Two distinguished figures in agricultural media will be honored this fall as the newest inductees into the National Association of Farm Broadcasting Hall of Fame, including one man who has spent 50 years in radio delivering ag news across the Midwest.
Gale Cunningham and Janet Adkison will be celebrated at the Night of Honors banquet during the 82nd NAFB Convention, set for November 20 in Kansas City.
Both Adkison and Cunningham have held national and regional leadership roles within NAFB and are being recognized for their enduring impact on farm broadcasting, their professional achievements, and their commitment to supporting the next generation of ag communicators.
Cunningham, the Farm Director at Saga Communications’ WYXY Classic in Champaign, IL, served as NAFB President in 2021 and has spent more than five decades as a broadcaster and advocate for agriculture. A familiar voice across Illinois and Indiana, he is known for his deep ties to the farming community and his commitment to mentoring youth, including a long-standing tradition of hosting station interns.
Adkison, currently Missouri Farm Bureau Director of Public Affairs and Advocacy, is a former NAFB president who spent a decade with RFD-TV, where she anchored Market Day Report and Rural Evening News, led the network’s Washington, DC, bureau, and hosted coverage of events like the National FFA Convention.
Her career also includes roles at Arkansas Radio Network, Brownfield Ag News, and KMZU Radio, where she served as farm director.
NAFB Hall of Fame Committee Chair and Brownfield Ag News Anchor/Reporter Carah Hart said, “Janet and Gale have been strong leaders within the NAFB and have reputations for selflessly giving back to their communities and supporting the next generation of ag communicators and youth in agriculture. We are delighted to honor them as this year’s inductees.”
