Building broadcasters of tomorrow. (Farm Broadcasting Beyond The Studio).

After nine years in the broadcasting business, Donna Schmidt, ag services director for KROC-AM, Rochester, Minn., still finds it a challenge to thoroughly cover events such as National FFA Week, National 4-H Week and county and state fairs. After starting at KROC in 1995, she decided to try an alternative method of covering these typical events. Rather than simply interviewing, she regularly turns reporting duties over to 4-H and FFA members. These young reporters then collect the news, put together a report and then record it for broadcast.

"I believe this teaches them more skills and responsibilities, and at the same time, gets news and information out on these organizations," says Schmidt.