By Joy Crosby, ACN President
Harvest season is upon us in the South. Soon, the air will be filled with the smell of freshly dug peanuts, dryers humming late into the night at buying points, “Georgia snow” blanketing fields (that’s cotton, for those who may not know), and equipment moving steadily up and down the roads. This season marks the culmination of months of hard work by farmers, whose stories we have the privilege to share and who we help educate on various production practices.
Each year, farmers reflect on the past season, reviewing what worked, what didn’t, and making decisions to improve productivity and efficiency moving forward. In much the same way, ACN is no different. For the past 10 years, we’ve had a strong and valued relationship with Association Services Group as our management agency. But, like farmers, it was time for us to review where we’ve been and where we’re headed—evaluating our needs for future growth and stability.
In May, the ACN Board of Directors issued an RFP to identify a new agency partner. Following the Ag Media Summit, the board and search committee interviewed prospective firms and selected Corner Window Communications of New Prague, Minnesota, to lead us into the future. You can learn more about Corner Window in this issue of The Byline.
We are deeply grateful for the years of service and dedication Association Services Group provided to ACN. We will continue working with them on the Ag Media Summit in partnership with the Livestock Publications Council and Ag Media Council/Connectiv.
Lastly, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who reached out after the passing of my father, Ronald Carter. I’ve always been a Daddy’s girl, and your messages, calls or texts brought me great comfort during this time. My dad gave so much of himself to the organizations he served throughout his life. I only hope my own years of service across different organizations will someday reflect the same devotion. I guess you could say, I learned from the best!
– Crosby is Editor Southeastern Peanut Farmer and Assistant Executive Director of the Georgia Peanut Commission.