When John Winfield fully retired in July 2017, Dixon Williams became the fulltime farm director for Telesouth Communications/Supertalk (Jackson, MS). “My interest in radio started while I was in high school at Provine High in Jackson, MS.    I went on to get a broadcast journalism degree at the University of Southern Mississippi. His first job in broadcasting was at WAPF-AM/WCCA (McComb, MS) in 1982.

The Missouri FFA Association is recognizing Andrew McCrea (Farm Journal Media, Maysville, MO) with their Distinguished Service Award this year for his service to agricultural education and the Missouri FFA. They are extending a special thank you to him for his many years of service. Andrew is an award-winning radio and TV broadcaster, a nationally recognized speaker, and a farmer and rancher.

The 5th annual Louisiana Agriculture Hall of Distinction has honored Margie Jenkins and the late Pierre "Pete" Lanaux as its 2018 inductees, reports Don Molino (Louisiana Farm Bureau Agri-News Radio Network, Baton Rouge, LA). Both were recognized for their extraordinary contributions to Louisiana agriculture. 

Richard Shields (WKZO, Kalamazoo, MI) reports, “Temperatures here in the Kalamazoo area of southwest Michigan have been consistently 15 to 20 degrees below normal in early to mid-April with highs in the low 60s and freezes each night.  Soil temperatures were running far below the low 50s we’d like for corn planting. 

March 6 marked Pam Fretwell’s last day at Farm Journal as she is now retired and will be doing some contract work for Farm Journal and others through her own company Fretwell Communications. Pam never thought she would be involved in agriculture. Growing up in a suburb of Kansas City, she was the daughter of a jeweler and entrepreneur, and although her mother and father both came from rural roots, agriculture was probably the last thing she thought about growing up.