When Ken Rahjes is not wearing his broadcasting hat (agview.net, Agra, KS) he is working as a member of the Kansas House of Representatives. To the question of what is on the pulse of farmers, he said, “This could be described as ‘the winter of our discontent’ as it has lacked moisture in the form of snow or even rain. The warm temperatures have some farmers itching to start with field work. In fact, in mid-February we saw some anhydrous ammonia being applied. It looks like this will be a year when the wheat will use up many lives to make it to harvest.” 

“My career as a farm broadcaster began in August 2015,” said Katie Wilson (WSMI, Litchfield, IL).” She was working as a County Farm Bureau Manager in northern Illinois and “the job was in the wrong location and not a perfect match.” In her second year of the working world, she began searching for a new job. She was born and raised in Litchfield, IL, on a small grain and livestock farm. 

Monte James (Your Ag Network, Inc., Yankton, SD) grew up on a ranch on the northern borders of the sprawling Sandhills of Nebraska. His family raised cattle and farmed on the scenic Niobrara River Valley in Keya Paha County. His radio career started at a small station in O’Neill, NE, doing everything from hosting the Polka Show to local news and markets.

Unplugging his microphone for full-time retirement, Alan Jarand is moving from Illinois to New Orleans to be near family and to engage in fixing up their newly acquired home in the Historic District. He is surrounded by his RFD Radio Network (Bloomington, IL) colleagues, who wish him well.

Patrick Cavanaugh (California Ag Today, Clovis, CA) reports massive atmospheric rivers, one after another over the last few months, have been racking up rain totals throughout the state. “The San Joaquin 5-Station Precipitation Index surpassed the Top 12 Wettest Season rankings in the state’s climate history by 0.02 of an inch. Furthermore, snow accumulation is 170 percent of normal (as of February 24).”