"A rural renaissance".

"A Rural Renaissance" is this year's theme as we gather in Kansas City for our 63rd annual National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) Convention.

These are some exciting times in agriculture. There are so many things happening now that we may soon realize that "these are the good old days." The theme this year is applicable to several areas of NAFB and agri-marketing in general.

In addition to all the "Rural Renaissance" taking place across rural America, we are also witnessing some big changes within NAFB. This past year we have been working on finalizing our Five-Year Strategic Plan. The final version was approved by the NAFB Board of Directors at its July 30 meeting in Louisville, KY.

The plan was developed by a select cross-Council NAFB Committee representing broadcast, management and sales, and Allied Industry membership. Chairperson Hugh Whaley, Osborn & Barr Communications, commented that the process had been "as exciting and professionally worthwhile experience" as he has had.

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There are five principal goals, or "pillars," of the plan. They are as follows:

* Generate additional revenue, business, and employment opportunities in the agricultural and rural lifestyle broadcasting industry.

* Create a member value proposition that results in member increase of 50% by 2012 in all member categories.

* Drive the organization's brand recognition, resulting in increased membership, revenues and member benefits.

* Capitalize on professional improvement to differentiate, advance, and add value to agricultural and rural lifestyle broadcasting.

* Partner and collaborate with allied industry and organizations to promote business opportunities and enhance the ability for NAFB to represent and promote the agricultural and rural lifestyle broadcasting industry.

The details of the Strategic Plan, which was facilitated by Janice Dahl of Anchor Management, will be shared with members at the convention. The plan puts in place a framework that will entail annual consideration and approval of a Plan of Work by the NAFB Board of Directors.

Another area of "renaissance" for NAFB is the use of new technology to reach our audiences. Actually some of the technology has been common in the marketplace for more than ten years, but the uses are becoming more defined. While the traditional backbone for NAFB is (and will continue to be) radio, we strive to keep our members educated on new uses of technology to increase our "touch points" with our audiences.

One initiative that was unveiled this past year is the "Buyer's Guide" for people new to the NAFB world and new to purchasing farm radio. The piece was made possible by the extremely valuable contribution of both time and material from Ted Hailer, The Jordan Group. Haller's name is synonymous with successful media planning--both ag-based and consumer-based. We are very grateful to have his involvement with this project.

The second generation of this piece is now available at this year's convention. It is a brochure type printed piece that can be taken back to the agencies who are training their new employees in farm radio planning and buying. Look for it to be a very common tool in the future.

NAFB has also been looking at some possible synergies with other groups in the ag media world. We had a very successful board meeting at the Ag Media Summit this past summer in Louisville, KY. The board meeting was very productive in itself, but the presence of NAFB broadcasters at this event also was very well received. The Summit has historically been print-specific, but recent years have seen several more media groups attend. This was the first year a group of broadcasters attended.

We are also appreciative of the NAFB Foundation and its continued support of the industry. The foundation has also been working diligently on a strategic plan of its own this past year. They continue to support various NAFB efforts including our rural lifestyle focused research that has been used extensively throughout this past year and will continue beyond 2008. Their yearly student scholarships are a great source of assistance to young people who desire to make a difference in the world of agricultural broadcasting. We really can't thank the Foundation enough for its efforts. It has a very positive effect on NAFB and its image in the marketplace.

I look forward to working with all of you and serving as NAFB President in 2008. It is my desire to continue giving our members value and guidance through an organization that is part of "A Rural Renaissance."

by Randy Koenen, NAFB President-elect, Red River Farm Network, Grand Forks, ND