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8, 2002 Ken Root to speak at annual Agriculture-Business Conference Farm writer and broadcaster Ken Root will be the guest speaker at the 8th Annual Agriculture- Business Conference Luncheon at Arkansas State University, Wednesday, Feb. 20. The luncheon, which will be served at the Convocation Center, is part of a day-long conference on industry issues and commodity market outlook. A native of Oklahoma, Root attended Oklahoma State University and taught vocation agriculture in her early career. He began broadcasting in 1974 in Oklahoma City as an assistant farm broadcaster. He moved to Kansas in 1980 and worked as a radio and television broadcaster, covering agriculture issues in the United States and around the world. Root became president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasters in 1986. During a brief hiatus from broadcasting, Root worked with the American Cyanamid Company in New Jersey. He established the National Agri-Chemical Retailers Association (NARA), and moved to Washington D.C. in 1989 while serving as executive director of the organization. In 1994 he returned to broadcasting as host of the first interactive talk radio show for agriculture in rural America, AgriTalk. The program, which is heard daily on 125 stations in 28 states, ventured into areas that had been avoided by traditional programs, such as rural mental health, social and political issues. Root and producers for AgriTalk developed a wide range of program topics from worm farming to discussions on deer population to the impact of U.S. farm policy on the size and economic health of farmers. Root left AgriTalk in 2001 after serving seven years as host. He currently writes a syndicated column on rural and agricultural issues, and travels as a professional speaker. He and his wife Gail have been married for 28 years and have two children, Andrea and Russell. On-site registration begins at the Fowler Center at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 20. Lunch will be served in the Convocation Center at noon. Afternoon sessions end at 3 p.m. A complete conference program and on-line registration is available on the Internet at http://agri.astate.edu. There is no registration fee. However, pre-registration for lunch is limited to 600. More than 700 farmers and agri-business people attended last year’s conference. The ASU Agriculture-Business Conference is sponsored by the ASU College of Agriculture, MidSouth Bank, AgHeritage Farm Credit Services, Farm Credit Midsouth, Arkansas Farm Bureau, Riceland Foods, Inc., the USA Rice Federation, and the Judd Hill Foundation. # # # |
 University Communications Office Jonesboro, Arkansas Staff: Tom Moore Straley Snipes Vic Nelson 870-972-3056 fax 870-972-3069 Send mail: ASUnews@astate.edu Links: List of News/Announcements Upcoming Public Events About ASU ASU Home Page |
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