Anna Hastert is digital editor and reporter for Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network. Anna is a native of Harlan, IA, and she graduated from Northwest Missouri State University in May 2017, with a BS in multimedia journalism. She began her radio career as a Sunday news broadcaster at KSOM/KS957 (Atlantic, IA). While in college, she worked at the university’s radio station KZLX and their NPR affiliate KXCV/KRNW. Also, she also wrote for the school’s award-winning newspaper, The Northwest Missourian. In her spare time, Anna enjoys reading, running, traveling, and tending to her alpacas.

Why did she choose farm broadcasting? “Agriculture has always been a part of my life. Growing up, I watched my dad raise 200 head of Simmental/Angus cattle and grow 1,000 combined acres of corn and soybeans. Later, I found myself raising a small herd of Simmental/Angus cattle and showing my ‘crop’ at the local, county fair.”  Anna continued, “Once I moved to college, I got out of the cattle business. However, the weekend before my sophomore year of college, my family accompanied me on a trip to Colorado Springs, CO, where I assumed ownership of twelve alpacas. To date, I have six alpacas.” Anna added, “I became interested in agricultural broadcasting in my junior year of high school. Earlier in the school year, I had signed up to compete in the Agricultural Broadcasting Career Development Event (CDE), through the Iowa FFA organization. The event required participants to present a five-minute broadcast as if they were a farm director or reporter for a radio station. Because of my participation, I learned how to choose news stories most relevant to the agriculture industry as well as how to read numbers from the Chicago Board of Trade.”