Class of 2026

Gary and Jackie Austin are lifelong agricultural leaders dedicated to farming, youth development and agricultural education. Gary Austin is a farmer and skilled machinist. His agricultural operation has focused on row crop production, and for many years he raised and finished several hundred hogs annually. Jackie Austin is a farmer and served 25 years as an Allen County 4-H Program Assistant, where she played a central role in coordinating youth development programs and Junior Fair operations. In addition, she served as a 4-H advisor and agricultural educator at the county level.

Gary and Jackie Austin have made unparalleled contributions to Allen County agriculture through more than five decades of service, primarily focused on youth development and the success of the Allen County Fair and 4-H program. Gary Austin is the longest-serving 4-H volunteer in Allen County with 53 years of service, making him one of the longest-tenured advisors in the county’s history. He has served as Allen County Fair Swine Superintendent since 1984 and as a Junior Fair Board advisor for over 35 years. He played a key role in developing livestock interview standards and hands-on learning labs that have improved the way youth are evaluated and educated.

Jackie Austin served as the organizational backbone of the Allen County 4-H and Junior Fair program during her 25 year career. She coordinated fair operations, mentored advisors and youth, and ensured program continuity during times of staffing shortages. her leadership ensured that the Junior fair not only continued, but thrived. Together, Gary and Jackie Austin have devoted their lives to strengthening agriculture through education, mentorship and service.

Reid Thompson stands as the sole proprietor of Thompson Seed Farm, Inc. today, but he proudly honors the legacy of all four generations of his family that established, labored over, and perfected the operation. It all started in the mid-1920s in a small grain elevator in Melrose, Ohio. Theodore Burt recognized the need for high quality seed to help farmers grow a high quality crop. Burt purchased a Clipper Cleaner and started processing oats, putting them into 100# burlap bags and selling them to local farmers for seed. In 1946, Roscoe and Richard Thompson, Sr. moved the seed operation to its current location on Defiance Trail, east of Delphos and started the Thompson Brothers business. They incorporated under the current name, Thompson Seed Farm, Inc., in 1979. In 2004, Reid Thompson (son of Richard, Jr.) took over the seed business, farming 300 acres and processing approximately 40,000 bushels of seed annually.

Reid Thompson explains how the quality of seed is kept so high. “No large seed company can have one person oversee the planting, growing, harvesting, processing, packaging and delivery of one product. That’s what we do here: complete control from start to finish.” Thompson Seed Farm specializes in their own brand soybean seed and Ohio Certified wheat. Producing high quality seed at a reasonable price for over 80 years has helped area farmers improve their own operations and productivity through crop yield and quality.

The 2026 Allen County Emerging Ag Leaders Program recognized six outstanding young individuals for their commitment to agriculture, leadership, and community involvement. This year’s finalists included Landon Calvelage, Leah Coppler, Traigh McCullough, Bronwyn Schaefer, Cheyenne Rector, and Noah Morgan. Following a competitive selection process, Landon Calvelage representing the Delphos FFA chapter, was named the 2026 Allen County Emerging Ag Leader and received the program’s top award, a full-tuition scholarship to the Rhodes State College Ag Tech Program. Leah Coppler representing the Elida FFA chapter and Traigh McCullough representing Allen County 4-H were each awarded renewable scholarships of $750 per semester in recognition of their exceptional achievements and potential for future success in the agricultural industry. The Allen County Emerging Ag Leaders Program continues to invest in the next generation of agricultural leaders who will help shape the future of agriculture in our community.