Brownfield

Cool new banner ads

Check out our very cool new banner ads on the AgriMarketing website and in the AgriMarketing Weekly e-newsletter.

   

Traveling Tom

Executive Director for the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB), Bill O'Neil, recently contacted Brownfeild Ag News for a few photos of Tom Steever to use on promotional material.  Tom received an email from Bill and attached was a photo of the new NAFB banner.  We think it looks great!

WHPO loves its promotions

Every Labor Day weekend affiliate WHPO-FM in Hoopeston, Ill. makes the holiday special for one lucky listener. This year the contestants were trying to win a Dodge Ram pickup truck and Gulfstream camper trailer. Additionally this harvest season the station is taking care of its local farmers by taking lunch to the fields in the "Who's Gonna bring Me Lunch" contest. The contest is also planned as a farm saftey campaign but awards daily winners pizza and drinks courtesy of, and delivered direct to the field by station employees.

-Mike Cady, Brownfield Affiliate Relations Manager

Kari goes to the Illinois State Fair

Oh. My. Gosh.  That is the only way I can describe my recent trip to the Illinois State Fair and I wasn’t even there while the fair was going on!  Tom Steever and I were on the fairgrounds for the 2008 Master Showmanship Contest on August 6-7. We were able to get a behind the scenes look at the fair since we were there the day before the opening ceremony.  During our first day on the fairgrounds, Tom was able to interview Dale Edwards, Jr. Swine Superintendent before we took part in the Master Showmanship Contest.  We were able to speak with the Jr. Champion Charolais Heifer winner and Jr. Livestock Superintendent Brian Sager on our second day.  Barb Adams, the Goat Superintendent, was nice enough to let us interview her about the increase of goat entries and then gave us the VIP tour of the fairgrounds in her golf cart on our way to meet up with Marla Behrends. Marla, the Industry Relations Manager for the Midwest Dairy Association, gave us a sneak peek of the Butter Cow in the Dairy Building since we had to leave before the 1:00 p.m. unveiling.  Words can’t really describe how amazing this thing looks! There are so many little details such as a family of skunks, a butterfly, birds, squirrels, acorns, and even a little snake.  I am telling you, this is a butter sculpture is something you have to see to believe. Tom and I even received a first hand demonstration on judging dairy products from some of the top Dairy Judges around. We even taste tested an ice cream pie! I had such a wonderful time and enjoyed meeting everyone.  If you get the chance to visit another state’s state fair, make sure you do.  Being able to experience the Illinois State Fair brought back so many wonderful memories of going to the Missouri State Fair and now I have new memories from the Illinois State Fair. Be sure to check out some of the photos we took while at the fair.  If you have some pictures that you would like to share, send them to us along with your name and where you are from and we will be sure to place them online.

-Kari McKinney, Brownfield Promotions Coordinator

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Recognizing farm families

We at Brownfield Ag News were pleased to once again co-sponsor the Illinois Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts Farm Family of the Year Banquet held this week during the 60th Annual meeting of the association and the Illinois Land and Water Resources Conference.

You'll find a story on the Brownfield Ag News website, listing the top 5 families and the overall winner.

It was a pleasure for me to once again emcee the awards program at the Farm Family Banquet.  It is always a pleasure to stand at the microphone and share the stories of the farm families with those in attendance. 

Despite major cuts in funding for those county organizations that make up the IASWCD, attendance was good and attitudes were positive.  These people are passionate about farming and stewardship!

The event was held within view of the Illinois State Capitol Building (as seen from my window in the Springfield Hilton.)

Brownfield radio stations busy with county fair season

It's county fair season and for most Brownfield affiliates that means it's time for promotions! During a recent affilaite trip I made a visit to the Spencer County Indiana fair and found WAXL GM Bill Potter busy setting up the station tent for that night's activites. Getting the call letters in front of the listeners is an important part of a station's survival and it's a job that never ends. Bill is actually GM of several of our affiliates in Indiana, a few of which are represented in the picture. WAXL-FM Santa Claus, WBDC-FM Huntingburg, and WRZR-FM Loogootee. They also own and operate the low power TV station in Jasper Indiana. On the station van you can see the logo for channel 27 WJTS.

