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Just the other day I was talking with Susan Tally and Tom Brand about convention, and it hit me...we will be in Kansas City in a little over a month! Start packing for a packed convention kicking off Wednesday, November 12 at 9 a.m. with several great learning sessions, we start the day with the idea exchange, and followed by a session on Integrating Technology into the Agriculture industry.

At the first meeting of the National Association of Radio Farm Directors (NARFD) on May 5, 1944 in Columbus, Ohio, membership fees were set at $10 for those affiliated with commercial stations and $5 for any member with a non-commercial station. Members unanimously supported the position that any regional group having funds be asked to turn that money over to the national treasurer except for what was needed for expenses already incurred. Time was granted to Barney Monahan of the U.S. Treasury to outline members responsibility in national War Bond sales in rural areas.

The year has certainly zoomed by and in seven weeks we’ll all gather again for our annual convention in Kansas City. One thing on the agenda this year, is new NAFB research. The board has approved a couple investigative efforts that will be the first in-depth NAFB research since the Wave Study of 2008. 

The upcoming October issue of AgriMarketing will feature a special section on Ag/Rural Broadcasting. Included in the section will be updates from NAFB focusing on convention, Trade Talk, 2014 NAFB Hall of Fame Inductees, a research update and more. Also, as part of the special section, AgriMarketing has opportunities to include your station or network advertising within the Ag Broadcasting Update.

The 2014 Ag Media Research (AMR) Study provides great insight into farmer radio listening habits. We learned through the study that Radio is an important part of their day, and just not a once a week or once a month interaction – 89 percent of the producers surveyed are listening to Radio on a daily basis.

Prior to the start of the NAMA Fall Conference in Chicago, IL, NAFB had the opportunity to host leading agribusiness marketers for a pre-conference lunch, Tuesday, September 16. Our luncheon speaker was past NAFB member and broadcaster, Jay Truitt. Jay is now with Policy Solutions, a bipartisan government relations and public affairs firm in Washington, DC.

Lisa A. Adams, Principal with Sage Virtual Communications, is the recipient of the 2014 Professional Development Award of Excellence from the National Agri-Marketing Association. Adams was selected as this year’s winner in the Public Relations category. She accepted the award earlier this month at the organization’s fall conference in Chicago, Illinois.

Please welcome the following new NAFB members who joined this past month.