WITH - Key Persons
Brent Barnett joined Brownfield Ag News as Anchor/Reporter in April, 2022. He majored in mass media at Northwest Missouri State University. Prior to joining Brownfield, Brent worked with KMA in Shenandoah, Iowa and the Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network in Des Moines, Iowa. In his spare time, he enjoys bowhunting, podcasting about the outdoors, and spending time with his family at the lake. Brent lives in Pella, Iowa with his wife Regan and three children Quinn, Harlan, and Lennox.
Carah grew up on a diverse family farm near Carrollton, Missouri. She majored in agricultural journalism with an emphasis in broadcast at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Prior to joining Brownfield Ag News, Carah worked with the Red River Farm Network in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Carah is the National Vice President for the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. In 2023, Carah will be NAFB President-Elect. In her spare time, Carah enjoys biking, antiquing and spending time with family at the farm or lake in northern Minnesota. Carah and her husband Nick have a corgi named Basil.
Job Titles:
- Director of Brownfield & Learfield Ag
Cyndi grew up on a multi-generational family farm in Scott County, Illinois. She majored in agricultural education and animal science at Western Illinois University and began her radio career at WJIL in Jacksonville, Illinois. She has traveled extensively throughout the United States and to 16 different countries covering agriculture. Her work has earned her dozens of honors from agriculture groups and associations. A member of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting for 35 years, Cyndi was recognized as Farm Broadcaster of the Year for the nation in 1997, received the coveted Oscar in Agriculture in 2009 and was inducted into the National Association of Farm Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2021. She joined Brownfield in 1998. Cyndi and her husband, Jim Puyear, raise Simmental cattle on their farm in mid-Missouri.
Job Titles:
- Commodity Market Reporter
John has been with Brownfield Ag News since October 2002, reporting on the commodity markets, statistical reports, and the broader market. He also edits Brownfield's daily email newsletter, Agriculture Today. A native of Des Moines, Iowa, John is the second generation from the family farm and a second-generation agricultural journalist. John came to Brownfield after attending Iowa State University, while spending several years with Iowa State University Extension Market News, working in ag radio since 1996.
Larry has been a Wisconsinite his entire life. His parents, uncles, aunts, and cousins grew up on farms in the Ferryville, Eastman and Gays Mills areas in southwestern Wisconsin, but he grew up on a northwestern Wisconsin fishing resort near Chetek which also had a huge garden, a couple of horses and they raised their own beef. After high school, Larry received a communications degree from Western Technical College (formerly Western Wisconsin Technical Institute) with emphasis on photography and television production, but instead began a radio career in 1984 at WAQE in Rice Lake. Larry has been a news or program director at stations in Amery, Ladysmith, Stevens Point, and Wausau before joining Brownfield in 2016. Larry and his wife Carla live in Plover, Wisconsin.
Meghan grew up on a diversified family farm operation near Washburn, IL. She majored in communications and animal science at Western Illinois University. Her love of the swine industry took her to Virginia to manage a farrow to finish swine operation before moving back to Illinois in 2006. A graduate of the Illinois Ag Leadership Program, Grebner was awarded the 2009 National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) Horizon Award, which recognizes the top new farm broadcaster in the country. She was elected President of the NAFB Foundation in 2021. Many weekends during planting and harvest you'll find her back in Central Illinois helping on her family's sixth generation farm. Meghan joined Brownfield in 2011. She and her husband Brian currently reside in Central Kentucky with their twin boys, Hank and Ronan, and their multiple rescue animals.
Nicole Heslip came to Brownfield after five years of farm broadcasting with Michigan Farm Radio Network. She grew up on her family's dairy farm in Southwest Michigan. A graduate of Michigan State University, Nicole served as an FFA State Officer, Michigan Dairy Ambassador, and National Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow officer. Nicole and her husband live near her hometown where Kyle is in partnership with her family and head brewer of a craft brewery. They have three children.
Parker grew up in Jefferson City, Missouri. He worked part-time for Learfield as a Sports Board Operator when he was in high school. Parker worked at KOLR10, Springfield, Missouri as a Production Assistant throughout his college career. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Mass Media/Media Production from Missouri State University. After graduating in 2016, Parker moved back to Jefferson City and started his full-time career as Digital Specialist for Learfield News. Parker and his wife Chezney have three children. He loves spending time with his family hiking, hunting, and fishing. They also have a small flock of chickens.
Will grew up on an east-central Missouri swine farm. He got his start in radio in high school at his hometown station, Mixed Country 96 in Mexico, Missouri. There Will worked as a DJ playing country music and Brownfield market and news updates. He graduated from the University of Missouri's science and agricultural journalism program in 2020 and hit the ground with Brownfield immediately after. Will is now attending The Ohio State University studying agricultural communications and economics. Will continues to report for Brownfield and hosts the Weekly Commodity Market Report.