A New Year and a Goodbye
Farm and Ranch December 28, 2011 It will be a new year in a few days, 2012, and when it arrives I will be moving on to something new, retirement. Normally I wouldn’t think of taking precious air time just to tell you that or talk about myself, but having been on the radio in the northwest for over 30 years I figured loyal and regular listeners deserve a goodbye and a big thank you for listening. About 27 of the 33 years I have been in radio news I have specialized in agriculture and most of the years of reporting on agriculture have been with Northwest Aginfo Net. Back in the early 80s when I began farm broadcasting the federal farm program was the Payment in Kind program, PIK with PIK certificates, the value of which were quoted in market reports. There was not yet a Conservation Reserve Program, nor a national mandatory beef check off. I don’t even think any Pacific Northwest salmon had been listed as endangered or threatened at that time. I recall workshops on “How to Survive on $2.50 a Bushel Wheat.” Today, computer technology and global positioning systems have revolutionized production agriculture, prices may have reached a new, higher plateau and in general the agriculture economy is doing well. May it continue to do so. The Northwest Farm and Ranch Report continues with KayDee Gilkey from Northwest Farm Credit Services assuming the duties as I retire at the end of the year. I leave you in good hands. So thank you listeners, radio station affiliates, advertisers, co-workers and especially the owners of Northwest Aginfo Net, Kelly and Susan Allen. I’m Bob Hoff on Northwest Aginfo Net.
