Born and raised on a farm, former USDA Agriculture Secretary John “Jack” Block’s early years were shaped by his deep connections with rural life and organizations such as the Future Farmers of America and, later, the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. Those connections remained strong throughout his tenure as agriculture secretary in the 1980s and beyond.
At the NAFB Convention in November (2025), Block will make a substantial donation to the NAFB Foundation, his way to give back to the organization that has supported him over the decades. It’s fitting that his donation will help invest in a future generation of agriculture leaders through the NAFB Foundation’s scholarships and internship grants.
Block collaborated with NAFB Past President Colleen Callahan on his book – “Pigs, Politics, Persistence," – which was released last year. He dedicated several years to compiling his experiences into a memoir that captures his unique perspective on farming, politics, and leadership. The foreword for the book was written by legendary Illinois farm broadcaster Orion Samuelson.
“Colleen was a great help throughout the whole process,” he noted. “With help from some others, mostly family and friends that I’d worked with in agriculture, we got it put together, and it’s done now.”
In his recently released follow-up audiobook, more than a dozen NAFB broadcasters who know, worked with, or traveled with the Secretary recorded various chapters.
“His contribution to the NAFB Foundation is in recognition of and thanks for the support he has received from the farm broadcasting community,” Callahan notes.
