Airing on the Side of Agriculture

Oklahoma, Land of Weather Extremes

Ron Hayes (Radio Oklahoma Network, Oklahoma City, OK) reports, “Oklahoma has always been a land of weather extremes, and the end of 2015 proved that to be true.  The winter storm that some weather watchers were calling Goliath brought a variety of weather into Oklahoma—from snow drifts several feet tall to flood waters that broke records that were set in 1950.” In Central and Western Oklahoma, the ice and snow caused power outages for more than 150,000 homes (many served by Rural Electric Coops).

On The Road During The Holidays

Mike Dain (First Oklahoma Ag, Voice of Southwest Agriculture and Yancey Ag Network, Oklahoma City, OK) traveled to Fort Knox, KY, where his son-in-law is Command Sergeant Major of Army Cadet Command (ROTC).  On his return, he reports that it rained all the way from Kentucky to Tennessee then across Arkansas and into Oklahoma. “Goliath (storm) dropped immense amounts of rain in Arkansas and in the eastern half of Oklahoma. Flooding was big concern because of 6-12 inches of rain while blizzard conditions, an ice storm, and winter storm conditions covered western Oklahoma and down into Texas.

Lorrie Boyer Receives Communications Award

Ag News Director Lorrie Boyer (KSIR Radio, Fort Morgan, CO) was awarded the 2015 Communications Excellence Award by the Colorado Association of Conservation Districts (CACD). The award was presented for her work in helping to educate people about what the CACD does and how they work with landowners and agriculture operators to advance soil health and enhance natural habitat. Also, she helped CACD with promoting meetings, events and letting people know about resources that they have available.

Year In Review with Tom Steever

Each year since joining Brownfield Ag News (Jefferson City, MO), Tom Steever has produced an hour-long Year in Review. In mid- November, all Brownfield broadcasters gather on a conference call to talk about what stories should be included and who should produce the segment on each particular story. “Much of the audio used in the show is what was gathered at the time the story was current, while some is provided through interviews with those reflecting on the year just passed,” Tom said. Among top stories of 2015 was the planting, growing and harvest season, which is a perennial inclusion in the show.

A Grain Bin As a Weekend Home

Bob Quinn (WHO, Des Moines, IA) covers farming for a living, but now he’s taken living in agriculture to a new level. Bob has built a home in the spirit of Iowa agriculture out of a grain bin. He got the idea after Sukup Manufacturing built small grain bins to be taken to Haiti to use for housing after the devastating earthquakes hit that country. “We wanted to have a house here on the farm that was characteristic of a farm.” He considered a cabin, but after covering the Sukup grain bin story, Bob got the idea to try a grain bin as a house. So, a huge 20,000-bushel grain bin was assembled on Bob’s acreage west of St. Charles, IA. The structure is built like a Thermos bottle, he said. A second steel roof is built under the top roof, and two feet of insulation was put in. Another interior wall was put inside the outer wall and filled with insulation. The grain bin home has a loft, which covers half the structure’s inside. Overall, it has a very high ceiling over the living room.

Steve Bridge Receives $1,000 NAFB Foundation Continuing Education Grant

Steve Bridge (WFMB-AM/FM, Springfield, IL) was awarded an NAFB Foundation grant to participate in the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Program (IALP). He says participating in this program has been a very good decision. “The seminars are great, but the personal connection you make with the 29 people in the class is the best part. Our class began last November. Over the past year, we have had seminars at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, a week in Washington, DC, and a memorable trip to Gettysburg, PA.” In February and March, the group will travel for two weeks to Japan and Panama. “It’s the opportunity of a lifetime. I’m honored to have been selected for the class and to join the small list of other farm broadcasters and journalists that are part of the IALP.” Individual members of the NAFB Broadcast Council are eligible to apply for a maximum of $1,000 that may be used for a variety of educational opportunities (like this leadership program). Steve is completing his second year of a two-year program. Applications are available through the NAFB Foundation. 

Distinguished Service To Agriculture Award

Farmer and farm radio host Dave Williams, left, receives the Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award from Pennsylvania Farm Bureau (PFB) President Rick Ebert during the PFB 65th Annual Meeting in Hershey, PA. The award is presented to an individual whose dedicated work and service has significantly contributed to the advancement of Pennsylvania agriculture. Besides being the host and owner of the Pennsylvania Farm Country Radio Network, Dave is a vegetable, hay and straw farmer from Honesdale, PA, who served for eight years (2004-2012) on the PFB State Board of Directors. “It is a great honor to receive the Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award,” Dave said. Earlier, he was the 2005 recipient of the PFB Distinguished Local Affairs Leader Award. Dave’s radio show is broadcast six days a week on 24 radio stations in Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey, and he is the Northeast reporter for Rural TV, which is affiliated with RFD-TV.

Weekend Radio Program Launched

Ty Higgins with Ohio Ag Net, recently launched a new weekend program connecting farmers to consumers with country music. Farm & Country Radio is currently airing on country stations from Tennessee to Iowa. Ty’s uncle, Scott, the CEO of The American Dairy Association Mideast, opened the door for him to start his radio journey right out of high school, by introducing him to farm broadcaster and former NAFB President Joe Cornely. “My career began in farm broadcasting, shifted to country radio for 15 years at WHOK in Columbus, OH, and now I have returned to my roots,” Higgins said. “I thought Farm & Country would be a great way to fully utilize my experience with both country music and the country life.” Guests on Farm & Country, highlighted as “Featured Farmers”, have included producers from all across the country and some that have made an impact nationally as a voice for the industry. “Derek Klingenberg was on the show shortly after he played his trombone for his cows, and I had no idea where that conversation was headed, but it was a good one,” Ty said.

First Job In Farm Broadcasting

Ben Nuelle (Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network, Des Moines, IA) is an agricultural journalist who works with farm broadcaster Ken Root. With this being Ben’s first job as a farm broadcaster he felt “learning from one of the best was important.” He added, “I am thrilled to be working for Ken. He has been a great mentor, and I hope to be just as good as him someday.” Ben’s daily routine consists of filing two stories a day for the network while also managing the network’s website. A graduate of Northwest Missouri State University with a B.S. in Mass Media (with an emphasis in Multimedia Journalism). He is a triplet from Higginsville, MO. His two brothers are Alex and Chad. Alex farms hay and cattle with his dad, Bob, and Chad is a district sales manager for LG Seeds. 

Wheat Harvest Documentary Film Wins Regional Emmy Award

Film maker and NAFB allied industry member Conrad Weaver of ConjoStudios, LLC (Emmitsburg, MD) reports that his 2014 documentary the Great American Wheat Harvest film received a Mid-America Regional Emmy Award for Best Documentary – Cultural. “The Great American Wheat Harvest is a story about American harvesters who risk everything to put food on our tables. Each year they travel from Texas north across the Western Plains harvesting wheat and other crops that feed the world. The film follows their journey and tells their stories,” Conrad said. 

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