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.

Terry Loomis is both General Manager of KQLX AM/FM and Farm Director. Mick Kjar is Farm Director and Host of Farm Talk. Terry said, “In November 1984, KQLX AM-890 hit the air in Lisbon, ND. In April 1986, KQLX FM 106.1 went on the air. Ag News 890 was dedicated to the farming community with local agriculture news, as well as being one of the first affiliates of the American Ag Network.

For more than 50 years, Jerry Lackey (Emeritus member, San Angelo, TX) has worked as an agricultural journalist and farm broadcaster. A newly published photo documentary book shows many of the Presidents, Governors, Congressmen and key agricultural leaders who Jerry met and interviewed from his “ringside” position as a journalist.

Dr. Jim Evans (Honorary Member, Philo, IL) joined NAFB in 1954. “My connections with farm broadcasting trace back to 1951 when I was an agricultural journalism sophomore at Iowa State College. R. C. (Cap) Bentley, director of market reporting at the college radio station, WOI, employed me as a part-time assistant.

Mike Dain (First Oklahoma Ag Network/Voice of Southwest Agriculture/Yancey Ag Network, Oklahoma City, OK) received the honorary Oklahoma Cattlewoman of the Year Award July 22.