Ron Hayes is the latest individual to be inducted into the Mower County Livestock Hall of Fame.

Friday, August 11, 2000

Ron Hayes is the latest individual to be inducted into the Mower County Livestock Hall of Fame.

The induction ceremonies were held Thursday afternoon in Crane Pavilion.

Dick Grass, LeRoy, a Mower County Fair Board director, introduced Vic Richardson, regional dean of management education for southeast Minnesota who gave a touching tribute to Hayes.

Richardson compared Hayes to a "television special," that, he said, is "note the usual TV fare listed in the program guide, but a cut above the regular programming. Something out of the ordinary."

"Ron Hayes is special in that way," Richardson said.

The honoree is one of 14 farm business management instructors in southeast Minnesota and has taught for 35 years, including three decades in Mower County.

According to Richardson, there are "hundreds of farmers in the area who are successful today because of Ron Hayes."

Richardson told his education colleague, "Thank you for caring, thank you for being out of the ordinary, thank you for being a cut above the rest."

Hayes, who is also a Mower County Fair Board member, accepted Richardson’s personal congratulations and a plaque from Fair Board member Grass and spoke to the Crane Pavilion crowd of well-wishers.

"On occasions like this you are expected to say something profound and intelligent, but most of you know me so I can’t do that," he joked at the outset.

Hayes expressed his appreciation to the Hall of Fame selection committee and said he was accepting the honor "on behalf of ag educators everywhere."