Brownfield

Farm Radio stronger than ever

The National Association of Farm Broadcasting Summer 2008 Regional Seminar wrapped up a few minutes ago at Brownfield Ag News headquarters in Jefferson City, Missouri.  Mike Parry, NAFB Consultant, Sterling-Krystel LLC, presenter and facilitator for the day, reviewed Waves 1 and 2 of the NAFB 2008 National Producer Media-Use Study.  The study, conducted by AMR was quite positive for farm radio.

According to the study:

• Farm Radio is stronger than ever.  In this age of information, farm radio has emerged as the primary source of informaiton with growth in all leading categories
• Farm Radio is the medium of the future.  Younger, high-income, Internet-savvy producers are using farm radio at higher levels than older farmers.  These young producers also rely more on their farm broadcaster for information than older farmers do.  Younger farmers are reading less and spending more time with radio and internet.

There's a lot more information, but I thought those were 2 good takeaways from Waves 1 and 2.  Wave 3 data will be released later this year.

Throwing away Christmas cards

We receive so many nice Christmas greetings from industry friends each year.  It is always difficult for me to toss them away at the end of the season, so often times I hang on to them for weeks if not months after.  Many of the cards we receive feature pictures of the people sending the greeting.  Once in a while we receive a picture that I just can't throw away.  That is the case for the picture included in the card from the Missouri Corn Growers Association and Missouri Corn Merchandising Council Staff.  This is a great picture of everyone on the staff, so instead of pitching it, I thought I'd share with you!

Unidentified farm broadcaster

Someone emailed me a link to the National Pork Producers Council website today featuring a farm broadcaster interviewing Jill Appell, a pork producer from Altona, Illinois.  The unidentified farm broadcaster in the picture is none other than our very own Dave Russell.  Spread the word!

NAFB Booster Club

Most of the Brownfield team is in Kansas City, Missouri for the annual National Association of Farm Broadcasting Convention.  As Vice President of the NAFB Foundation, I had a  busy schedule with a Board meeting last evening and "manning" the NAFB Foundation exhibit this morning.  We are busy signing up new members to our Booster Club, an annual giving program that is key in effectively executing the goals of our Foundation.

During the luncheon today, the three young people receiving NAFB Foundation-funded scholarships were recognized.  Haylie Shipp, a senior at Montana State University received the $5,000 Glen Kummerow Memorial Scholarship. 

Tomorrow evening, the NAFB Foundation Auction, one of our big fundraisers, begins at 5:30pm.

(Photo: Hugh Whaley, also an NAFB Foundation VP, and Randy Koenen, President-Elect of NAFB. They are standing in front of our new Foundation Display.)

Brownfield welcomes KTUI

We are pleased to welcome a new affiliate to Missouri Brownfield Network!   Radio station KTUI AM, Sullivan, Missouri is now carrying a variety of Brownfield programming. 

Royal volunteers

Volunteers make the American Royal Livestock Show the huge success that it is today.  There is a special page on the American Royal website that praises volunteers and encourages volunteerism.  The first paragraph on that page says it all:

Volunteers are vitally important to the success of the American Royal. Each year hundreds of individuals donate their time and talents to further the Royal's purpose of providing scholarship, education, awards and competitive learning experiences that reward hard work, leadership skills and agrarian values.

When I went to the office to pick up my media credentials and packet, I met Jim Thomsen from Kansas City (pictured here.)  His vest was covered with American Royal pins - 29 of them to be exact.  Jim began volunteer work at the American Royal while working for Farmland Industries.  Retirement from Farmland did not bring an end to his volunteer career at the American Royal. 

When I requested an interview with Jim McNair, President and CEO of the American Royal, he told me that he would be happy to be oblige, but would really prefer I talk to some of the volunteers. 

The 108th Annual American Royal Livestock Show wrapped up Monday in Kansas City, Missouri.

Combining beans

While I was visiting Brownfield advertisers in Des Moines, Iowa, Brownfield's Jerry Passer was in a combine in a soybean field in eastern Iowa.

Once a farm boy always a farm boy and it is hard to resist climbing into a combine on a crisp October day to ride along during harvest. I did just that on Wednesday with Jim Detweiler who farms near Wellman, on the Iowa/Johnson County line just south of I-80 in eastern Iowa. -Jerry Passer

You can listen to Jerry's interview with Jim Detweiler on the Brownfield website.

Meals in the Field

Julie Harker and I enjoyed a great meal Thursday with Bruce and Sherry Thompson and a few of the neighboring farmers in northern Morgan County, Illinois.  For the past few years, Farm Credit Services of Illinois has been taking meals to the field of customers during National Farm Safety Week and the fine folks in the Jacksonville office have invited us to tag along. 

Bruce and Sherry's 12-year old son represents the sixth generation on the Thompson family farm.  They are also parents of a daughter who teaches high school agriculture and another who is a senior, majoring in ag business at Western Illinois University. 

The Thompsons raise corn, beans, cattle, wheat and hay. 

Pictured:  Bruce Thompson and Mike Lonergan, Vice President, Ag Financial Services, with FCS of Illinois

Back to school

I was the guest speaker in the Ag Journalism 1160 class at the University of Missouri today.  The seventeen young men and women seemed to be quite interested as I talked about Brownfield ag networks, how farm broadcasting has changed since I started in the business in 1985, and how many opportunities there are for young people in the industry. 

Sharon Wood-Turley and Bill Allen teach this entry level course in the Agriculture building on the MU campus.  This is the fourth time in as many years that I have had the pleasure of speaking to the class. 

They love it!

We have great listeners, readers and viewers.  During the Illinois State Fair a couple of them asked Tom Steever to pass along a message:

Scott County's own Bob and Jan Smith say a big "Howdy!" and they want you to know that they just love your Rural Issues column.  You can tell by looking at them.