My friend Prof. Jim Evans and his team at the Agricultural Communications Documentation Center at the University of Illinois offers these suggestions in the latest edition of ACDC News:

The Reynolds Center for Business Journalism, Arizona State University, provides a continuing stream of ideas to help news reporters find local stories related to agriculture. Here are samples of recent tips:

  • What is happening locally in government-supported conservation reserve program  contracts and rural development projects
  • Local impacts of rising commodity prices and farmland values
  • How hunting seasons affect local businesses and communities
  • Keeping tabs on influences of new leases of land for drilling shale gas wells
  • Local angles in cases of food recalls and outbreaks of food-borne diseases
  • How a mild winter may influence local food and agriculture interests

You can follow such leads by visiting the Reynolds Center website at http://businessjournalism.org and reviewing information on the agriculture beat.