By Kelsey Litchfield, AAEA Podcast Host

I used to hate podcasts. Why? I didn’t think I could listen to an episode longer than five minutes. That all changed when I listened to The Goal Digger Podcast by Jenna Kutcher. It was a podcast focused on giving entrepreneurs resources and advice to grow their business. Fast forward to now and I’m subscribed to over 10 podcasts. What changed? I found content that I connected with and helped me grow as a professional and now I can listen to episodes that are over 45 minutes long.

I got the idea for The Ag Comm Network Podcast after Ag Media Summit in July 2017. Not only did I want to get back behind the microphone, but I wanted to create a digital communication tool for ag communicators to provide continued learning opportunities, to gather information specific to our industry, and to speak with experts on association news and industry trends. After a conversation with Holly Spangler, we brought it to Samantha Kilgore and the AAEA board. With their support and months of planning and creating, the Ag Comm Network podcast was launched in May 2018.

For the past year and a half, the podcast has covered topics from editorial to photography with remarkable guests who have shared their knowledge and perspectives. A big thank you to our guests who took time out of their schedule to record and share their experiences with our audience.

As we look towards 2020 and beyond for the podcast, there’s more opportunity for The Ag Comm Network Podcast. There’s opportunity for growth and to launch more frequent episodes. There’s opportunity to have guests from all over the world. Most importantly, there’s more opportunity to serve you, our listeners.

Next month will be my last episode as host of the podcast. I have decided to step down as I will be focusing on other projects in 2020. But that’s not to say that the podcast is going away! We are currently looking for members to host and/or consult on the podcast. If you’ve been looking for an opportunity to be a part of a growing media platform, here’s your chance. If you want more information, please reach out to Ben Potter, ben.potter@farmprogress.com or Mary Kendall Dixon, mkdixon@asginfo.net. If you have a topic and/or guest idea, the committee is always looking for suggestions.

Lastly, I want to express my gratitude to everyone who has tuned into the podcast. Thank you for listening to this passion project of mine – I’m excited to see how it grows. Also, a big thank you to Holly Spangler, Ben Potter, Samantha Kilgore, Mary Kendall Dixon, Ellie Watson, and Courtney Jackson, and the AAEA board for their support and encouragement of the podcast. It’s truly been a team effort!

I’ll be back with one more episode next month – stay tuned!