Airing on the Side of Agriculture

NAFB Executive Director Tom Brand and his wife, Beth, became involved with the American Heart Association (AHA) following Tom’s heart attack and bypass surgery in 2013. Tom personally set a goal to raise $2,500 at the Heart Walk recently in St. Joseph, MO, and currently his effort has raised $2,300.

​Agri-Pulse founder and President Sara Wyant will be named to the annual Folio: "Top Women in Media" recognition in the Entrepreneurs category at a June awards ceremony at the Grand Hyatt in New York City. Sara was the only agricultural media professional included in this year's awards, which also honored women from such mainstream media as Forbes, Time and The New York Times.

Joe Gangwish, will be taking over June 1 for retiring Mike LePorte, left, as Farm Director of KRVN and the Rural Radio Network. Mike joined KRVN/Rural Radio Network in October 1990 and was named Farm Director in 1995.

WJBC-AM (Bloomington, IL), is celebrating its 90th Anniversary this year. Carrie Muelhling reports, “While we are doing some special things all year long to mark the milestone, we recently enjoyed some fun programming on April Fool's Day as we brought back a number of former show hosts, reporters and anchors to fill shifts on the air and deliver newscasts throughout the day.” 

The 80th Anniversary of Black Sunday was observed April 14 in Oklahoma City when more than 30 survivors of the huge dust storm that swept across Oklahoma and propelled dust all the way to the East Coast gathered to remember that day, reports Ron Hays (Radio Oklahoma Network, Oklahoma City, OK).  “That whole decade was known as the Dirty Thirties, but the Black Sunday event was the proverbial ‘shot heard around the world’ when it came to the Dust Bowl and the desperate need for conservation to counter the massive clouds of dust that enveloped the region. 

Taking part in ceremonies honoring the 2015 inductees into the Louisiana Agriculture Hall of Distinction are, from left, Louisiana Radio Network Farm Director Don Molino; honoree and Avoyelles Parish farmer Lucien Laborde; Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Dr. Mike Strain; Erle Barham, whose father, Edwards Barham of Morehouse Parish, was honored posthumously; honoree and Jeff Davis Parish farmer Jimmy Hoppe.

John McDonald was inducted into the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame May 2 in Murfreesboro, TN. NAFB Executive Director Tom Brand responded to a request from the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame for more information about John, who was 1956 President of the National Association of Television and Radio Farm Directors (NATRFD) and was named to the NAFB Hall of Fame in 1992.

Mike Hergert (Red River Farm Network, Grand Forks, ND) is shown in “action” shots with his dance partner, Chelsey Marchand, at the Dancing with Special Stars event in Grand Forks on April 14.