About Agri-Pulse - Your Comprehensive Source for Ag & Food Policy News

Sara Wyant, Founder and Publisher

Sara Wyant is an award-winning agricultural journalist, entrepreneur and founder of Agri-Pulse Communications Inc., a unique digital media firm she launched in 2004 to focus on farm, food and rural policy issues.

An investigative reporter who has written many groundbreaking stories, Wyant has covered almost every farm and food policy debate since the 1980s. She is well recognized on Capitol Hill, as well as by farm, ranch and commodity associations across the country, as a veteran journalist and sought-after speaker.

Throughout her career, Wyant has been a trailblazer through several “glass” ceilings. In 1995, she was the first female to be named to the senior management team in agricultural publishing as vice president for editorial at Farm Progress. She served as the first female chairwoman on the Farm Foundation's board of trustees and as president of the American Agricultural Editors Association, where she also earned an Oscar in Agriculture award for excellence in agricultural reporting.

Wyant was named to Folio’s "Top Women in Media" in the Entrepreneurs category in 2015. For her leadership within the industry, she has received numerous awards and accolades from a wide variety of organizations including: American Agri-Women, Agriculture Future of America, FFA, Missouri Farm Bureau, National Association of Farm Broadcasters, North American Agricultural Journalists, United Soybean Board and others.

A graduate of Iowa State University, Wyant gained first-hand knowledge of crop and livestock production while growing up on a century farm near Marengo, Iowa, which she now owns and manages. She and husband Allan Johnson also own the farm where her husband's family originally established a homestead near Almont, North Dakota. They are the parents of two sons and three grandchildren.

Email Sara Wyant: Sara@Agri-Pulse.com

Go to @agripulse or @agripulsewest on X to follow Sara and her team,  follow Agri-Pulse's LinkedIn page or like Agri-Pulse's Facebook page.

Sarah Gonzalez, Editor-in-Chief

Sarah Gonzalez rejoined Agri-Pulse in March 2026 to become the company's third editor-in-chief.

Gonzalez was an associate editor for Agri-Pulse from 2011-2015 where she gained interviewing, reporting and video news experience on a wide range of food and agricultural issues. Among other things, she helped launch our popular “Washington Week Ahead” coverage and the “Meet the Lawmaker” video series. 

Since that time, she’s gained a great deal of experience in both writing and strategic communications on regulatory, legislative and agricultural business issues, working for the National Grain and Feed Association and most recently, as director of communications and public affairs for the International Fresh Produce Association, where she led the organization's policy communications strategy. 

A native of Elburn, Illinois, U.S., Gonzalez earned a bachelor's degree in journalism at Iowa State University. She wrote extensively for the Iowa State Daily, worked in the public relations/marketing department of the student newspaper, and served as communications intern for the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

Steve Davies, Managing Editor

Steve Davies is a talented journalist who understands the complex environmental issues impacting agriculture and agribusinesses and related court cases. He covers a wide variety of topics at both EPA and USDA including pesticides, WOTUS, climate change, endangered species, PFAS and more.

Before joining Agri-Pulse in November 2015, Davies was editor and publisher of Endangered Species & Wetlands Report, a monthly newsletter covering regulation, legislation and litigation, which he launched in 1995. Before that, he worked for a variety of publications, including Green Markets and Green Markets Dealer Report, newsletters focused on the fertilizer industry.

Davies began his professional journalism career as a copy editor and reporter at the Gazette Newspapers in Gaithersburg, Md., before moving on to The Sentinel in Carlisle, Pa., where he covered Cumberland County government and won an AP Managing Editors award for investigative reporting.

He grew up in Chevy Chase, Md., and overseas, where his father served as a Foreign Service Officer: Moscow, USSR; Calcutta (now Kolkata), India; and Warsaw, Poland. He graduated from Brown University in 1984 with a bachelor's degree in Russian Studies. He has lived in Takoma Park, Md., since 1992, and has two children.

Brad Hooker, Sacramento Bureau Chief, Agri-Pulse West

Brad Hooker has been covering food and agriculture for more than a decade. Since launching the California branch of Agri-Pulse in early 2019, Hooker has been diving into labor, water and environmental justice issues at the Legislature, governor’s office and dozens of regulatory agencies—all through the lens of food and rural communities. He produces a daily science and policy rundown for Daybreak West and an in-depth analysis for the Agri-Pulse West Newsletter.

