Jim Hess was looking for the right person to facilitate a special workshop for the soil and water conservation district in Elkhart County, Ind. “We wanted to dig deeper beyond just how to do no-till better,” recalls Hess, Elkhart County SWCD district manager. “We wanted to explore the value of conservation, and how to tell other people about it.”

When Max Armstrong appeared on Hess’ TV screen one Saturday morning, hosting “This Week in Agribusiness,” Hess knew he had found the right person. The arrangements clicked, and Armstrong was the facilitator for several sessions for the Capturing the Credits workshop on March 16 in Goshen, Ind. While it sounds like an afternoon devoted to carbon credits, speakers dug much deeper, exploring how to convince other farmers and the public of the value of conservation farming. Look for those stories on IndianaPrairieFarmer.com.

Armstrong, now residing in North Carolina, is a native of Princeton, Ind., growing up in a diverse family farming operation in Gibson County. He spent much of his career with WGN Radio and TV in Chicago, working alongside the legendary Orion Samuelson, now retired. Today, Armstrong appears on “This Week in Agribusiness” weekly, and carries out broadcasting duties as a member of the Farm Progress team. He was named an Honorary Master Farmer by Indiana Prairie Farmer and the Purdue University College of Agriculture in 2006.

Hess and members of the Elkhart County SWCD surprised Armstrong near the conclusion of the workshop by presenting him with framed photos from a previous visit to Elkhart County, during the famed Elkhart County Fair, in 2007.

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