Airing on the Side of Agriculture

Susan Risinger joined the WJAG/KEXL & KQKX staff in 1989 as assistant news director and has been the farm director since 1991. “As for how I got into this business,” Susan said, “totally by accident.”  She explains, “In 1981, I started working as a typesetter (now an ancient job description) for the weekly newspaper in Neligh, about 35 miles west of Norfolk, NE.

Jesse Stewart (KGLO AM-1300, Mason City, IA) was hired as a farm broadcaster in May 2013.  He earned a BA in Multimedia Journalism from Simpson College in Indianola, IA.   “I actually kind of fell into farm broadcasting by accident. I had never considered it as a career in the industry until having some conversations with some of the staff I knew in Mason City. I had interned with the station the summer before my senior year and got to know the whole staff. 

Patrick Cavanaugh (California Ag Today Network, Clovis, CA) said to respond to current debates on water use by agriculture their radio network is educating listeners about transpiration of moisture by plants. Almonds and all other crops transpire most water they take up, he said. Allan Fulton, an Irrigation and Water Resources Farm Advisor with UC Cooperative Extension in Redbluff, CA, has been their network’s resource person.

For NAFB President Susan Littlefield, it's been a busy summer and early fall. “From watching three kids show livestock at the county fair to finishing up the season at the Nebraska State Fair, it’s been packed with family memories,” Susan said. “All three kids show sheep and my son, Paul, shows hogs as well,” she explained. “I got the chance to announce again this year at the Nebraska State Fair for the 4-H and FFA sheep and goat shows. The FFA Sheep Staff took it a step further, and we are starting to use #TeamSheep with the hopes of over the year promoting the show for FFA members.” (Susan is shown here with TeamSheep composed of Nebraska FFA Advisors who run the sheep show at the state fair.) New this year, the state fair added the Open Class Sheep Show announcing to Susan’s calendar. “It was great to be able to congratulate so many of my friends as they showed. At one point I would announce a class and run across the show ring to grab a sheep, show it, then announce the class winners and next class and grab another sheep!” 

The @AgriBlogger and @FarmPodcaster (aka Chuck and Cindy Zimmerman) had the opportunity to visit Expo Milano 2015 in Italy during September with New Holland Agriculture and farmers and ag journalists from around the world. The Expo is the current version of the World’s Fair. This was Chuck’s third visit as part of the New Holland Expo sponsorship. The New Holland “Heroes and Bloggers Days” included nine of the ten farmers chosen by the company to represent agriculture in their “Seeds of Life” series display at the Sustainable Farm Pavilion at the expo. The farmers came from Brazil, Canada, England, France, Germany, Russia, and South Africa – with two from Italy.

The Oklahoma Wheat Commission teamed with OETA-TV (Oklahoma Educational Television Authority) to produce a 30-minute TV show, The Truth About Wheat. Ken Root (Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network, Dyersville, IA) was contacted by the Oklahoma Wheat Commission and Jim Reese, Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture to serve as moderator for the informational broadcast.

​Producers are expecting the largest cotton crop since 2010 this year if weather continues to cooperate, reports Tony St. James (All Ag Network, KDDD and KFLP, Floydada, TX). The Texas High Plains is the largest cotton growing region in the United States, and Lubbock is the hub of activity. Cotton farmers are expected to start defoliating in early October, which begins the harvest process. 

 Nicole Chance is a sophomore studying agricultural communications at University of Illinois. This past summer, she worked as an intern for Gale Cunningham (WYXY-FM, Champaign, IL). About Gale, Nicole said. “His passion for the agriculture industry is one that is hard to put into words. His unceasing dedication to FFA and 4-H clubs is just the beginning of many contributions he has made to the youth in both Illinois and Indiana.” Nicole continued, “Gale cares about each and every one of the people he interviews and his goal is to provide content that will allow listeners to be excited and encouraged about the industry they represent.”