Previously Hooker was a director for a major campus initiative called the World Food Center, at the University of California, Davis, where he helped to build partnerships in the agtech investment space, bridge siloes in nutrition research and connect the world’s top academics for sustainability initiatives. As a science writer, he covered a range of plant and animal agricultural fields as well as business and economics research, and he had a brief stint in high-energy particle physics during the discovery of the Higgs boson.

Hooker has a graduate degree in narrative magazine journalism from the University of Oregon and is an East Coast transplant from Virginia Beach. He has traveled to more than 40 countries and once led a promising career as a mountaineer.

Email Brad Hooker: Brad@Agri-Pulse.com and follow @agripulsewest and @hookerbrad on Twitter for our West coverage.

Noah Wicks, Associate Editor

Noah Wicks is an investigative reporter who likes to do deep research on food and agricultural topics and often develops maps and charts to help tell the story.

Wicks, who hails from a small farm near Nunda, South Dakota, joined the Agri-Pulse team in 2021 after serving as an intern the summer before. He graduated from Augustana University with dual degrees in English and Journalism and also served as sports editor and editor-in-chief of the school newspaper, the Mirror.

Wicks previously held internships with the Madison Daily Leader in Madison, S.D., the South Dakota Department of Revenue and the South Dakota Department of Agriculture. Wicks was an active FFA member in high school, competing in various leadership development events. Through 4-H, he competed on the 2016 state livestock judging champion team, as well as spending time as an exchange student in Norway where he lived and worked on a farm for a month.

In 2022, Wicks was recognized by the North American Agricultural Journalists for his contribution to Agri-Pulse’s special editorial series on cover crops. Read the series here.

Lydia Johnson, Associate Editor

Based in the nation’s capital, Lydia Johnson is a broadcaster and reporter covering farm policy. She is charged with capturing the latest job changes for the movers and shakers on Capitol Hill and in key positions across the country as the lead editor of the popular Farm Hands section. Johnson is also a key member of the Agri-Pulse Newsmakers team producing a weekly TV show airing on RFD-TV as well as contributing to the daily Agri-Pulse DriveTime podcast to share the latest farm, food and rural policy news with audiences in the beltway and across the country. 

A native of her family’s Heritage farm in central Iowa, Johnson was an active participant in 4-H, FFA and the World Food Prize youth programs during high school. She later graduated from Iowa State University with degrees in agricultural communications, journalism and international agriculture. 

She first joined Agri-Pulse as an intern in the spring of 2023 and returned to the team full time in June 2024. Johnson also has experience as an intern with the National Pork Producers Council, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, National FFA Organization and the D.C.-based agriculture and food lobbying firm, Torrey Advisory Group. 

At Iowa State, Johnson served as president of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Student Council. She was a member of Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow and the Sigma Alpha sorority, as well as an annual attendee at the Agriculture Future of America Leaders Conference. Johnson has taken part in university study abroad programs to Ghana, Japan and Thailand. 

Kim Chipman, Congressional Editor

Kim Chipman has three decades of experience covering Washington, companies and markets. Kim most recently covered agriculture for Bloomberg News from Chicago. She’s reported on all aspects of the grains markets, biofuels and crop inputs. She also has a strong background in helping lead climate policy and covering political campaigns, the White House, trade, extreme weather and energy regulations.

Kim originally hails from Tennessee and Virginia and has degrees from Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, and Northwestern University.

When not working, Kim loves music, the outdoors and spending time with family and friends.

Email Kim Chipman: Kim@Agri-Pulse.com

Andrew Huneke, Producer, Agri-Pulse Newsmakers

Andrew Huneke is the producer of Agri-Pulse Newsmakers, a weekly show focused on bringing you the latest in ag policy and information.

Huneke joined the Agri-Pulse team in July 2022 after spending more than seven years in the news industry. He produced newscasts for five years at WBFF-TV in Baltimore, Maryland before producing and writing for newscasts at WTTG FOX 5, which covers Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.

During his time as a news producer, Huneke covered some of the biggest breaking news stories across Baltimore and Washington, D.C., including the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade and the death of Congressman Elijah Cummings.

Previously, he worked as a production assistant and sports producer at WBFF and was part of the sports team that won an Associated Press Award for Outstanding Year-Round local sports coverage in 2016.

