NAFB Blog

One of this year’s NAFB interns is Rhiannon Branch from Iuka, IL, in Marion County. Her mentor is Rita Frazer (RFD Radio Network, Bloomington, IL) Rhiannon is a recent graduate of Kaskaskia College and will be transferring to Murray State University (MSU) this fall to pursue an agri-science technology degree with a communications emphasis.

Although Tim Slusarczyk (Ag Radio Network, Inc., Barneveld, NY) is new to NAFB membership, he has been involved in farm radio for his whole life thanks to his grandfather Edwin Slusarczyk. From an early age, Tim spent time at Ag Radio Network, Inc., and even before he was officially on the payroll you could find him stuffing cassettes into envelopes for their affiliates and quietly observing Ed's talent in the recording booth during broadcasts.

Mick Kjar (Farm Talk Radio Network, KQLX, Fargo, ND) claims he is of the Baby Boomer generation, growing up in the 50s and 60s with cows and corn in southeast North Dakota. “I spent my teenage years cultivating corn and getting chased by angry momma cows.” Mick recalls, “The early 60s was the heyday of top-40 rock and roll radio and coincidentally the tractor radio. So, as I spent hours upon hours in the corn field or making hay, I fell in love with radio.

“Connecting with our agriculture audience is critical to being a successful farm broadcaster, but it can also have its pitfalls,” said Pam Jahnke (WI Farm Report Radio Network, Madison, WI). She reports that in April, 58 Wisconsin dairy farms of all sizes, got an unsigned, impersonal letter from their dairy processor announcing that as of May 1, they’d no longer have a home for their milk.

For the past 10 months there has been a new, second voice sharing agricultural markets and news with farmers in Wisconsin. Kristin Smith joined WAXX 104.5 FM/WAYY 105.1 FM, Midwest Family Broadcasting’s Eau Claire farm department as the assistant farm director helping NAFB Hall of Fame Broadcaster Bob Bosold with the daily and weekly chores.