For well over a decade, Farm Broadcaster Joel Heitkamp of North Dakota has given agriculture and rural issues a significant platform on his live, three-hour radio program, News and Views. “For his work in elevating the issues facing family farmers, ranchers, and their communities, National Farmers Union (NFU) awarded Heitkamp with the 2019 Milt Hakel Agriculture Communications Award.

Susan Littlefield (KRVN Rural Radio Network, Surprise, Nebraska) provided this update from recent flooding in her state: “From a blizzard in the western half of Nebraska to flooding in the eastern half of the state, a lot of man-hours were spent on news coverage and volunteering. Cattle producers were trying to dig cattle out of snow drifts and account for animals, as cattlemen in the east watched flood waters take away their livelihood.  For many, the watches and warnings came so fast it was hard to get livestock moved to higher ground.

Northern Ag Network’s own Taylor Brown was recently featured on the cover of Raised in the West magazine, a regional publication. Taylor Brown may have the most recognizable voice in Montana. Brown served as NAFB President in 1992 and was named Farm Broadcaster of the Year in 1989. He was inducted into the NAFB Hall of Fame in 2010.

Ben Nuelle rejoins the agricultural broadcasting and news community as an associate editor for Agri-Pulse Communications in Washington, D.C. He began working for the company in December. “It’s great to be back,” the Higginsville, Missouri, native said. “Sara Wyant and Al Johnson are great to work for and the thrill of reporting on agricultural policy from Capitol Hill is exciting.” Before joining Agri-Pulse, thinking he wanted to work in politics and government, Nuelle spent roughly a year working for Senator Joni Ernst as an agriculture assistant in Des Moines, Iowa.

Gale Cunningham (WYXY, Champaign, Illinois) was presented the 2019 Friend of Illinois County Fair Award at the fair association’s 109th annual conference in January.  “It is one of the most cherished awards I have received, and I'm very honored to receive such an award from the peers who listen to ag radio on WYXY Classic 99.1 FM,” he said.  Congratulating Cunningham after the presentation is Illinois State Representative Tom Bennett.