Huneke grew up near Fallston, Maryland. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in electronic media and film from Towson University.

He is an Eagle Scout from Boy Scout Troop 124 in Carney, Maryland, and credits most of his professional success to the values he learned in the scouting program.

In his free time, he enjoys sports and is a fan of all Baltimore sports teams.

Jeff Nalley, Contributing Editor

Jeff Nalley is a 37-year veteran of radio and farm broadcasting and widely recognized as one of the best interviewers in the business.

He is a past president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) and has received numerous awards for excellence in broadcast media from within the NAFB as well as other farm organizations. In 2010, Nalley was named the Farm Broadcaster of the Year by the NAFB.

Nalley has received distinguished service awards from Purdue University, the United Soybean Board, Kentucky Soybean Association, Kentucky Pork Producers and the Kentucky Farm Bureau Federation.

Nalley conducts weekly Open Mic audio interviews for Agri-Pulse. He also works with the Cromwell AG Network, which serves farmers in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri and Ohio with daily farm broadcasts.

Jim Webster, Contributing Editor

Jim Webster has been writing about and dabbling in agricultural politics and policy since the days of the late Secretary of Agriculture Ezra Taft Benson in the Eisenhower Administration. Considered the “dean” of agricultural reporting in Washington, he has published seven newsletters and contributed to many other publications.

Agri-Pulse Communications Inc., acquired his most last venture, The Webster Agricultural Letter, in 2007, when he became a contributor. Previously he has written for the U.K. newsletters Agra Europe and Dairy Markets, an on-line dairy advisory service, Agro Washington magazine and National Catholic Reporter. He has addressed numerous farm and agribusiness groups in the U.S. and other countries.

Webster was assistant secretary of agriculture for governmental and public affairs at USDA during the Carter Administration, chief clerk of the Senate Agriculture Committee, agricultural legislative assistant and press secretary for former U.S. Senator George McGovern of South Dakota, and director of public relations for the American Public Power Association.

He's a native of Nebraska and attended Creighton University in Omaha, where he began working for the Associated Press in 1955. He subsequently was a reporter and manager for United Press International and edited a daily newspaper and electric cooperative publications in Nebraska, Wisconsin and South Dakota. Jim now lives in Arlington, Virginia.

Allan R. Johnson, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Allan Johnson has a long and distinguished history in agricultural publishing, marketing and public service. He brings that knowledge and experience to the Agri-Pulse team as chief operating officer, overseeing day-to-day business operations and offering strategic counsel. 

He previously served as President of Farm Progress Companies, an agricultural publishing company that produces magazines like the Dakota Farmer and Prairie Farmer as well as the Farm Progress Show. The company grew from seven publications to 39 publications during his tenure as president. Farm Progress was owned by American Broadcasting Company, The Walt Disney Company and Rural Press Limited, Sydney, Australia (now Australian Community Media). Johnson retired from Farm Progress companies in June 2000.

Johnson was appointed to serve as Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development in 2005 after serving as Director of Legislative and Public Affairs at USDA Rural Development from 2003-2005. During his tenure at USDA Rural Development, he led the effort to brand the Mission Area that had formerly been three separate agencies with its own identity. In addition, a major outreach effort was launched under his leadership to educate citizens in rural America about the numerous important programs available from USDA Rural Development.

Johnson also has held numerous leadership positions, including chair of the Farm Foundation board of trustees, president of the Equipment Manufacturers Institute Suppliers Council, chair of the FFA Foundation Sponsors Board, president of the Agricultural Publishers Association and grand president of Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity.

He was named Ag Communicator of the Year by the National Agri-Marketing Association. In addition, the National FFA Organization presented him with an Honorary American Farm Degree and Distinguished Service Citation. Ed Schafer, former agriculture secretary, awarded Johnson the Group Honor Award for Excellence to recognize him for his leadership in producing the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference. The conference was the largest renewable energy conference in history and attracted official delegations from more than 100 countries.

Email Allan Johnson: Allan@Agri-Pulse.com

Jason Lutz, Sales & Marketing Manager

Lutz guides the Agri-Pulse sales and marketing efforts, leading our team to develop new relationships and find creative ways to meet and exceed customer expectations. He oversees both individual and group subscription sales, along with our digital advertising sales. He also manages the Agri-Pulse digital advertising and event sales.

