I don’t mean to boast, but I do believe we’ve got a remarkable team here at Harvest Public Media.

As a one of seven Local Journalism Centers across the country, we have a unique focus and mission.  And for the last few months, we’ve been figuring out the best ways to accomplish our ambitious goals for covering food, fuel and field issues.

It hasn’t always been easy — for one thing, our team members don’t work in the same building … or in the same state, for that matter.

On most days, you’ll find me and Frank Morris, Harvest’s executive supervisor, at KCUR in Kansas City, Mo. KCUR is the lead station in the Harvest Public Media project.  Tim Lloyd, our multimedia editor, splits his time between Kansas City and Columbia, Mo. As for our four dedicated reporters, they are at work all over the four-state region: Kathleen Masterson (Iowa Pubic Radio) is based in Ames, Iowa; Clay Masters (NET) in Lincoln, Neb.; Jessica Naudziunas (KBIA) in Columbia, Mo.; and Eric Durban (Kansas Public Radio) in Garden City, Kan. On many days, though, they are out in the field — literally.

So getting us all in the same room together is a real feat.  It happened for the first time in January, when this picture was taken during a two-day team planning session. At the meeting, we laid out big plans for the coming year, including a heavy emphasis on covering the local food movement, the farm bill and other key ag topics.

If you can’t tell from the picture: We’re a geeky, enthusiastic, committed bunch. (Check the bios on our About page.) We’re united by a desire to explore fresh ideas, expand our knowledge, and share the great stories of American agriculture in new ways.  As we begin to grow our audience and reach out to the world at large, I hope you will share in our excitement. 

This team means business.

OK, yes, I mean to boast.