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At the 2015 Indiana 4-H Congress in October, Gary Truitt, President of Hoosier Ag Today (HAT), presented the Indiana 4-H Foundation Communications Scholarship to Emily Clark, a 10-year 4-H member from Warrick County. Held at the State Fairgrounds, the 4-H Congress attracted more than 90 of Indiana's top 4-H youth for a day of training and achievement awards. Emily said 4-H has changed her life. "It has changed me as a person, especially my communications skills. I am a quiet person, but 4-H taught me how to express myself in a positive way." She is a college freshman at 
Long-time KICD AM/FM (Spencer, IA) Farm Director Dan Skelton announced that he will retire at the end of this year. Dan's career with KICD radio started in 1997 as a farm broadcaster and editor. In 2000, Dan became Farm Director. For nearly 19 years, area listeners have relied on his voice for the latest market information and ag-related news locally and nationally. 
Terry Henne (WSGW, Saginaw, MI) reports the sugar beet harvest in Michigan is approaching record yields. “So far, processing has been going without a hitch. Tonnage of harvested beets on average has been running more than 29 tons, which has never happened in 100+ years,” Terry said. The early harvest in Michigan generated more than 30% harvested acres.
Duane Murley (KWMT, Fort Dodge, IA) developed his interest in farm radio as he listened to AM 540 KWMT on the tractor radio while baling hay, cultivating, plowing late at night, or whatever he was doing on the tractor (or combine). Duane was born and raised in Sac City, IA, where his parents, two brothers and their families still reside. 
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. 
A crowd of more than 1,000 people packed the Orr Building in August on Ag Day at the Illinois State Fairgrounds to celebrate Illinois' number one industry. The morning started off with a breakfast, featuring the dedication of the Illinois Department of Agriculture administration building as the John R. Block Building. Illinois HB 5540, sponsored by State Senator Darin LaHood and State Representative Don Moffitt, named the administration building after John Rusling Block, the only Illinois agriculture director to become U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. John Block said he was both “excited and humbled” that the Illinois Department of Agriculture building now bears his name.
Farm Director Joe Gill (KASM, 1150 AM, Albany, MN) broadcast “live” from the Minnesota State Fair this year at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. He spoke with Minnesota Ag Commissioner Dave Frederickson. “We spoke about many issues including a recent trade trip to Mexico, Avian Influenza, pollinators and more,” Joe said. 
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!”