Local agri journalist hosts US media student in quest to learn more about Northern Ireland farming

Michelle, who hails from Watertown, Wisconsin, is an undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls studying agricultural marketing communications and journalism.

Chris has worked as a journalist reporting on agriculture in print, digital, and broadcasting, both locally and around the world, for the past 22 years.

The duo met up in Northern Ireland for a few days touring farms and the wider agricultural industry, interviewing farmers, creating stories, video and podcast content as they travelled.

For Chris, the encounter was a good opportunity to pass on some of his wealth of experience and knowledge gained from over two decades working in agricultural journalism.

Chris said: “It was also a unique opportunity for me to learn firsthand from a dedicated young agri journalist who has grown up with, studied and mastered new forms of media that is excelling in agri journalism today.

“Although I use several forms of media in my reporting, working with Michelle served really well to further improve my journalist skills. It also gave me an insight into what the younger generation of readers favour in terms of how to access content.”

Michelle, who runs her very own podcast series ‘Positivity in Ag’ had already spent a month in Scotland prior to arriving with Chris.

Chris added: “During the time Michelle had in Northern Ireland we visited Michael Patton at Fisherwick Farm in Doagh to learn about his new venture selling milk from the dairy herd via a vending machine.

“Plus we visited Ulster Wool where joint depot manager Jane Harkness-Bones gave us a tour and a very informative talk on what they do, collecting and marketing almost two million kilos of wool from sheep farms in Northern Ireland.

“It was a pleasure to host Michelle in Northern Ireland and show her exactly what we do here in terms of agricultural media and farming. We even had some free time to go to the beach!”

Michelle’s visit to Northern Ireland was the first step on her European adventure visiting a number of countries to learn and record all about their own styles of farming.

Michelle said: “Being over halfway through my travels to Europe, it’s been a journey to learn more about the agricultural community from the people who radiate positivity.

“This is a project that completes my final semester as an undergraduate college student at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls studying agricultural marketing communications and journalism.

“The Semester Abroad Europe programme is unique where I design the project and receive support from the university on travel tips and how to plan.

“I began with a month in Scotland taking a class to help prepare for the eight-weeks of the project, and meet with fellow students and staff before I departed.

“Now, I’m traveling country-to-country interviewing people in agriculture for a podcast I have created and host called Positivity in Ag.

“From traveling to Northern Ireland, then the Republic of Ireland and on to Italy, I’m grateful to the people like Chris who have been as enthusiastic about the podcast, and have helped me along the way.

“I’ve learned how to become now only a better agricultural journalist, but how agriculture is a community globally. From farmer to farmer and person involved in the industry to the next, there’s differences that propels the industry further.

“That’s what I’m striving to do; learning as much as I can to become a better storyteller of agriculture with a career in agricultural marketing, communications or broadcasting,” said Michelle.