While Chuck was busy chasing spotted horses in Mississippi this weekend, I got to go to a really GREAT party at beautiful Lake of the Ozarks, featuring our good friend Michael Peterson. Our gracious hosts were Sara Wyant and Allan Johnson, who bought a private concert with Michael at the NAFB Foundation auction last November, courtesy of New Holland and …
NAFB 2008 Producer Media-Use Study – 1st Wave
The National Association of Farm Broadcasting has just released some initial results (pdf file) from the first segment of their new producer media use study. I think you should take note of how important text messages are to producers. That really stands out to me. Same for web-based information. The word “grown” is key. It’s growing! The fact that farmers …
Milk Producers With Issues
At the National Association of Farm Broadcasting Washington Watch program there is a session called the Issues Forum in which ag groups make representatives available for interviews. During this session I interviewed Sarah Olson, Communications Coordinator, National Milk Producers Federation. Sarah is relatively new to NMPF and says that as they look to the future, communications will change. For example, …
American Farmland Trust Working on Farm Bill
Last week I had the pleasure to spend a couple of half day sessions doing some media production training with Jennifer Morrill at American Farmland Trust in Washington, DC. It worked out very well since I was attending the NAFB Washington Watch. At the Washington Watch Issues Forum I also got to interview AFT President, Ralph Grossi. (Jennifer took the …
Summarizing Some New Media Work
For those of you who wonder what I mean when I mention a “mult box,” here’s a picture of NAFB’s in heavy use at yesterday’s Washington Watch session. It’s what allows multiple people to easily connect to the audio feed from a podium for example. If you want to help the media out then you need one of these at …
Senator Harkin is Hopeful
This morning NAFB members are getting fully updated on the farm bill as well as other issues here in the Russell Bldg. First up on our program was Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, who was looking a little tired as he took the podium. The Senator told us that he expects (hopes/dreams) that we’ll actually have a farm bill by today …
Farm Broadcasters Visit Capitol Hill
NAFB members are currently sitting in an office of the Senate Bldg. listening to a series of legislators discuss policy and what’s happening on the farm bill from their perspective. Here’s the happy, smiley group as we walked up the hill past the Capitol to this building. We’re going to be here all morning and fortunately my AT&T card is …
Ladies and Gentlemen, Tom Brand
NAFB’ers were treated to a wonderful dinner at Agraria last night. It’s a restaurant owned by the North Dakota Farmers Union. Our emcee for dinner was Tom Brand, KFEQ, who was formally announced by Ken Root, WHO. The photo was taken with my camera by Leah Guffey, WFMB. Sponsors include the National Farmers Union and The Fertilizer Institute. This is …
Secretary of Ag Schafer Addressing NAFB
Okay, this is my last post with Secretary Schafer here at the NAFB Washington Watch. While I was streaming it live, taking stills and recording audio I also shot a video clip so you can see what the room is like when we meet here in the USDA board room. I know there’s a story about the huge table that …
Posing With The Secretary
The board room here at the USDA Admin Building is a great place to have a meeting. Here’s farm broadcasters participating in the NAFB Washington Watch program. It’s a very intimate setting and besides having a mult box to plug our audio recorders into we get to ask lots of questions. I’m recording our sessions and will be editing out …