On June 21, the Wisconsin State Assembly recognized Brian Winnekins (WRDN, Durand, WI) for his election to serve as President of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting for the 2016 term. Winnekins owns and operates WRDN, 1430 AM, Reel Country, and his station has worked hard to promote local agriculture, an $88 billion dollar per year industry in Wisconsin.
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One of the greatest college football rivalries pits Ohio State University against University of Michigan, but NAFB member Ty Higgins, farm broadcaster with The Ohio Ag Net (Columbus, OH), recently took that rivalry to a new level.
Red River Farm Network (Grand Forks, ND) intern Emma Maddock is wrapping up her first month with the network. RRFN received one of the annual internship grants from NAFB, and Carah Hart is her mentor.
Keith Kirkpatrick, who at 92 still broadcasts a weekly program on WHO (Des Moines, IA), marks his 65th year as an NAFB member this year. He attended his first NAFB convention in Chicago in 1952. His first of many committee assignments was Resolutions.
2002 NAFB President COLLEEN CALLAHAN BURNS was one of three Distinguished Service Award recipients honored by the University of Illinois at the 2017 Commencement activities in May. Bestowed upon alumni, faculty, staff and friends by the UI Alumni Association on behalf of the University, the award is presented to individuals or couples whose consistent, exceptional and meritorious service to the University of Illinois (U of I) has made a significant impact on the institution’s overall welfare and the advancement of its mission.
One of this year’s NAFB interns is Rhiannon Branch from Iuka, IL, in Marion County. Her mentor is Rita Frazer (RFD Radio Network, Bloomington, IL) Rhiannon is a recent graduate of Kaskaskia College and will be transferring to Murray State University (MSU) this fall to pursue an agri-science technology degree with a communications emphasis.
Although Tim Slusarczyk (Ag Radio Network, Inc., Barneveld, NY) is new to NAFB membership, he has been involved in farm radio for his whole life thanks to his grandfather Edwin Slusarczyk. From an early age, Tim spent time at Ag Radio Network, Inc., and even before he was officially on the payroll you could find him stuffing cassettes into envelopes for their affiliates and quietly observing Ed's talent in the recording booth during broadcasts.
Mick Kjar (Farm Talk Radio Network, KQLX, Fargo, ND) claims he is of the Baby Boomer generation, growing up in the 50s and 60s with cows and corn in southeast North Dakota. “I spent my teenage years cultivating corn and getting chased by angry momma cows.” Mick recalls, “The early 60s was the heyday of top-40 rock and roll radio and coincidentally the tractor radio. So, as I spent hours upon hours in the corn field or making hay, I fell in love with radio.