Airing on the Side of Agriculture

In 2019, on its 100th birthday, Colorado Farm Bureau awarded Farm Broadcaster Brian Allmer  (Brian Allmer Radio Network, Briggsdale, Colorado) with its Service to Agriculture award.

Stu Ellis (WHOW, Decatur, Illinois) has been a well-known agricultural communicator in Illinois for nearly 50 years. 

Mace Thornton is vice president of communications and marketing for the United Soybean Board and U.S. Soybean Export Council.

Avery Davidson has taken the place of Carey Martin at Louisiana Farm Bureau, who recently moved to Waco as manager of the Texas Farm Bureau Radio Network. Davidson, a native of New Iberia, Louisiana, also co-hosts the Louisiana Farm Bureau’s weekly TV show This Week in Louisiana Agriculture and has covered agriculture for both radio and television for a number of years.

Clinton Griffiths (Farm Journal Broadcasting, South Bend, Indiana) finds it very easy to stay busy these days. 

The only farmer-and-rancher-owned radio association is expanding its reach. The Nebraska Rural Radio Association (NRRA) has reached an agreement to purchase seven additional radio stations in Nebraska. Legacy Communications has agreed to the deal, which includes six stations in the Scottsbluff market and one station in Holdrege. 

Bill Zortman (KELO/KELQ, Sioux Falls, South Dakota) grew up as a farm kid in Onawa, Iowa, feeding sheep, hogs, and cattle with his family. 

Carey Martin has packed his bags and headed west. On December 2, the long-time Louisiana farm broadcaster started a new phase of life as the general manager and farm broadcaster for the Texas Farm Bureau Radio Network, headquartered in Waco, Texas. 

We invited Russ Parker (J.L.Farmakis, Inc., Lovilia, Iowa) to write his reflections on being chosen to receive the 2019 Dix Harper Meritorious Service Award. 

Shannon Yokley (Brownfield Ag News, Jefferson City, Missouri) was named the 2019 recipient of the NAFB Horizon Award, which honors high-achieving farm broadcasters early in their careers. The Jefferson City native had not realized that her degree in science and agricultural journalism would lead her right back from where she came.