Each September four new Iowa Master Farm Homemaker Award recipients are featured in Wallaces Farmer. 

Carol Coleman of Humboldt is a member of the Class of 2019. Two days after interviewing Carol and husband Dean for this month’s cover story, I received a message: Dean had died in a farm-related accident. Stunned, I realized the camera I held in my hands contained the last photos taken of them together.

Those photos rekindled memories. I met Dean 20 years ago when he first became active in the Iowa Soybean Association. We talked at ISA meetings and other events; he returned my calls when I sought his input for articles. My daughter earned her master’s degree in agronomy at ISU and worked with soybean research plots on the Coleman farm. I knew Dean as a friend.

I called Carol and offered my condolences. She said, “Go ahead and write the article as planned.” 

Our cover story and inside article this month tell about the Adopt-A-Farmer program Carol and Dean developed in 2013 with Taft Elementary School in Humboldt. The program is a learning opportunity for young students to better understand and gain an appreciation for agriculture and the hard work it takes to feed the world.

Brian Kemp of Sibley served with Dean for almost 20 years on the Iowa Soybean Promotion Board, Iowa Soybean Association and American Soybean Association. “Dean’s tireless and unselfish dedication and time spent on these boards was an inspiration to all who served with him,” Kemp says. “He was informed and knowledgeable on all issues concerning the soybean industry. He was a respected source of information on Iowa agriculture. Dean’s warm and friendly smile made him a friend to all he met. He and Carol have been true ambassadors of agriculture and the soybean industry. Dean will be greatly missed.”