Preserving a 150-Year Farming Legacy Through Modern Innovation
Tuesday, November 3, 2026
For some, a college education means moving far away to find a future. For 2008 Dairy Science graduate, Tom Gavin, it meant gaining the vital perspective needed to preserve his family’s deep roots right at home.
Farming in Lansing, alongside his dad (Pat), his uncle (Mike) and his cousin (Brayden), he represents the next generation of a massive family legacy. Their family farm has been in operation since 1874—predating the founding of Northeast Iowa Community College by nearly a century. Today, the operation is thriving, milking roughly 800 cows with plans to expand to 1,000 this year—all while growing 100% of their own feed on-site.
But carrying on a 152-year legacy requires constant learning and evolution.
Learning the "Why" Behind the "How"
While growing up on the family farm gave him plenty of hands-on experience, he wanted to understand the deeper science and strategy behind the daily work. Choosing NICC allowed him to get that top-tier education without stepping away from his responsibilities at home.
"I was able to drive back and forth every day,” he recalls. “I milked cows in the morning, went to school, came home and milked cows again. I really didn’t have much time off, but it was what I always wanted to do."
He brought that dedication into campus life, serving as the president of the Dairy Science Club and chair of the dairy club sale. Inside the classroom, instructors like "Doc" Harvey at NICC further opened his eyes, helping him understand the science behind the work he had been doing his entire life.
"If you're raised on a farm, you almost need to go back and learn why your family does what they do," he explains. "Your dad maybe doesn't tell you why he does things a certain way. At NICC, you learn from a book or a teacher and truly understand the reasons. We did herd labs, and Doc Harvey would explain the science. That was the biggest thing for me—understanding the 'why'."
Innovation and Efficiency: The Key to Survival
That foundational education instilled a lifelong commitment to progressive agriculture. A recipient of an NICC Outstanding Dairy Science alumni Award and an Iowa Holstein Association Outstanding Young Breeder award, he continues to push the family farm into the future. Recently, the farm was awarded a $40,000 Choose Iowa grant to help fund a major technological leap: a new rotary parlor equipped with an automated robotic post-dipping spray system.
"The worst thing you can do is not improve what you're doing," he says bluntly. "The people who don't ever change anything are the ones next out the door. You have to stay on top of technology, or your efficiencies are not going to be there. Efficiency is the name of the game."
A Legacy Worth Passing On
Beyond the numbers, the cows and the cutting-edge robotics, the heart of the operation remains entirely focused on family. He lives just two miles from the main hub, allowing his own children to ride dirt bikes and utility vehicles back and forth, embedding them in the same rural lifestyle he loved growing up.
"Probably the biggest thing I like about farming is raising my family on the farm, teaching them work ethic and helping them grow their own food," he says. "It’s a lot of work, but it’s fun. It’s an honor to carry this on. I want to make sure it’s available to the next generation and do my part."
Celebrating 60 Years of Community Impact
As NICC celebrates its 60th anniversary, stories like his highlight the indispensable role the College plays in keeping Northeast Iowa’s agricultural economy vibrant and family-owned.
Whether students use the Dairy Science program as a direct launching pad back to their local farms or as a personalized stepping stone to a four-year university, the impact remains profound.
"It is huge to have it so close to us in Northeast Iowa because there is so much dairy here," he notes. "At a smaller community college like NICC, you’re known by your first name and not by a number. It gives people the opportunity for an incredible education right in their own backyard."