Bill Baker (American Cattle News/Dairy Radio Now, Bend, OR) knew he wanted to be a radio broadcaster early in life. When he was 10 years old, he built a make-shift radio station in his bedroom and broadcast to an audience of one, his dog Moses. Later in high school, he heard about a classmate working a weekend shift at a real radio station. He tagged along and spent time recording his voice in the production room and leaving it for the boss to listen. “The station manager told me I didn’t have much of a voice, but I could read. That was enough encouragement for me,” he recalled. “I filled out my FCC license and was hired as a part-time board operator.”

“It’s been an honor to work at KMA (Shenandoah, IA) all these years,” said Dean Adkins. “It is still a family-owned radio station that’s been going strong since 1925, serving southwest Iowa, southeast Nebraska, northwest Missouri, and northwest Kansas. I’ve had the opportunity to ‘wear many hats’ while working at KMA.” These days, Dean hosts a morning talk show and a buy-sell-trade program while also serving as Ag Services Director. “I also enjoy helping out in the sports department with some wrestling and football reporting.” As Ag Services Director, one of his main passions besides relaying basic market information and general ag news is to get out to the people in his listening area.

Many people consider their dogs as their best friends. But for some people like Lisa Adams, dogs are an athletic teammate, as well. Adams, who is an NAFB Allied Industry Member (Kansas City, MO), shows herding dogs on the competitive agility show circuit. Competitive canine agility is something Adams stumbled across five years ago when trying to find an exercise outlet for her white Australian cattle dog, Tess.

Cyndi Young-Puyear (Brownfield Ag News, Jefferson City, MO) was among a group of seven U.S. journalists who made the trip to Monheim, Germany, for the Future of Farming Dialogue 2018 event with Bayer Crop Science. Farmers, influencers, and journalists from more than 35 countries met in September 2018 for Bayer’s farming dialogue. “The much-anticipated merger of Monsanto into Bayer Crop Science began four weeks prior to this global thought leadership event, so there were many questions about the direction of the new company. During the opening session, Bayer leaders outlined the vision for the future and reaffirmed a commitment to innovation, sustainability and digital transformation,” Young-Puryear said. During an interview later in the day, she asked Bayer Crop Science President Liam Condon what has him “buzzed up.”

Everett Griner,at 92 years young, is turning off his Southeast AgNet microphone to officially retire, reports Gary Cooper, right, (founder and president of AgNet Media, Inc., Gainesville, FL). Everett plans to spend more time with his wife at their farm home in Moultrie, GA. “There are so many things about Everett that I learned to appreciate and respect since he joined the Southeast AgNet farm broadcast team in the late 1980s.

As the Vice President of Northern Ag Network, I manage the sales and marketing teams to serve our clients and support the agriculture industry. I have been involved in NAFB to some degree since I was 6 years old and I believe strongly in the role that Agriculture broadcasters play in informing and educating producers and helping keep a strong and thriving rural America.

I'm running for this position because I believe in agricultural journalism. We're currently in a moment in time where critical coverage can be easily dismissed as "fake news," and I want the American public to know that there's a group of journalists out there dedicated to getting the story right. I believe this organization is well-positioned to serve the group of people reporting on the day-to-day business of agriculture, and I want to make sure that reporting continues to be trusted and respected by the public and those we cover.

A farm boy, a farm broadcast listener first, farmer, land owner, Banker, and then finally found out what I wanted to do when I grew up.  After a life changing event, retiring from farming and a long term banking career, I found my passion in farm broadcast.  My daily heart and passion is giving the farmer and non farmer the information that is important to the ag industry. 

While new to farm broadcasting, I've been in broadcasting in some way for the past decade as a morning show host, news director, and play-by-play man for local high school sports. My love for radio is what brought me back into broadcasting full-time, and I couldn't be happier to be a part of the Hoosier Ag Today team and the National Association of Farm Broadcasters.

I currently serve as the General Sales Manager for Ag News 890 &1560 plus the Ag Central Radio Network in North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota. Prior to my present position, I spent 20 years as General Sales Manager for Forum Communications Broadcast division for 5 TV stations and 1 radio station. I also spent 6 years as Media Buyer and New Business Specialist at a regional advertising agency and 5 years as Business Manager for a radio station group including helping launch American Ag Network.