UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
                                  SCHEDULE 13G


                    Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
                    -----------------------------------------
                                (Amendment No. -)


                               HICKORY TECH, CORP.
                               -------------------
                                (Name of Issuer)


                                  COMMON STOCK
                         ------------------------------
                         (Title of Class of Securities)


                                    429060106
                                 --------------
                                 (CUSIP Number)


                                DECEMBER 31, 2002
             -------------------------------------------------------
             (Date of Event which Requires Filing of this Statement)


Check the appropriate box to designate the rule pursuant to which this Schedule
is filed:

[X]  Rule 13d-1(b)
[ ]  Rule 13d-1(c)
[ ]  Rule 13d-1(d)

The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed
to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act
but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the
Notes).



                                Page 1 of 8 Pages



CUSIP NO. 429060106                                            PAGE 2 OF 8 PAGES

                                  SCHEDULE 13G


   1   NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
       SS. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON

       Fenimore Asset Management, Inc.
       14-1564237

   2   CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP     (A) [ ]
                                                            (B) [X]

   3   SEC USE ONLY

   4   CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
       New York State


        NUMBER OF
         SHARES            5   SOLE VOTING POWER
       BENEFICIALLY            798,198
         OWNED BY
          EACH             6   SHARED VOTING POWER
        REPORTING              0
       PERSON WITH
                           7   SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
                               798,198

                           8   SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
                               0


   9   AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
       798,198

  10   CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES [ ]

  11   PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (9)
       5.67%

  12   TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON
       IA




CUSIP NO. 429060106                                            PAGE 3 OF 8 PAGES


   1   NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
       SS. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON

       Thomas O. Putnam
       N/A

   2   CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP     (A)  [ ]
                                                            (B)  [X]

   3   SEC USE ONLY


   4   CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
       United States

        NUMBER OF
          SHARES           5   SOLE VOTING POWER
       BENEFICIALLY            0
         OWNED BY
           EACH            6   SHARED VOTING POWER
        REPORTING              798,198
          PERSON
           WITH            7   SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
                               0

                           8   SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
                               798,198


   9   AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
       798,198

  10   CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES [ ]


  11   PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (9)
       5.67%

  12   TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON
       IN




CUSIP NO. 429060106                                            PAGE 4 OF 8 PAGES


Item 1.    (a). Name of Issuer:  Hickory Tech, Corporation

           (b). Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices:

                221 East Hickory Street
                Mankato, MN 56002

Item 2.    (a). Name of Persons Filing:

               (i)  Fenimore Asset Management, Inc. ("Fenimore")
               (ii) Thomas O. Putman ("Putnam")

           (b). Address of Principal Business Office for Each of the Above:

                384 N. Grand Street, Box 310
                Cobleskill, NY 12043

           (c). Citizenship or Place of Organization:

                (i)  Fenimore:  New York State
                (ii) Putnam:     United States

           (d). Title of Class of Securities: Common Stock

           (e). CUSIP Number: 429060106

Item 3.    If this Statement is Filed Pursuant to Rules 13d-1(b) or 13d-2(b) or
           (c), Check Whether the Person Filing is a:

           (a)  [ ] Broker or dealer registered under Section 15 of the Exchange
                    Act;
           (b)  [ ] Bank as defined in Section 3(a)(6) of the Exchange Act;
           (c)  [ ] Insurance company as defined in Section 3(a)(19) of the
                    Exchange Act;
           (d)  [ ] Investment company registered under Section 8 of the
                    Investment Company Act;
           (e)  [x] An investment adviser in accordance with Rule
                    13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(E);
           (f)  [ ] An employee benefit plan or endowment fund in accordance
                    with Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(F);
           (g)  [ ] A parent holding company or control person in accordance
                    with Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(G);
           (h)  [ ] A savings associations as defined in Section 3(b) of the
                    Federal Deposit Insurance Act;
           (i)  [ ] A church plan that is excluded from the definition of an
                    investment company under Section 3(c)(14) of the Investment
                    Company Act of 1940;
           (j)  [ ] Group, in accordance with Rule 13d-1(b)(1) (ii)(J).



