Airing on the Side of Agriculture

DeAnna J. Thomas, Allied Industry member from LG Seeds has changed positions.  She’s begun her new role as Midwest Central Agriculture Education teacher and FFA Advisor in Manito, IL.  She’ll miss telling the LG Seeds story and working with NAFB, but in her new role, she will be using her skills to teach an agricultural communications course. 

Bill and Lisa Ray, owners and operators of AGRINET® NEWS have launched a new website, www.agrinet.com, including news, bios, history, photos, and more.   “Like all good things, it's a work in progress,” Lisa said.

Retired farm broadcaster Roddy Peeples is turning his people skills sharpened by years of farm broadcasting toward welcoming travelers arriving at Dallas/Ft.Worth International Airport (DFW). Even though Roddy sold the Voice of Southwest Agriculture (VSA) Radio Network in Texas in 1995 to Clear Channel Communications, he continued broadcasting for the network several times a month until about six years ago. Roddy and wife, Bettimae, moved to Dallas from San Angelo, TX, in 1997, and in 1999 Roddy joined the then fledgling DFW Airport Ambassador program as a volunteer. 

Madison (Madi) Moore interviews Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary George Greig and operates the video camera for Dave Williams’ interview with Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett at the Pennsylvania Ag Progress Days held in August.

Completing her second summer as a recipient of a NAFB Foundation Internship Grant at KKOW (Pittsburg, KS), Anissa Zagonel was born and raised in southeast Kansas. She graduated from Girard High School in 2013, where she was involved in FFA. Currently, a sophomore at Kansas State University, she is majoring in agricultural communications and journalism, with a minor in agronomy. 

Congratulations George! After 57 years in broadcasting, George Gatley (Western Agri-Radio Networks, Inc., Yuma, AZ) retired at the end of August. The son of a Boy Scout executive who was raised in Wisconsin, George grew up working on a family friend’s farm where he learned about the hard work of farming. Initially, there were no tractors. Two Belgian horses did the wagon-pulling and hay field work.

Patrick Cavanaugh, owner of the California Ag Today Radio Network, participated in a southern California hour-and-a-half forum on August 21, entitled, “The Future of Water in California,” hosted by KPCC, a public radio station in Pasadena, California. Panelists included Los Angeles public water leaders and consultants, as well as the senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council. 

Market Rally host, Chip Flory, and Pro Farmer Editorial Director grew up on a typical 1980s-style diversified family farm in Oxford Junction in eastern Iowa. Chip was very active in 4-H.  He was an Iowa delegate to the National Congress, received the National Beef Award, served on the State 4-H Council and was a State Officer in 1982-83.