NEW ASSISTANT FARM BROADCASTER…for Wisconsin Farm Report is Jesse Harding. Farm Director Pam Jahnke (WOZN/Q106 Radio, Madison, WI) said, “Although she’s only been on staff for a month – her exposure to NAFB and other farm broadcasters is very obvious! She’s been able to walk right in and begin air work. That’s fantastic – with very little training. It’s also an infusion of positive energy to have a young woman naturally curious about Wisconsin agriculture. She’s beginning her own blog and series following her travels around the state to learn more about unique products produced, crops grown, businesses operating, and most importantly our listeners.” 

Jesse was off to a fast start in her first week with Pam, meeting Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and Wisconsin Secretary of Agriculture Ben Brancel. In her third week, she covered the Wisconsin State FFA Convention where she interviewed National FFA President Brian Welsh and Wisconsin FFA President Logan Wells. Jesse grew up on a small, five-acre hobby farm in southern Illinois, located about 30 miles northeast of St. Louis. As a 10-year 4-H member, she formed her passion and interest in agriculture. She was involved in her Triad High School (Troy, IL) agriculture club serving as Vice President for two years, and she graduated with the agriculture award. She attended Kaskaskia College (Centralia, IL) for three years. While at Kaskaskia, Jesse received the Outstanding Student in Agriculture Science award in 2011. She graduated from the University of Illinois in May this year where she majored in Agriculture Communications. She was a student member of NAFB and was an internship grant recipient from NAFB working with Gale Cunninghan (WYXY, Champaign, IL). “Pam has had me learning the ropes here. We have a live morning show from 5:00-6:00 a.m., which requires me to be in the studio before then. I am getting a handle on doing the markets. I did them for Gale (Cunningham), but I am doing them for our three in-house stations as well as for our affiliate stations.” She added, “I truly am Pam’s assistant. I am filing in for her when she can’t be at an event or in the studio.”