View from the Cab: On the other end

I had the honor of being on the other end of the radio microphone the other day.

It rarely happens but I was interviewed by another ag reporter. I was a guest on the Illinois Farm Bureau RFD Radio Network’s “Town and Country Partners” afternoon program which is heard on a number of stations around the state. Rita Frazier did a great job interviewing me about The Central Illinois Farm Network, my work on the farm and my involvement with the Illinois Association of Agricultural Fairs.

After all these years in journalism, it felt strange to be answering questions. Usually I am the one asking them and trying to “pull” someone else along. I think there were only a few “uh’s” in there. I typically have the luxury of deleting my “uh’s” and pauses when I edit an interview on my computer at home. Not this time. Oh well, live radio is good for everyone once in a while.

You can catch the interview if you visit www.rfdradio.com and look for the “Town and Country Partners” show dated Tuesday, Jan. 17 from the podcasts player on the left side of the page. The Illinois Farm Bureau does a great job covering ag around Illinois.

Rebecca and I had a blast attending the recent annual meeting of the Illinois Association of Agricultural Fairs in Springfield. I once again emceed the talent showcase Friday night at the Crowne Plaza. Surely my jokes weren’t too corny. The 107th annual convention theme was “Dreams and Memories.”

Discussion centered around using social media tools to improve a fair’s bottom line and what fairs did differently in 2016. After the various fair awards were presented at the Saturday morning breakfast, Jeremy Parsons of the Clay County Fair in Iowa gave a presentation entitled, “Take Care.”

Now we are busy gearing up for this week’s Midwest Ag Expo at Gordyville along Route 136 near Gifford. The two-day event runs Wednesday (Jan. 25) 8:30-4:00 and Thursday (Jan. 26) 8:30-3:00. Look for The Central Illinois Farm Network to be on site doing interviews and snapping a few photos along the way. Make sure you stop by to say hello. Some of my favorite aspects of Gordyville include the free bags of popcorn and those small vanilla ice cream cones courtesy of Ken’s Oil Service of Forrest.