eChats

During the 74^th NAFB Convention, the 2018 NAFB Board of Directors were elected during member meetings. Congratulations to the following NAFB members as they will lead the association in 2018.  

Are you about to get knee-deep in fairs and festivals? This busy time of year is also a very enjoyable one, meeting the people who follow our broadcasts, as we help recognize the young people of the community for their work and achievements. And while the days at the fairgrounds can be long and draining, I am certain many of you appreciate the opportunity to cover these remarkable volunteer-driven events. And it is one more instance where many members of NAFB play a critical role in the local community.

April President's Update
Max Armstrong, 2017 NAFB President

We are rapidly approaching Washington Watch, and I am very excited about it, quite frankly. Assuming our new Agriculture Secretary is confirmed by then, he will be with us. We have been assured White House Ag Advisor Ray Starling will be joining us as well. When you add in the lawmakers, their staff members, the Federal Communications Commission visit and other opportunities, it totals up to a great, jam-packed three days.

“Well, if you’ll look on our website, you’ll find all the details right there.” That’s how our executive director gracefully explained to me that if I took the time to explore NAFB.com, all I needed to know was right at my fingertips. He was right. 

Have you done that lately? Have you really looked around on our site? Other than seeking the contact information for other members or utilizing the outstanding resources and feeds of our News Service, have you taken a dive down into what else is there? I hope you will.

Merry Christmas! Wow, where has 2016 gone! It seems just like yesterday I was getting ready to head to Orlando for the American Farm Bureau Convention in January! The NAFB staff has been very busy since wrapping up convention. The staff has been working on the 2017 budget, preparing for a new supplemental research project and of course 2017 Washington Watch and Convention

I hope harvest is going well for farmers in your area. My thoughts go out to everyone affected by the recent flooding. Members of your NAFB staff attended the fall NAMA Conference in Raleigh, NC this month. Mindy, Lance, Tom and myself had a chance to meet with many Allied Industry Members during the Conference and everyone was excited about the new additions to the NAFB Planner that will now include NASS data for every county! NAFB also hosted a a welcome luncheon Wednesday during the confernce, and we had our largest crowd to date! Thank you to Mindy and Lance for all of their planning for this event!

It's hard to believe summer is winding down, and we are heading towards fall and harvest! As we head into fall, that means more national events are coming up like Farm Progress Days and World Dairy Expo. I'm pleased to announce a new service from your organization that was an idea from a broadcast member. Under the News Service Tab, look for Coverage Opportunities. This will be a place to match up broadcasters covering an event with broadcasters looking for coverage from an event. All you have to do is e-mail Tom Brand, offering to cover an event or looking for event coverage, and it will be posted to the page. Check the page often and if there is something you are offering to cover or need coverage of, you will be able to contact that broadcaster directly and work out the arrangement between the both of you. Tom is hoping to have the page done in a forum type in the future so you will be able to post directly to the page. As time goes on, we may expand to include broadcasters looking for a vacation fill-in or other temporary needs. I hope you find this page useful.

Happy Fair Season! It's a busy time with county and state fairs, and I hope your broadcasts from the fairs are great! It's also been a busy time with severe weather for many, and while it's tough to report on our loyal listeners with damage, it’s during severe weather coverage that our stations shine! On July 5, we had five tornadoes in our listening area causing extensive damage. There have been many tornado outbreaks in Central Minnesota and over 11 inches of rain fall earlier in the month in Northern Wisconsin, so it has been a busy time for many of our NAFB broadcasters.

Happy June Dairy Month! Here in Wisconsin many dairy farms are showcasing their operations through breakfast on the farm events. So grab a bowl of your favorite ice cream, sit back and enjoy this month's eChats!

Neal Gladner, Management Sales Council Representative, with Louisiana Farm Bureau Agri-News Radio Network has resigned from the NAFB Board of Directors. He accepted a position with a new network. Tim Marshall with KRVN Rural Radio Network was approved by the board to fill the seat vacated by Neal. We thank Neal for his service to NAFB and welcome Tim to the NAFB Board!

The 2016 Summer Board Meeting and Agribusiness Luncheon, will be held in Milwaukee, WI, July 20-22. This year’s Agribusiness Luncheon will feature a panel discussing food labeling. NAFB has extended invitations to agribusiness companies in and around the Milwaukee area, and we are collaborating with the Badger NAMA Chapter as part of their July meeting. Visit the NAFB site for more information and register for the luncheon.

During the recent NAFB Board of Directors Meeting in Washington D.C. the board approved Honorary NAFB Membership to two individuals who have contributed greatly to the business of Farm Broadcasting, and the U.S. agriculture industry. We welcome former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture 1989-1991, Clayton Yuetter and  retired President and CEO of Learfield Communications, Clyde Lear.