Lutz attended Kishwaukee College in Northern Illinois, and has 10 years’ experience in the hospitality industry. He's an active participant in the local community and was selected as a Camden County Young Leader in 2012, as well as recognized as a 2023 "Young Leader in Agribusiness" by the Agribusiness Council of Kansas City. He also served as president of the Camdenton Area Chamber of Commerce from 2017-2018, and vice president from 2018-201. Lutz and his wife, Danielle, love spending time on the Lake of The Ozarks and playing competitive softball. They have two daughters, Taylor and Austin, and one son, Jonathan.

Matt Herman, national business development lead at Agri-Pulse, is a seasoned media executive with experience in publishing, sales, and operations management. His expertise spans print, digital, data-driven solutions, and farm business seminar events.

Tom Davis, Marketing Consultant

Tom Davis is one of the most well-connected people in agriculture, having built customer relationships with a wide variety of contacts over his distinguished career. 

He previously served as Vice President/Group Publisher at Meredith Corporation where he managed the business operations for several magazine titles and websites including Successful Farming, Living the Country Life, WOOD and American Patchwork & Quilting plus several other holiday decorating and crafts titles. Currently he is VP/Director of The Rosewood Marketing Group Inc., a marketing services company providing strategic marketing and business development support for Agri-Pulse Communications Inc. and other clients.

Davis grew up on a small farm near Floyds Knobs, Indiana. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University and in 2004 was named a Distinguished Alumnus of the College of Agriculture.

He has served as president of the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) and was named NAMA Marketer of the Year in April 2006. Davis is an active member of the Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity and served as National Grand President from 2006-08. He has served on the Sponsors Board of the National FFA, and the board of directors for NAMA, Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity, American Business Media-Ag Council and the Ag Media Summit.

Hannah Fonseca, Eastern Sales Associate

Looking to expand Agri-Pulse’s reach along the East Coast, Fonseca is based in Durham, North Carolina. She and her husband recently relocated there so he could attend Duke University for his Master of Business degree. Fonseca will focus her time building relationships with ag businesses and explore new business opportunities bringing Agri-Pulse content to new subscribers.

Fonseca previously worked the last five and a half years on the Agri-Pulse editorial team in Washington, D.C., as a writer and broadcaster under her maiden name, Hannah Pagel. She wrote the Farm Hands on the Potomac section of the Agri-Pulse Newsletter, hosted the Agri-Pulse Newsmakers show, conducted the Meet the Farm Hand and Meet the Lawmaker video series, and contributed to Agri-Pulse’s DriveTime podcast.

An Iowa native, Fonseca graduated from Iowa State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture and Life Sciences Education, with a teacher certification. Her background includes work at the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology, the Agricultural Entrepreneurship Initiative and the Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation.

She grew up on her family’s diversified grain and livestock farm in northeast Iowa. She is a recipient of the 2018 Iowa State College of Agriculture Leadership Award, FFA American Degree, the Bruce Rastetter Agricultural Entrepreneurial Scholarship and a two-time winner of the Ryan Hrubes National Agri-Marketing Association Scholarship. Fonseca is also a World Food Prize Scholar and an FFA alumni member.

Email Hannah Fonseca: Hannah@Agri-Pulse.com

Dave Thomas, Sales Consultant

If you became an Agri-Pulse subscriber by way of a free trial subscription, chances are you’ve heard from Dave Thomas. He is a semi-retired former corporate executive in the marketing research industry. His retirement home is just across the cove from our business offices and he joined our staff in 2018. 

Thomas had a career of more than 30 years as a research director, designing and directing quantitative and qualitative studies in consumer and business-to-business markets throughout North and South America. His former clients include some of the world’s best-known brands, including Nestle, Frito-Lay, Taco Bell, Hyundai and many more. For most of his career, he managed the west coast office of a company (Synovate) that grew to become one of the world’s ten largest marketing research firms.

Professional associations in which Thomas has held leadership positions at the regional or national levels include CASRO (Council of American Survey Research Organizations, now Insights Association), ARF (Advertising Research Foundation), AAPOR (American Association for Public Opinion Research), DMA (Direct Marketing Association, now ANA), SAA (Society of Automotive Analysts), and others.

