Dustin Hoffmann, supervising editor and senior farm broadcaster for Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network, has built model railroads since childhood.
“I have been working on model railroads since 1990 when I was 10,” Hoffmann said. “I got my first train set for Christmas that year, and my dad and I built a small layout in my bedroom. I’ve been improving and upgrading ever since.”
Hoffmann’s parents curated his love of railroad modeling as he grew up.
“My dad was hands-on in helping build the models,” Hoffmann said. “We would lay the track and wire it up to make it work. My mom always made things like the grass, trees, and other scenery items.”
He loves building model railroads because of what he learns from them.
“It teaches me different skills that I probably wouldn’t learn otherwise,” Hoffmann said. “I learn carpentry, electrical, scaling, and other things. It also teaches me to observe the world to build an accurate model.”
He incorporates agricultural structures into his railroads to remain connected to his roots, even in his off time.
“I’ve got a grain elevator that is modeled after a cement, vertical silo from Springfield, Minnesota, which wasn’t very far from where I grew up,” Hoffmann said. “I also have a building modeled after the Des Moines ADM soybean processing building. It was a little more challenging, and I had to use Google Earth to map it out and figure out the dimensions.”
Hoffmann uses his hobby as a way to relax and unplug.
“You control everything that happens, and it’s like your own little world,” Hoffmann said. “You get to tell the story through your viewpoint, and it’s an escape from the stressful things in life.”
He says it is important for farm broadcasters to have an outlet to relieve stress.
“We have to take a moment to ourselves and find something that gives us peace,” Hoffmann said. “Farm broadcasters have hectic schedules, and we need to take time to relax.”
