Peterson

With another successful year of 4-H events at the Central Iowa Fair completed, the time has come to award the 2020 Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame Inductee for Marshall County.

This year’s inductee is Rhodes resident Lisa Peterson who has been involved in 4-H for the majority of her life.

From third to 12th grade she was a 4-H member and showed swine at the Central Iowa Fair. Peterson competed at the state and national levels and had her entry selected as the Reserve Grand Champion 4-H Market Hog at the Iowa State Fair in 1995, getting the chance to sell in the Sale of Champions.

“It’s basically my life. I’ve been doing it since I was 9,” she said of 4-H.

According to Peterson, 4-H taught her responsibility and to have pride in her work.

She continues to participate in the organization as a leader.

“As an adult I enjoy mentoring the kids, trying to teach them the lessons I learned,” Peterson said.

She knew 4-H involvement was the life she wanted for herself and her children.

Peterson earned a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science at Iowa State University and returned to her family farm in 2004, taking over for her father as the swine superintendent.

While she took a break from farming after high school, she always knew she would return to the family farm. When Peterson’s father asked her to come back, she felt it was the right time.

“I just always knew I wanted to,” she said.

Peterson has been farming for 15 years, though she has many more years of experience counting her childhood working for her father on the farm. Her farm includes a farrow-to-finish sow operation and row crops.

Along with being a 4-H leader, she remains an active community member by participating in the Central Iowa Fair Board, the Marshall County Pork Producers and the Marshall County Sheep and Goat Committee.

Peterson has passed her love of 4-H to her daughters who are involved in the organization. She spends most weekends in the summer attending livestock showings.

Megan Carlson, county youth coordinator with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach in Marshall County, said Peterson was nominated for the award partly because of her longtime involvement in 4-H.

“Lisa has been a volunteer with us for quite a while,” she said.

Carlson added Peterson is great with the children she works with.

“She’s a good representation of what we look for in volunteers,” Carlson said.

Peterson hopes more students consider joining 4-H, even if they are not interested in livestock. 4-H also includes projects in creative arts, natural resources, family consumer science and personal development.

“I would like to encourage more kids to get involved in 4-H,” she said. “It really is an amazing organization.”

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Contact Anna Shearer at 641-753-6611

or ashearer@timesrepublican.com.