WASHINGTON, April 28, 2015 - Farm broadcasters report on critical issues impacting the daily lives of U.S. farmers and ranchers. Rural audiences continue to count on radio for their daily news stories, and the winner of The Doan is dedicated to providing timely news to her audience. The Doan, Honoring Excellence in Reporting Agriculture, is awarded to Michelle Rook, managing farm director at WNAX in Yankton, SD. This is the inaugural year for The Doan.
Michelle's winning entry titled "Rail Crisis Costs Northwestern Corn Belt Farmers" outlines the crisis, the cost and some solutions - along with the railroads' response. The U.S. agricultural industry was crippled last year during ongoing railcar shortages, due to the oil boom in Western North Dakota and other factors.
“Farmers in the northwestern Corn Belt states of Minnesota and South Dakota dealt with massive delays in the railcars and record high prices for railcars," says Michelle Rook, WNAX. "The railcar issue has had serious economic impact on farmers and rural communities throughout the Corn Belt. This series helped listeners understand the facts surrounding the railcar shortage and serves as a call to action to reach out to lawmakers and the railroads."The judges also award a Certificate of Merit to Susan Littlefield, farm director at KZEN, Columbus, NE for her entry titled "Behind the Chutes", a special report on the rodeo cowboy and their role during the rodeo.
The Doan was presented during the NAFB Washington Watch meeting, Monday, April 27 and presented by the NAFB Foundation, through a gift from Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc. The Doan is named after Stewart Doan, a farm broadcaster and senior editor at Agri-Pulse, who passed away suddenly in May 2012. He was known for his passion for politics and determination for delivering breaking farm and rural policy news. Doan's reporting on issues affecting farmers and consumers is missed by the entire agriculture community. He served as NAFB president in 1998.
The National Association of Farm Broadcasting is a 501(c)(6) professional organization whose mission is to lead, promote and support growth in agricultural and rural broadcasting for the benefit of our members, audience and industry.
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