Airing on the Side of Agriculture

Andy Schwab, farm broadcaster for Northern Ag Network, received the Portavoz Award on July 13 at the 2nd Annual Wyoming Sheep and Wool Festival. 

The Portavoz Award recognizes outstanding year-long coverage of the sheep industry by a media professional who has exhibited a strong commitment to fair, balanced, and consistent reporting locally, statewide, and/or nationally. 

Brett McRae, farm broadcaster for Northern Ag Network, traveled to Colombia for ten days in June on an agriculture trade mission. 

“The Montana Department of Agriculture and the Montana Pulse Crop Committee organized the trip,” McRae said. “Colombia is the sixth-largest export market for U.S. agricultural products, and the country is an important market for U.S. pulse crops. Montana happens to be the largest producer of pulse crops in the U.S.”

 The trade mission was set up to build beneficial relationships. 

Lydia Johnson started working for Agri-Pulse as a broadcaster on June 1. 

Johnson grew up on her family farm in central Iowa before attending Iowa State University. She graduated with her bachelor's degree in agricultural communications in May. 

Erin Anderson joined the Brownfield Ag staff as an anchor/reporter on April 29.

The Illinois native attended Danville Area Community College to obtain an associate of arts degree. She then transferred to Purdue University and graduated with her bachelor's degree in agricultural communications in May 2024.

Bill Smith, strategic marketing manager for Helena Products Group, is the host of the FieldLink podcast, which was recognized as the Best of National Agri-Marketing Association – Podcasts.

The podcast aims to explore industry topics relevant to farmers and other agricultural audiences.

Melissa Hammer started as a farm broadcaster at Red River Farm Network on May 6.

She graduated from the University of Minnesota Crookston with a bachelor's degree in animal science. Hammer grew up on a farm in central Minnesota and was involved in 4-H and FFA. Her background in agriculture influenced her to pursue higher education.

Owen Roberts, director of agricultural communications at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, is working with a team to establish the James F. Evans Global Center for Food and Agricultural Communications at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Mark Upton is the senior director of agricultural products for Central Life Sciences, and he trains horses in his spare time.

Upton has profit and loss responsibilities for two businesses in his full-time position.

“The first business sells feed additive products that you would give to livestock to prevent flies,” Upton said. “The other business sells products such as sticky traps, scatter baits, and sprays used to kill or prevent flies.”

While he enjoys his day job, Upton pursues a passion that he has had since childhood.

John Herath was promoted to assistant vice president of communications for the U.S. Meat Export Federation on April 1.

He graduated from MacMurray College with his bachelor’s degree in journalism in 1992, and he started an impressive career in agricultural communications during his college years.