-Mike Cady

Good candidates for ag promotions

If someone tells you there are no qualified candidates to fill ag public relations positions, I will tell you that they have not looked very hard.

We have an opening on staff for a promotions coordinator.  I have been conducting interviews for this position and would like to hire nearly every one of candidate with whom I have met.  Even those people who have applied for this position that are not from a traditional ag background have a well-rounded skill set with a deep understanding of the importance of agriculture in this country.

What it's all about

About halfway through the process of finding sponsors for Nebraska Master Showmanship Contest, I wonder if it is all worth it.  Of course all of the sponsorship monies go to the youth participating in the contest.  Along with Nebraska Department of Agriculture, Brownfield and Waitt Agribusiness cover the costs of promotions, signage, postage, and everything else.  Our sponsors are wonderful, generous companies and associations who believe in our youth, but finding sponsors that do want to invest and be a part of this event, typically means you have to make contact with several that do not.  Yesterday I was reminded exactly why we invest our time and backing into the contest, when I received a nice letter from a young man from McCool Junction, Nebraska:

Thank you so much for your support of the 4-H program during the Nebraska State Fair.  This was my last of 11 years in 4-H and what an honor it has been to be a part of a great organization.  Doing something that I truly enjoy;  working with my 4-H animals.  Having a couple of calves and pigs each year has really allowed me to be up to date on the latest in animal structure, feed and nutriton in my animals.

It was truly an honor to be selected to participate in the Nebraska Master Showmanship Contest druing the Nebraska State Fair.  I had a great experience, met new friends and learned a lot more about sheep, pigs and calves that day.

I am currently attending the University of Nebraska Lincoln on East Campus in Animal Science and Agricultural Economics.  I am very involved in school and activities and really enjoy college.

Thanks again for your support.

Spencer Bolte

60 years of great radio in West Plains, Missouri

There will be a huge celebration on June 15th in West Plains, Missouri, when Brownfield affiliate KWPM celebrates its 60th anniversary.  Cash and prize give-aways, an open house at the studios, a mayoral ribbon-cutting and ceremony and presentations by numerous local and area dignitaries are all planned.

Derry Brownfield, who is the namesake of our network, and the host of a daily 3-minute commentary on the Brownfield Network, is also the host of his own talk show. Bob Eckman, VP of Operations for Ozark Regional news Talk Radio was a guest on Derry's talk show a couple of weeks ago and talked about the station's history and about the upcoming celebration. [Audio: Part 1, Part 2]

KWPM, by the way, stands for "Keep West Plains Moving."  Another piece of triva, Porter Wagoner got his start when he and his band performed at KWPM back in the late 1940's and early 1950's.  Along with KWPM in West Plains, Ozark Regional News Talk Radio includes stations KALM in Thayer AND KUKU in Willow Springs.

Dameron to serve as Brownfield student intern

Brownfield, Ag News for America, welcomes Taryn Dameron as student intern for the summer of 2007. 

Taryn inherited her passion for agriculture growing up on a farm in western Missouri where her family raises crossbred cattle and row crops. She is currently finishing up her sophomore year at the University of Missouri where she is pursuing a degree in Agriculture Journalism.
 

Taryn has experience writing and taking pictures for school publications and served as a photography intern for Monsanto’s Technology Development group in the summer of 2006.  Recently, Taryn found her way into radio as a reporter for NPR’s 91.3 in Columbia.

As student intern for Brownfield, Taryn will assist in promotions and coordination of several major summer events across the Midwest.  She will also have the unique opportunity to work side-by-side with experienced agricultural journalists who will offer instruction in writing and interviewing skills for broadcast on the radio network as well as the Brownfield website and online e-newsletter, “Agriculture Today.”

Taryn’s 12 week internship with Brownfield begins May 21.