ISA Leaders Remember “NoTillTom” BY BETHANY BARATTA
T
om Oswald, a fourth-generation farmer known for his inquisitive mind and advocacy on behalf of the soybean industry, passed away unexpectedly on June 16. He was 63. Tom farmed near Cleghorn, in the same area his ancestors first settled in 1869. He served the soybean industry in various capacities for more than 20 years. He served on the county level, and then became director and ultimately president of the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) from 2014-2015. At the time of his death, he was serving as a national director and chair of the audit and evaluation committee for the United Soybean Board (USB). Oswald was also past president of the Cherokee
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County Farm Bureau, a Cherokee County Soil Commissioner and a member of the Cherokee Chamber of Commerce AgriBusiness Committee.
Thoughtful Contributor Fellow ISA and USB Director April Hemmes of Hampton says the news of Tom’s death is a shock to farmers and ag leaders who knew him. “Everyone is in shock, and they all know he will be missed as a leader in the ag world.” Hemmes says Tom would often challenge others during board meetings. “Tom always had a question for you or the speaker at the meeting. And then when the discussion came around about any subject, you would see him tilt
back in his chair, look up for a while, then after he was done organizing his thoughts, he would begin to speak,” she says. “He was always thinking outside the box; he was the ‘what if’ guy in the room. I will miss the banter he and I used to have, the exchanging of ideas and the fact that in decision making, he always put what was best for the farmer first.”
Farmer-First Approach As ISA president, Tom’s farmer-first approach extended to the board for which he guided. Wayne Fredericks, who succeeded Tom as president of the ISA, looked to him as a mentor. “Tom reached out and did a lot to help me learn and adjust,” says Fredericks