Thomas grew up in eastern Ohio on a small family farm, then earned a BA in Political Science and an MBA in marketing and finance at The Ohio State University. His wife, Valerie, recently passed away after nearly 60 years of marriage. He is survived by their two grown children and six grandchildren.

Email Dave Thomas: David@Agri-Pulse.com

Paige Dye, Circulation and Strategic Communications Manager

Paige Dye joined the Agri-Pulse team in 2017, bringing a many hats to her work that spans everything from subscriber relations and marketing & sales, to event planning and digital strategy. As the Circulation and Strategic Communications Manager, Paige is passionate about connecting Agri-Pulse's audience with the policy news they need while ensuring that they receive the highest level of customer service. To further support her work in driving organizational growth, she is participating in the Harvard Business School Online "Leading Change and Organizational Renewal" program.

 A proud Tiger, Paige graduated with honors from the University of Missouri-Columbia with dual degrees in psychology and strategic communication (emphasis: public relations) from the Missouri School of Journalism; as well as minors in business and multicultural studies. During her time at Mizzou, Dye was active in intramural sports, domestic violence awareness philanthropy, Relay for Life, and various other leadership roles through her sorority, Alpha Chi Omega. She continues to stay involved in Alpha Chi Omega's fight against domestic violence, having been accepted into the 2024 AXO Social Justice Institute (now "Keys to Service").

Dye's heart for agriculture comes from her upbringing on a fifth-generation family farm in northeast Missouri. Growing up surrounded by corn, soybeans, and livestock (along with the family’s miniature horses), she developed a lifelong commitment to advocating for farmers and ranchers—a path that eventually led her to earn her American FFA Degree in 2011.

Before settling back in Missouri, Paige's career took her across the globe, working in TV, print, and digital media throughout Scandinavia and Australia. Since returning home, she has remained active in her community and was selected as a Camden County Young Leader in 2021. In her spare time, you can find Paige attending concerts, trying a new recipe, or researching and planning for her next trip.

Email Paige Dye: Paige@Agri-Pulse.com

Rebecca Pelkey, Finance Manager

Rebecca Pelkey is the Finance Manager for Agri-Pulse, where she supports the company’s continued growth across subscriptions, events, advertising, and other revenue streams. She brings extensive experience in operational optimization, financial forecasting, expense management, and building data-driven processes that support sustainable growth.

Prior to joining Agri-Pulse, Pelkey served as Chief Business Officer for the Jones Family of Companies, where she built strategic and operational infrastructure, oversaw financial planning, and led initiatives to improve organizational efficiency and performance. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business with a concentration in Accounting from the University of Phoenix and is currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration from Columbia College.

A native of Florida, Pelkey has called Missouri home since 2017. Her husband retired from the U.S. Army in 2022. She and her family enjoy spending time outdoors and on the lake and have found a forever home in the Midwest and its rural communities.

Email Rebecca Pelkey: Rebecca@Agri-Pulse.com

Pam Hocker, Circulation Coordinator

Pam Hocker was born in rural Kansas where her family raised cattle and other livestock, along with produce from their own garden. She moved to the Lake of the Ozarks as a young adult and has been there for over 30 years.

Prior to joining Agri-Pulse in December 2019, she held several positions in customer service and accounting, including managing a local marina as well as a feed store. However, she is no stranger to the news, having most recently worked at the lake's local news bureau assisting customers and helping with daily publication of the newspaper and website.

Pam resides with her husband, Gordon, in their Climax Springs home. Her three grown children and four grandchildren live close by. She enjoys spending time with them and her friends, especially while gardening, fishing and boating. 

Email Pam Hocker: Pam@Agri-Pulse.com

Cassandra, Marketing Coordinator

Cassandra joined Agri-Pulse in March 2023, excited to be getting back into the world of marketing. She supports all staff at our office located at Lake of the Ozarks. Cassandra hopes to help to develop relationships with current clients and prospects, resulting not only in personal growth but for Agri-Pulse to thrive for years to come.

She had her first job in a marketing agency in San Antonio, Texas working as a data entry media coordinator for HTM, one of the state’s premier advertising agencies. After two and a half years with HTM she decided to move to Missouri and further her education. Life had other plans, as she jumped right into a job as a performer in Dolly Parton’s Stampede in Branson, Missouri. After a season with the show, she started her long journey in merchandising before taking a hiatus to start a family.

Email Cassandra Nelson: Cassandra@Agri-Pulse.com