So, You Talk to Cows? A Podcast for Agricultural Communicators

When I tell people that I teach agricultural communications, the next question is often “so, you talk to cows?” When I created my podcast in the Spring 2023 semester, this became a fun twist on the question I am so often asked.

The podcast started as a teaching tool. I didn’t have a textbook for one of my classes, didn’t like asking guest speakers to come to campus and deal with our treacherous traffic in the Spring 23 semester, and needed a creative outlet for myself at this moment in time. I had wanted to do a podcast for a while, and a topic finally emerged.

The podcast is simply about agricultural communications. Our field is so broad and encompasses so many sub-industries, so with each episode, I take a different element of our field and visit with someone that is doing really well in that area. We talk about their journey as a communicator and get some ideas from them to help make our jobs easier.

The IMPACT Project is a Hispanic Serving Institutions grant sponsored by USDA. This project is a partnership with Eastern New Mexico University to expand career opportunities for our students. We do field trips, internships, cooking lessons, and financial planning – and we have a lot of fun while doing it.

Although currently inactive Picador Creative was a service center dedicated to building quality communications products for West Texas businesses. Picador offered turn-key services, from creative idea to the execution of a final product.

Picador Creative consisted of undergraduate student interns, a graduate supervisor, and a team of agricultural communications faculty members working together to create unique and compelling products. Products were offered at a discounted rate.

This project went dormant when I started writing my textbook. It will likely see a revival in the near future. It was such a great service to the campus and community, so I don’t expect it to stay gone long.