For more than four decades, farm broadcaster Max Armstrong (pictured left) worked alongside the legendary Orion Samuelson, building one of the most recognizable partnerships in agricultural broadcasting.
Armstrong says Samuelson’s impact on agriculture, and on the people who knew him, extended far beyond the microphone.
“He cared very much about people,” Armstrong says. “He cared about the farming community and all the challenges it was going through.”
Armstrong first joined Samuelson in Chicago early in his career after Samuelson hired him to work at WGN Radio. At the time, Armstrong was just 24 years old. What began as a professional opportunity grew into a 45-year working relationship that included radio, television and syndicated programming.
“He and I worked together for a total of 45 years in some way, shape or form,” Armstrong says. “Just wonderful opportunities one after another.”
Together, the pair helped shape agricultural broadcasting through multiple platforms. Samuelson launched U.S. Farm Report in 1975, and Armstrong joined the program two years later as a field reporter. In 2005, the two launched This Week in Agribusiness, a program that continues today and recently entered its 21st season.
Throughout his career, Armstrong says Samuelson’s ability to communicate and connect with audiences set him apart.
“He was just very unique in his ability to communicate and his understanding of life,” Armstrong says.
Samuelson reached audiences in several ways: through local radio and television in Chicago, syndicated television programming across the country and frequent appearances as a keynote speaker. Armstrong recalls years when Samuelson delivered nearly 100 speeches annually.
“When Orion went to the podium, there weren’t any notes,” Armstrong says. “It was all coming from his heart and his head.”
Beyond his communication skills, Armstrong says Samuelson had a deep commitment to agriculture and spent decades helping urban audiences understand farming and food production. Long before the term “agvocacy” became widely used, Samuelson was already explaining agriculture to consumers in major cities.
“Orion was practicing agvocacy long before it was fashionable,” Armstrong says.
Samuelson also played an important role in the farm broadcasting community through his involvement with the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. Armstrong notes that Samuelson helped launch and lead the NAFB Foundation scholarship program, which continues to support students pursuing careers in agricultural communications today.
Armstrong says Samuelson’s influence was not limited to the audiences who heard him on the air. Many farm broadcasters and agricultural communicators credit him with mentoring and encouraging them throughout their careers.
“He was life-changing for a lot of people,” Armstrong says, “including Max Armstrong.”
For Armstrong, the decades spent working with Samuelson remain one of the greatest blessings of his career.
“To live our childhood dreams in a different way, but to do so together as a team—that’s something I thank God for on many occasions.”
