Insights from the Field: What Makes a Good Agronomy Interview?

The crops are growing, and across the country, ag journalists are interviewing agronomists right and left, all in an effort to share the latest disease outbreak, insect infestation, and of course, overall management tips. But how do you get the most out of those interviews? And what makes for a good one? Mitch Heisler of Wyffels Hybrids talks with Holly Spangler about their media experiences and what a successful agronomy interview looks like from their standpoint. He talks about his approach and how he prepares their folks ahead of the conversation with three bullet points:

• Know the audience
• Know how the interview will be used
• Know the key points to get across

Kelsey Litchfield is the chief communicator at Colleen Callahan Consultancy with the mission to “communicate, collaborate, and connect.” She works with businesses in agriculture and Rural America to strengthen their skills to become more effective communicators, presenters, and leaders. She also recently launched C3 Studios – a full-service audio and podcast production studio.

Kelsey received her bachelor’s degree in agricultural communications and broadcast journalism from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She is an active member of ACN-The Ag Communicators Network and the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. Kelsey was awarded the AAEA Dr. Jim Evans Scholarship and the NAFB Orion Samuelson Scholarship respectively. She is also a 4-H and FFA alumna and proudly earned her American Degree.