By Mindy Ward
Editor, Missouri Ruralist
What is your background? Were you a farm kid?
My first steer for the county fair weighed 500 pounds. A year earlier, my parents grew tired of suburban life and decided to move my siblings to the farm. They did not grow up on a farm or in a rural area, but decided to let us try raising hogs, cattle and sheep as 4-H and FFA projects. They said it would to keep us out of “trouble.” I guess it worked. Instead of running around the subdivision with the neighborhood kids, we were chasing livestock in the pasture. My husband and I passed down our love of animals to our two daughters who traveled the country showing sheep on the breeding stock circuit. And yes, as a kid, my steers finally reached 1,300 pounds for the fair.
So then how did you get involved in ag communications?
My FFA advisor chose my career. Seriously. I was that farm kid who wanted to be a veterinarian. After my first year at the University of Missouri Columbia, I faced an organic chemistry class and wasn’t sure if I could make it through. I visited my ag education teacher who asked if I’d thought of ag journalism. My FFA advisor was with me throughout years of speech writing and presenting. Deep down, I think he knew what I was capable of before I did. I switched majors and never looked back. My first job was a brief stint in public relations at FleishmanHillard in Kansas City. Then I married and moved to Minnesota. My MU ag journalism degree opened career doors as I wrote for a small-town newspaper and later The Land—a state ag publication. After returning to Missouri, I freelanced for Beef, Living the Country Life and Missouri Ruralist. I helped launch a state weekly ag publication—Missouri Farmer Today. After five years there, I came to my current position as editor of Missouri Ruralist. My advice—listen to your FFA advisor or at least someone you trust; they may have insight into your career beyond what your mind thinks or your heart feels.
What’s your favorite thing about the job?
Change. My husband thinks I’m addicted to change because not one year goes by without a remodeling project around our farm. The evolvement of agriculture is what makes our job exciting. Think about it, ag communicators are often the first to see new equipment technology, plant breeding innovation and livestock health practices. We report on the farm transition from one generation to the next. And I went from understanding corn production to learning about growing hemp. Then there is change in how we do our jobs. I started out with a camera that required film. (Dating myself, I know.) Now, I keep track of a small SIM card for the DSLR. Our jobs morphed from not only the written word but also the spoken story. It is an exciting time to be in agriculture communications where I can wake up every day and wonder, “What’s next?”
What are you looking forward to as you serve on the board?
I’m entering my fourth year on the board as president-elect for the organization. My journey started the first year the organization proposed changing its name from American Agricultural Editors’ Association or AAEA to Agricultural Communicators Network. It was a critical time as we looked at honoring the past and moving toward the future. I can’t wait to see this transformation come to fruition in 2020 and beyond. Plus, every board meeting, regional event and AMS is like a family reunion. I look forward to adding more individuals to our ag communicator family and enjoying great education, food and fellowship.