CUSIP NO. 429060106                                            PAGE 5 OF 8 PAGES

Item 4. Ownership.

           (a). Amount beneficially owned:
                (i) Fenimore: 798,198
                (ii) Putnam:  798,198

           (b). Percent of class:
                (i) Fenimore: 5.67%
                (ii) Putnam: 5.67%

           (c). Number of shares as to which such person has:

           (1)  Sole power to vote or to direct the vote:
                (i)  Fenimore: 798,198
                (ii) Putnam: 0

           (2)  Shared power to vote or to direct the vote:
                (i)  Fenimore: 0
                (ii) Putnam: 798,198

           (3)  Sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of :
                (i)  Fenimore: 798,198
                (ii) Putnam: 0

           (4)  Shared power to dispose or to direct the disposition of:
                (i)  Fenimore: 0
                (ii) Putnam: 798,198




CUSIP NO. 429060106                                            PAGE 6 OF 8 PAGES

Item 5. Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class:
        Not Applicable

Item 6. Ownership of More Than Five Percent on Behalf of Another
        Person:

        Not Applicable.

Item 7. Identification and Classification of Subsidiaries which Acquired the
        Security Being Reported on by the Parent Holding Company:

        Not Applicable

Item 8. Identification and Classification of Members of the Group:

        Not Applicable

Item 9. Notice of Dissolution of Group:

        Not Applicable


Item 10. Certification:

         By signing below, I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and
         belief, the securities referred to above were acquired and are held in
         the ordinary course of business and were not acquired and are not held
         for the purpose of or with the effect of changing or influencing the
         control of the issuer of the securities and were not acquired and are
         not held in connection with or as a participant in any transaction
         having that purpose or effect.

         In accordance with Rule 13d-4 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
         each of the persons filing this statement expressly disclaim the
         beneficial ownership of the securities covered by this statement and
         the filing of this report shall not be construed as an admission by
         such persons that they are the beneficial owners of such securities.




CUSIP NO. 429060106                                            PAGE 7 OF 8 PAGES

                                   SIGNATURES

     After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I
certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and
correct.

                                    FENIMORE ASSET MANAGEMENT, INC.


Date:  February 14, 2003            By: /S/ JOSEPH A. BUCCI
                                        ----------------------------
                                        Joseph A. Bucci
                                        Secretary and Compliance Officer


                                        THOMAS O. PUTNAM


Date:  February 14, 2003            By: /S/ THOMAS O. PUTNAM
                                        -----------------------------
                                        Thomas O. Putman








CUSIP NO. 429060106                                            PAGE 8 OF 8 PAGES

                                    EXHIBIT 1

JOINT FILING AGREEMENT AMONG FENIMORE ASSET
MANAGEMENT, INC. AND THOMAS O. PUTNAM

WHEREAS, in accordance with Rule 13d-1(k) under the Securities and Exchange Act
of 1934 (the "Act"), only one joint statement and any amendments thereto need to
be filed whenever one or more persons are required to file such a statement or
any amendments thereto pursuant to Section 13(d) of the Act with respect to the
same securities, provided that said persons agree in writing that such statement
or amendments thereto is filed on behalf of each of them;

NOW, THEREFORE, the parties hereto agree as follows:

FENIMORE ASSET MANAGEMENT, INC. AND THOMAS O. PUTNAM hereby agree, in accordance
with Rule 13d-1(k) under the Act, to file a statement on Schedule 13G relating
to their ownership of Common Stock of the Issuer and do hereby further agree
that said statement shall be filed on behalf of each of them.



                                        FENIMORE ASSET MANAGEMENT, INC.


Date:  February 14, 2003            By: /S/ JOSEPH A. BUCCI
                                        --------------------------------
                                        Joseph A. Bucci
                                        Secretary and Compliance Officer


                                    THOMAS O. PUTNAM


Date:  February 14, 2003            By: /S/ THOMAS O. PUTNAM
                                        -----------------------------
                                        Thomas O. Putnam