Summary
Farm Radio plays an important role in the daily lives of farmers and ranchers as they assimilate the
information they need to make daily decisions. The key to the relationship between farmers and
ranchers and their farm radio station is the FARM BROADCASTER.
By utilizing the highly targeted appeal of farm radio with its documentation for high time spent and
frequency of listening, advertisers can also achieve high levels of reach and frequency for their brand of
products.
Farm broadcasting can be instrumental in directing farmers and ranchers to the advertiser’s website
as this communications technology continues to evolve. Farm radio and the Internet are at the core of
future agricultural communications.
Farm radio offers numerous opportunities for creative interaction and frequency of advertising message
dissemination. Program sponsorships, commercial adjacencies to targeted programming, event
sponsorship participation, retail promotions, remote broadcasts, and internet promotion all deliver
added value.
Farm radio is one of the most effective mediums serving the agricultural community as farmers and
ranchers are more likely to be heavy users of radio than any other traditional medium. Radio is one of
the few mediums that is a mobile, daily companion to farmers and ranchers and that is why the AMR Ag
Media research shows that 93% of farmers listen to radio an average of 5.9 days each week for more than
3 hours each day. Farm radio allows advertisers to leverage the connection between farm broadcasters
and their listeners with flexible, geographically targeted radio broadcasting.
“There has always been and continues to be a very unique relationship between farmers and ranchers and
their farm broadcaster. The risk variable nature of the business of production agriculture, and the mobile
work day environment, have built this unique and strong bond for farm broadcast information streaming.
It’s current, it’s believable, it’s available and the advertiser’s message is intrusive. Farmers and Ranchers
and farm broadcasters have established and nurtured a mutual TRUST over the 70-year heritage of farm
broadcasting service.”
Gene Millard, Former Director of Marketing
National Association of Farm Broadcasters.
National Association of Farm Broadcasting
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Credits
Those who contributed to the text:
Chuck Zimmerman, Zimm Comm New Media, L.L.C
Dix Harper, NAFB Emeritus, historian
Gene Millard, NAFB Emeritus, Millard Family Farms Inc. St. Joseph, MO
Hugh Whaley, Broadhead & Co.
Jeremy Povenmire, Povenmire AgriMarketing, Independence, MO
Dr. Jim Evans, University of Illinois, Retired
John Block, former U.S. Secretaryy of Agriculture
John Vasichek, Owner, Red River Network, Grand Forks, ND
Ken Root
Laura Henke, Charleston|Orwig
Lyle E. Orwig, Chief Executive Officer, Charleston|Orwig Inc. Marketing and Communications
Mel Dolinky
Michelle Rook, farm broadcaster, WNAX, Yankton, SD
Pam Jahnke, farm broadcaster, WTDY/Q106, Madison, WI
Ron Hayes, Oklahoma Farm Report
Taylor Brown, Northern Broadcasting System
Ted Haller, Teddy Media
Texas Tech University Department of Agricultural Education & Communications
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Harvesting the Power of Farm Broadcasting