Agricultural Communicators Network

Ag Media Summit 2026 is headed to St. Louis, July 19–21! Three days of training in writing, photography, video, AI, Photoshop, Canva and more — plus the World Famous Welcome Party and an optional post-summit tour featuring the Gateway Arch, ADM's grain barge facility, the Anheuser-Busch Brewery and a farm visit. Read Pam Caraway's column in this month's Byline at https://agcommnetwork.com/your-industry-your-people-your-summit/

⏰ Register and reserve your hotel room by June 25 for the best rate: www.agmediasummit.com

What's your favorite AMS memory? 💭 From themed welcome parties to the Quasimojo band, ACN President Joy Crosby has plenty — and in this month's president's column, she shares why every summit sends her home with fresh ideas, new contacts and renewed purpose. Still on the fence about St. Louis? This one's for you. Regular rates end June 25!

Read Joy's column at https://agcommnetwork.com/your-next-ams-memory-awaits/

Ranch life. Midwest flavor. Free AMS registration. The 2026 PIF Prize Roundup raffle could win you a 3-day, 2-night stay at Hadrick Ranch in South Dakota, a $300 Amana Meat Shop & Smokehouse gift card, or complimentary registration to the 2027 Ag Media Summit.

Only 300 tickets available — $25 each or 5 for $100. Get yours before they're gone! Learn more here https://agcommnetwork.com/acn-pif-fundraiser-raffle-contest-rules-and-prize-details/

Save your seat for the AMS tours on Wednesday, July 22 TODAY!

🚢 Ready to elevate your storytelling and network with the best in the business?

The post-conference tour at AMS is your ticket to connecting with colleagues, having some fun, and leveling up your skills! Why should you sign up?

📸 Exclusive Media Access: We’re visiting the ADM barge loading facility with full permission to grab photos and video clips for your future stories on grain movement. Having this kind of access for your content library is worth the price of admission alone!

📱 Level Up Your Video Skills: We’re hosting a hands-on professional development session with award-winning videographer Chris Six of the Missouri Ruralist. He’s going to teach us how to capture high-quality video using the best tool you already have—your cell phone. Plus, he'll share the must-have gear to add to your bag for maximum impact.

Do not delay! Save your bus seat today! Register for the tours today!

Tour - Agricultural Media Summit TOURS The optional post-AMS tour day on Wednesday, July 22, includes a visit to Gateway Arch National Park with a ride to the top of the arch and tour of the museum; a stop at ADM’s grain barge facility on the Mississippi River; lunch and tour at the Anheuser-Busch Brewery; and an on-farm visit, v...

Register and make your room reservations before June 25 for Ag Media Summit in St Louis, July 19-22.

Looking to make travel plans? ✈️

The schedule is filling in at agmediasummit.com ... Visit now to see how the days lay out! Registration is OPEN and so is the discounted hotel block. Find it all at the website and get your travel squared away!

📬 Check your inbox! The latest issue of The Byline is here, packed with AI insights, AMS 2026 details (register by June 25!), Dr. James Evans Scholarship finalists, the PIF Prize Roundup raffle, and a farm story you won't want to miss. Open it up and dive in!

Join us in St. Louis July 19-21. Register before June 25; after that, a late fee will be applied. https://www.agmediasummit.com/

The tough years are when credibility is built — or lost.

At the ACN Regional Workshop in Kentucky, Carey Brown of the Kentucky Cattlemen's Association made a compelling case: ag communicators need editorial strategies built for the full cycle of agriculture, not just the good years.

Her three principles are worth bookmarking:
📌 Build content for decision-making — help farmers and ranchers through struggles, not just celebrate wins
📌 Create evergreen franchises — consistent content that compounds over time
📌 Protect credibility in downturns — showing up when others go quiet is what audiences remember

With fewer farmers every year and an ever-faster news cycle, Brown's challenge to ag communicators is clear: are you planning for the downturn, or just reacting to it?

Watch her full session on the ACN webinar library on our website and read the recap written by Ryan Tipps at https://agcommnetwork.com/can-communications-roll-more-effectively-with-the-cyclical-nature-of-agriculture/

What does a Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer want ag communicators to know? 📷

At the ACN Regional Workshop in Lexington, Jon Cherry challenged attendees to stop just looking at their subjects — and start truly seeing them. Decisive moments don't repeat, so being present and prepared is everything.

His pre-shoot checklist, two go-to apps (Shademap and TPE for sun/moon tracking), and advice on telling stories through color and movement are all worth a read.

Catch the full recorded webinar on the ACN webinar library found on our website. Read the May e-letter article to learn more https://agcommnetwork.com/the-prepared-photographer-sees-more/

Ag journalists covering the world's food system aren't straying from their beat — they're expanding it. 🐔🌍

ACN member Jake Zajkowski shares what he learned at the 2025 IFAJ Congress in Nairobi — including why Kenya's booming poultry sector is about a lot more than chicken.

It's a great read on why ag journalists are uniquely suited to cover the world's most important food stories, even when those stories aren't happening at home.

Read it in the May ACN e-letter: https://agcommnetwork.com/what-one-chicken-taught-me-about-global-journalism/