2014 Fremont County - Phillip Wing

Phillip (Phil) Wing, is a fixture at the Fremont County Fair, serving as a superintendent of the 4-H Beef Show for nearly 30 years.

Phil, a native of Fremont County, was raised on the farm that he now calls home near Farragut.  As a youth, Phil was a member of the Southeast Future Farmers 4-H Club where his passion was beef.  He excelled in market beef and junior cattle feeder, which laid the groundwork for his future endeavor; a cattle finishing operation. 

Phil has fond memories of his 4-H experiences, including showing cattle at Aksarben and attending Citizenship Washington Focus in Washington, D.C.  “That was a wonderful experience,” said Phil.  He added, “My favorite memories are of the fair.  It was the culmination of the work put into a project, but the lessons learned along the way were the real value of the 4-H program.”

Before returning to the family farm, Phil earned a Bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University in Animal Science, and a Master’s degree from the University of Minnesota in Ruminant Nutrition.  His wife, Kay, is a Registered Dietician at the Shenandoah Medical Center. 

Phil and Kay have been happily married since 1973 and have two daughters.  Beth is an attorney in Houston, TX, and Sarah teaches respiratory therapy at the University of Missouri, Columbia.  Both girls are alumni of the Locust Grove 4-H Club and Citizenship-Washington Focus trip.  As Phil and Kay raised their family, 4-H was always there to provide learning, leadership and volunteer opportunities for the whole family.

“4-H sets your values for life.  It encourages you to serve others and to spend time with your family,” said Phil, as he recalled picking up sticks with his 4-H club following a damaging windstorm and baking bread with an elderly woman his daughters had ‘adopted’ through a 4-H service project.

Phil is the proud grandfather of 3 boys.  They are still too young for 4-H, but they love to go to the fair with Grandpa and see the animals.  Fremont County will be looking for Phil and his family at the beef show for years to come.