By: Matthew Wilde, AAEA SIG Chairperson, Progressive Farmer
As you can tell by the title of this article, I’m fond of the mythical bar in Boston where everyone knows your name. The antics of the Cheers staff and customers from 1982 to 1993 was truly “Must See TV” on NBC.
As a farm kid growing up in the 1980s, with little to do at night, I did my best not to miss any of the 275 episodes of Cheers, even after I got my driver’s license and more freedom. It’s the one show my whole family liked. Even my dad would try to be done milking and in the house every Thursday night in time to watch.
Sam, Diane, Carla, Coach, Norm, Cliff and all the other characters had a strong bond, whether it was love, friendship or hate — and sometimes all three. For some reason, Cheers popped in my head as I thought about the special interest groups within the American Agricultural Editors Association (AAEA).
AAEA President Gil Gullickson recently asked me to chair the association’s special interest groups, which I proudly accepted. It will be a pleasure to work with and serve other ag communicators.
Cheers had a unique community within the bar. Each character brought something special to the group. Diane shared her love of poetry, Cliff endlessly spewed facts whether people wanted to hear them or not and Sam and Coach talked baseball.
AAEA special interest groups — association communicators, editors, freelancers, photographers and young professionals — are a unique community within the Ag Communicators Network as well. Members have a common interest, profession and/or knowledge.
It’s my goal to have all the special interest groups pull together for the collective good. Members can share work experiences, professional development and tips to become better writers, photographers and advocates for farmers. Hopefully, in the future, all the members will know everyone’s name.
I’ll admit, I have no knowledge of past work by the special interest groups. And, I’m not sure how my broad vision will become reality yet, but that’s a sneak peek into what I hope the special interest groups will provide.
For those that don’t know me, and I’m betting most of the members do not, here’s a little information about yours truly.
I grew up on a 160-acre livestock farm near Grafton, Iowa. After high school, I served four years in the U.S. Navy (1988-92) as a journalist. I was stationed on the USS Saipan (LHA-2), a now decommissioned amphibious assault ship homeported in Norfolk, Virginia. I and two other journalists wrote stories about the crew and shipboard operations. We published a daily newspaper and operated the ship’s television station while at sea.
After the Navy, I went to Waldorf College in Forest City, Iowa, and earned a degree in print journalism with a minor in business. I spent about 17 years in the newspaper business, working as a reporter at the Fort Dodge Messenger in Fort Dodge, Iowa (about 9 months) and then the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, based in Waterloo, Iowa. For the last 12 years or so at the Courier, agriculture was my primary beat. As a former farm kid, it was a great fit.
I then moved on to be the senior writer for the Iowa Soybean Association in Ankeny, Iowa, in 2013. I worked for this great association for six years. For the past two years, I’ve served as crops editor for The Progressive Farmer, which is owned by DTN.
My wife, Deena, and I have been married for more than 23 years and live in Ankeny. We have two children, Nathan and Katie, who attend Ankeny Centennial High School. We love to camp, spend time with friends and I especially enjoy riding my snowmobile and Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
I’ve been an AAEA member for about five years. As you can tell by my diverse journalistic background, my experience correlates well with most of the special interest groups. I look forward to serving as chair.