CORNING – David L. Walter joined the Jasper Specialists 4-H club in 1964. His first year in 4-H, his family was living on a farm and Dave showed pigs at the Adams County Fair – an experience Dave loved. The following year, his family moved to Corning and he could no longer have large 4-H livestock projects. He transitioned his energy into showing rabbits and doing woodworking projects instead. In 1970, Dave showed the grand champion rabbit at the Adams County Fair and continued in 4-H until 1973.
In 1976, Dave married a hometown girl, Kim Damewood. When their children were old enough, Dave and Kim got them involved in 4-H. They had room for large livestock projects on their acreage west of Corning. Dave was ecstatic to help their two children, Stacey and Tony, raise and show lambs for a span of 12 years. Walter’s excitement about 4-H was also put to use encouraging other Adams County 4-H’ers. He volunteered to serve on the Adams County Fair sheep committee beginning in 1988 and served for 12 years. In 1991, he became the sheep department superintendent and did much to promote the 4-H sheep project in the county until he resigned that position in 1999.
Walter continues to promote 4-H sheep projects. In 2010, Walter joined the Adams Community Rural Development committee. In his position on this committee, Walter is in charge of finding lambs for 4-H’ers and FFA members’ projects. The committee has a program that provides livestock projects for kids that are unable to finance their own livestock projects. Walter is “Mr. Sheep” on this committee and has found three lambs each for five 4-H’ers in 2017 and similar numbers every year the program has been in existence. Talk to him about how this program works in Adams County.
Walter has given his time in other ways to help the 4-H program remain strong and dynamic in Adams County. He served on the Adams County Fair committee for six years beginning in 1990.
Walter is best known for his work with the Adams County 4-H carcass shows. He was employed by Corning Meat Processing in 1985 and purchased the business Jan. 1, 2000. As a locker employee, nearly from the start, Dave was involved with swine, sheep and even beef carcass shows at various times.
It is the swine carcass contest that is still active today. Adams County swine project members learn what raising meat animals is really about. They are given the opportunity to view their hanging swine carcasses in a required competition at the Corning locker. For 18 years as Corning Meat Processing owner, Walter has let Iowa State University livestock specialists measure and judge the swine carcasses at the locker and then encourages every youth and family to view their pig and learn at a carcass showing. It has been said more learning takes place with this swine carcass contest than at any other livestock show at the Adams County Fair. Walter also provides similar carcass contest opportunities for 4-H’ers and FFA members with the Montgomery and Page County youth swine shows.