After more than four decades in farm broadcasting, Gary Truitt is preparing to step away from the microphone, leaving behind a legacy of growth, innovation, and service to farmers across the Midwest.
Truitt, Founder and Chairman of Hoosier Ag Today and Michigan Ag Today, didn’t begin his career with a background in agriculture. Instead, he entered the industry in 1981 with a foundation in radio and a job opportunity that would ultimately change the course of his life.
“I did not really come from a strong agricultural background,” Truitt said.
He joined the Brownfield Network at a time when it was expanding and in need of stronger programming. While he initially brought radio expertise rather than agricultural knowledge, Truitt quickly found himself drawn to the industry.
“I sort of fell in love with it,” he said. “The people and the farmers I’ve worked with were outstanding.”
Over the years, Truitt witnessed, and helped shape, major changes in farm broadcasting. During the agricultural crisis of the 1980s, the role of broadcasters shifted from personality-driven programming to delivering timely, market-focused, and policy-driven information that farmers relied on to make critical decisions. “Farmers were desperately seeking up-to-the-minute, reliable, credible information,” Truitt said.
That shift defined much of his career. In 1985, Truitt moved to Indiana, where he built a farm network from the ground up, growing it from just a handful of stations into a statewide presence over the next two decades.
When that network was later acquired and restructured, Truitt once again started from scratch — launching Hoosier Ag Today in 2006. The network quickly grew, driven by strong relationships with stations, advertisers, and farmers. In 2019, the company expanded further with the acquisition of Michigan Ag Today.
Through it all, Truitt remained focused on one core principle: delivering trusted, relevant information to farmers. “The key to farm broadcasting is the content,” he said. “It’s the information that farmers trust us to provide.”
That philosophy also guided his embrace of new technology. From satellite distribution to digital platforms, podcasts and video, Truitt has consistently pushed to meet audiences where they are.
“Whether we deliver that over airwaves or digital broadband, it doesn’t matter,” he said. “It’s the content that’s important.”
As he looks toward retirement, Truitt is focused on ensuring the future of the organization he built. He is in the process of transitioning leadership and ownership to the next generation of broadcasters within the company. While he plans to step back from day-to-day operations, Truitt admits it won’t be easy to leave a career that has taken him around the world and connected him with farmers, policymakers, and industry leaders.
“It’s been tremendous. It’s been enriching,” he said.
As for what comes next, Truitt is still figuring that out — but he’s looking forward to slowing down, spending time with family, and exploring new experiences after a lifetime dedicated to agriculture.
