Like a lot of people, my life has been shaped by the people around me. And like anyone in agriculture, my life has been shaped by the agriculturalists around me.
Farmers, professors, farm wives, college friends, colleagues, friends, writers, broadcasters. Big names and small names.
Good people, all. People who have done good things for agriculture but even more, good things for the people around them.
Every day this month, I want to share them with you.

I want to honor the influence they've had on my life, and on agriculture as a whole. For some, their stories have been writ larger than life. You'll know their names – perhaps hear their voices – instantly. For others, their story is written in their farm, in a quiet life and a profound statement. Regardless, they're people who weren't afraid to take who they are and what they believe, and use it to influence for good.
I like that; I like when people use their God-given talents to further an industry that puts food on tables. And when, in doing so, they touch lives along the way.
So follow along, if you will. Agriculture has some good stories. I'd like to tell them this month.
Agriculturalists Who Influence: The Series
- Day 1: Introduction
- Day 2: Jim Evans
- Day 3: Becky Doyle
- Day 4: David and Nancy Erickson
- Day 5: Katie Pinke
- Day 6: Joe Hampton
- Day 7: Noreen Frye
- Day 8: Carolyn Olson
- Day 9: John and Kendra Smiley
- Day 10: Colleen Callahan
- Day 11: Neil and Debbie Fearn
- Day 12: Martin Barbre
- Day 13: Pam Smith
- Day 14: Jim Esworthy
- Day 15: Erin Ehnle
- Day 16: Al Somers
- Day 17: Tom Carr
- Day 17: Tom Carr
- Day 18: Russ and Marilyn Rosenboom
- Day 19: Matt Lloyd
- Day 20: Max Armstrong
- Day 21: Steve Foglesong
- Day 22: Sharon Spangler
- Day 23: Scott and Shantel Beck
- Day 24: Bob Easter
- Day 25: Mike and Lynn Martz
- Day 26: Sara Wyant
- Day 27: Philip Nelson
- Day 28: John Block
- Day 29: Gregg Sauder
- Day 30: Linnea Kooistra
30 Days Bloggers
- The Pinke Post: 30 Days of Women in Agriculture
- Standing out in the Field: 30 Days of Faces Behind Your Food
- Prairie Californian: 30 Days of Food
- Becoming Texan: 30 Days of Texas Panhandle Agriculture
- AgTechTalk: 30 Days of Ag Tech
- Sowing Bountifully: 30 Days with a Small Town Girl on a Big 10 Campus
- Mackinson Dairy Farm: 30 Days of Dairy
- Cows, Corn and Communications: 30 Days of Dairy Farm Life Blessings
- Morning Joy Farm: 30 Days of Agriculture – The Agriculture Book List
- Holbrook Honey and Hop Yard: 30 Days of Preparation for the Future
- Minnesota Farm Living: 30 Days of All Things Minnesota Agriculture
- Beyond the Pasture: 30 Days of Lessons I Learned on the Farm
- Kellie for Ag: 30 Songs about Raising Cattle
- Homestead Hill Farm: 30 Days of Lessons from the Farm
- Montana Stockgrowers Association Blog: 10 Things to Know About Beef Cattle
- Country Girl Creations: 30 Things I Want My Farm Girl to Know
- Life of a Future Farmer: 30 Days of Thoughts of a Future Farmer
- Black Ink Blog: Nice to Meat Ya: 30 Days of People You Ought to Know in the Quality Beef Business
- Farver Farms: 30 Days of Dirt Roads
- Carolyn CAREs Blog: 30 Things I Love
- Confessions of a Suburbanite Agvocate: 30 Days in the Life of an Ag Comm Student
- The Velvet Farmer: 30 Days from the View of a Agriculture Student
- Agriculture: A Way of Life: Series Name
- Cox Farm: 30 Things That Farming Has Taught Me
- Walking the Off-Beaten Path: 30 Days of Farming: It's a Balancing Act
- The Magic Farmhouse: 30 Days of Illinois Farms and Food
- The Farmer's Wifee: 30 Days of Farm Thanks
- Pannill's Gate Farm: 30 Shades of Grey
- AgChat: 30 Days of Advocacy and Social Media