“Above the Fold” Podcast Series
By Host Holly Spangler with Special Guest ACN 2012 Past President Greg Horstmeier
The folks who populate farm magazines – writing and photographing stories, and putting it all together – have a deep love for the paper in their hands.
But it takes more than love in 2022, as paper and mailing costs (and every other cost) continues to rise.
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ACN 2012 Past President Greg Horstmeier and 2014 Past President / Podcast Host Holly Spangler
pose for a photo during the Farm Progress Show.
(Courtesy: Holly Spangler)
Greg Horstmeier is editor-in-chief at DTN/Progressive Farmer. He’s got some ideas about what print media could look like in five years—and, what editors could do to meet their readers’ needs.
This last episode in our series on the Future of Print Media in Agriculture dives a little deeper into how that could all look, with host Holly Spangler.
Holly and Greg talk through:
- What farmers say they want in a story
- What the humans have to do with it
- What happens when readers don’t want to be challenged
- How the pandemic has created a double-edged sword for farm magazines
- Whether anyone but journalists want long-form journalism
- Which farmers and which ages will turn back to magazines
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Holly Spangler has covered Illinois agriculture for more than two decades, bringing meaningful production agriculture experience to the magazine’s coverage. She currently serves as editor of Prairie Farmer magazine and Executive Editor for Farm Progress, managing editorial staff at six magazines throughout the eastern Corn Belt. She began her career with Prairie Farmer just before graduating from the University of Illinois in agricultural communications.
An award-winning writer and photographer, Holly is past president of the American Agricultural Editors Association. In 2015, she became only the 10th U.S. agricultural journalist to earn the Writer of Merit designation and is a five-time winner of the top writing award for editorial opinion in U.S. agriculture. She was named an AAEA Master Writer in 2005. In 2011, Holly was one of 10 recipients worldwide to receive the IFAJ-Alltech Young Leaders in Ag Journalism award. She currently serves on the Illinois Fairgrounds Foundation, the U of I Agricultural Communications Advisory committee, and is an advisory board member for the U of I College of ACES Research Station at Monmouth. Her work in agricultural media has been recognized by the Illinois Soybean Association, Illinois Corn, Illinois Council on Agricultural Education and MidAmerica Croplife Association.
Holly and her husband, John, farm in western Illinois where they raise corn, soybeans and beef cattle on 2,500 acres. Their operation includes 125 head of commercial cows in a cow/calf operation. The family farm includes John’s parents and their three children.
Holly frequently speaks to a variety of groups and organizations, sharing the heart, soul and science of agriculture. She and her husband are active in state and local farm organizations. They serve with their local 4-H and FFA programs, their school district, and are active in their church’s youth and music ministries.