Janet Adkison Inducted into 2025 NAFB Hall of Fame

By Blake Jackson

Janet Adkison, director of public affairs and advocacy for the Missouri Farm Bureau, has spent more than 20 years serving as a trusted voice for rural America, connecting local farms to national and global audiences.

In recognition of Adkison remarkable contributions to agriculture, the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) named her a 2025 Hall of Fame inductee. Adkison will be honored at the Night of Honors banquet on Nov. 20 during the 82nd NAFB Convention in Kansas City, Missouri.

“This recognition, from people I’ve worked with for decades, is humbling. I’m surprised and thrilled to be included in the NAFB Hall of Fame, among people I consider as idols in the industry,” Adkison said.

Adkison grew up on a family-owned beef farm in Houston, Missouri, where she developed her passion for agriculture. She spent summers showing livestock, horseback riding, and actively participating in her local Missouri FFA chapter.

Adkison began college at Southwest Missouri State University in 1993 as an animal science major but later switched to agricultural communications, earning her bachelor’s degree in 1997.

“I started thinking of communications as a true career path at Missouri State when I was introduced to the diverse options within the industry, from public relations to advertising and many others,” Adkison said.

After graduation, Adkison worked with several media outlets across the Midwest, including the Arkansas Radio Network and Brownfield Network. In 2013, she joined the Rural Media Group in Nashville, Tennessee, as a market reporter for Rural Free Delivery Television and Rural Radio on Sirius XM.

Adkison later led the Washington, D.C., News Bureau, covering the USDA, the White House, and Congress, before anchoring Rural Evening News and Market Day Report for nearly seven years.

“I grew up in a rural agriculture community, and I see farm broadcasting as a chance to give back to those communities and the industry, by sharing information that helps them grow as we move into the future,” Adkison said.

Since 2023, Adkison has led communications at the Missouri Farm Bureau, ensuring farmers receive timely information through print, podcasts, and other outreach efforts. “Sometimes that means providing updates for members and other times it’s about sharing important reminders, like exercising caution when harvesting during National Farm Safety Week,” Adkison said.

Photo Credit: missouri-farm-bureau