a US ambassador on trade mission to South America
in 1982.
Starting his career in farm broadcasting in 1981, Gary Truitt was offered a job with the Brownfield Ag Network after making a connection in his previous job at a local radio station.
“That’s where I really became familiar with farm broadcasting as a career,” Truitt said. “I was hired there to help them revamp their programming as they were expanding into other states.”
The 1980s was a tough time for farmers and ranchers. Truitt said they needed something, and he could provide it.
“In order to survive, farmers needed a lot more information,” Truitt added. “My task was to increase the amount of timely information that the network was providing their listeners in a format they weren’t used to before.”
Within a short period of time, Truitt fell in love with farm broadcasting.
“It just got under my skin and into my blood. I became excited and passionate to be involved in that industry,” Truitt said. “The loyalty that farmers had to their broadcasters was something I had never experienced in radio before.”
He knew he had a responsibility to his audience, and that is what inspired him throughout the rest of his career. In 1985, Truitt had a unique opportunity to start his own ag network in Indiana.
“We went through a number of ownership changes over the years, but we continued to serve Indiana farmers,” Truitt said. “In 2006, I decided I needed to take matters into my own hands, so Hoosier Ag Today was born. We were trying to be independent and focused just on Indiana.”
Truitt wanted to curate content for the audience that focused on Indiana agriculture since the previous ownership had covered multiple states.
“I was really fortunate to have a lot of contacts,” Truitt said. “We started with 10 stations in 2006, and we have 70 stations today across the state of Indiana.”
Over time, Truitt’s duties have shifted. Recently, he decided to take a step back to a behind-the-scenes role.
“I am not doing as many trips, press conferences, farm shows, or field days,” Truitt said. “I am focusing on keeping the business in operation and growing.”
He has expanded his business to include a network in Michigan and the Indiana Farm Equipment and Technology Expo. Out of all the achievements in Truitt’s career, the one he is most proud of was being inducted into the NAFB Hall of Fame in 2020.
“I’ve been a member of NAFB since 1981, and there are a lot of major names in our business who have been inducted into the NAFB Hall of Fame,” Truitt concluded. “I never really thought about getting inducted. Time just slips by as you do what you love because you like doing it, and all of a sudden, you’ve been doing it for 40 years.”
