-Submitted photo
Dennis Thompson and his wife Carol hold Thompson's Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame certificate after he received the award.

OTTUMWA — Even though Dennis Thompson was encouraged by his father to pursue an off-the-farm passion for his career, he just couldn’t go too far from his agricultural roots.

Thompson grew up on a central Iowa farm where his family raised crops and livestock. He was the ninth generation to help out and was in charge of their breeding flock of purebred poultry, which they raised for a local hatchery.

While involved in 4-H as a youth, Thompson naturally engaged in poultry projects.

“I come from a long line of farmers. My grandparents came over from Norway and settled in central Iowa. My dad grew up on a Depression-era farm and became a full-time farmer after World War II. I had two brothers and two sisters and grew up working as an adult hired hand on the farm,” Thompson said.

“He farmed anywhere from 160 acres when I was young to 600 acres, all rented. I told him I wanted to go into farming but he told me I had a good job, one he would’ve killed for with wages and benefits. One of the women he rented ground from told me I was the first generation to not follow farming in my family, which made me feel a little guilty.”

Not surprising to those who know him, Thompson ended up becoming a general licensed poultry judge with the American Poultry Association in 1997, then was appointed poultry superintendent for the Polk County Fair and then named the poultry superintendent for the Iowa State Fair, a position he held for 27 years.

“I’m an educator and I saw the importance of education as being foremost in 4-H, and I know competition is oftentimes the focus but I think education is really important. I really see getting young people to understand animal husbandry and the basic aspects of poultry raising as really important,” Thompson said.

He naturally encouraged his son Matt and daughter Anne to participate in 4-H, where they showed poultry and dairy goats. Thompson and his son became master exhibitors with the American Poultry Association and both tend to a small flock of purebred poultry near their homes in Ottumwa.

A graduate of Iowa State University, Thompson will retire at the end of this semester from his position as an English and humanities professor at Des Moines Area Community College in Boone where he teaches writing, literature and film.

“I started with DMACC in 2006 as an adjunct professor while working as a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier and ad hoc instructor for training at the Postal Service. I went back to ISU and earned my master’s degree in English and creative writing,” he said.

Even though he soon will be retired and no longer volunteers as a poultry superintendent, Thompson plans to continue judging open shows across the U.S. and Canada.

He also currently serves as a board member for the Iowa Poultry Association, an organization that advocates for the poultry industry in Iowa through education and marketing.

He and his wife, Carol, moved to Ottumwa to be closer to family. His son, Matt, serves as president of Indian Hills Community College and his family owns a 40-acre piece of ground in the country where they garden and raise chickens.

“We have six grandkids and four of them are down here in Ottumwa. They’re all in sports and every kind of activity. The two younger grandkids want their Poppa to help them with poultry. They have dairy cows, goats and horses — lots of critters,” he said.

When Thompson learned that he had been nominated to become a member of the Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame, he was surprised.

“It’s really an honor. I really appreciate it,” he said.