Ten years ago, I was writing a few farm stories for Nebraska Farmer magazine as a freelance writer, while still farming full time. When the full-time position for a field editor came open at Nebraska, I was asked if I was interested in the job. At that time, I was busy farming, and my wife and I had three young children, with our fourth child on the way. I had just lost my own father that winter. It was a time of transition for us. So, I made the decision to start to step away from farming and try to fill the capacity of a regional field editor for not only Nebraska Farmer, but also Dakota Farmer.

Our family farm where we live south of Crofton, Neb., is just a long stone’s throw from the Missouri River and Yankton, S.D. Traveling across the river and covering a good share of eastern South Dakota in my role was not a long trip for me. Besides, my mother grew up around Beresford and Howard, S.D., so as kids, my siblings and I often piled into the old brown sedan and headed north to see my grandparents on their farm near Howard. My parents were married at St. Agatha’s Catholic Church in Howard, and we attended many family reunions and other events in my childhood across southeast South Dakota.

Enjoyed the journey

Over the 10 years I’ve filled the role as a field editor, I’ve tried to emulate what I had learned from my many mentors in the writing business, including now-retired Dakota Farmer editor Lon Tonneson.

Thanks to Lon, over the past decade I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to travel quite a bit, mostly in South Dakota, to interview farmers, and attend field days and farm conventions. I’ve particularly enjoyed the annual field days at the South Dakota State University Southeast Research Farm at Beresford. Working as a field editor for Dakota Farmer was a little like going home for me. And, I thoroughly enjoyed meeting farm families in the region, and talking with Extension educators from SDSU and North Dakota State University as well.

Now in this new year, another opportunity presented itself. I will be taking a new role as the editor of Nebraska Farmer magazine back in my home state.

I’ll still help provide copy for Dakota Farmer on occasion, but I wanted to thank the many farm families who welcomed me and treated me so well, sharing their experiences and insights for stories. I also thank the Extension educators and many agriculture professionals I have had the pleasure of visiting with and getting to know.

The best part of working in agriculture journalism is that the people we meet seem to be the same from state to state. They are dedicated, passionate, and excited about farm and ranch life. So, on that note, I’m glad some things never change.