Craig Tew recently retired from teaching at Altamont High School after 31 years on the job. He was an example and inspiration to the hundreds of students who had the opportunity to learn from him during his career. He had a love for his students and for agriculture that truly showed in his work

and his interaction with others.

For his dedication to the school, the community and to agriculture, the Duchesne County Farm Bureau on Oct. 29 presented him with the Service to Agriculture Award.

Craig was born and raised in southeastern Idaho. He was one of 10 children: five boys and five girls. His family had a potato farm, and his parents taught their children early how to work hard. His father was an excellent farmer, and you could say farming is in Craig's blood — he truly loves it.

After graduating from Ricks College, he attended Utah State University where he graduated in Agricultural Education. It was there that he met his wife, Bonnie, who was originally from Carbon County.

After obtaining his degree, Craig taught for one year at Roy High School on the Wasatch Front, then came to the Uintah Basin. The first year he was here, he taught half the day at Altamont and half the day at Duchesne, then spent 29 years teaching full time at Altamont. He taught Biology, Animal Science, Equine Science, Plants and Soils and lots of welding. In fact, at the time of his retirement, it was estimated that 75 percent of the welders in the Basin had been through Craig's program at Altamont High.

He passed his love of agriculture to his students, many of whom still farm or ranch in the Altamont area. Craig was also busy during the summer months helping with 4-H and FFA projects. He has sheared countless lambs and trimmed too many calves to count in preparation for the county fair.

He loved to help young people as well as tease them. And his students all loved to tease him right back. He was awarded Soil Conservation Teacher of the Year for his outstanding teaching, but he is quick to say that he was not in education to win awards, but because he loved the young people and helped them gain the knowledge and skills to be successful in agriculture and in life.

Craig and Bonnie live on a small farm in Bluebell where they raised sheep and five children. They now have seven grandchildren, six boys and one girl.