the years when Tom's three children were in 4-H, he helped educate them and other members of their club about the livestock industry and was always available at the county fair to encourage and assist where needed. After his time on the Youth Action Committee, Tom was asked to take over the role of sheep superintendent for the Adair County Fair. In this current role, he assists with sheep weigh-ins, helps line up show classes, oversees the events on show day, lines up the sheep and goat buyer and gets bids for the livestock auction.
The last five years Tom has also enjoyed raising sheep for his nieces and nephews and other non-farm 4-H kids to show at the fair. He takes great pride in watching them learn about and work with their animals and show their animals at the county fair.
