Agri-Pulse is your comprehensive weekly report of the latest in agricultural information. We take a holistic approach to covering current farming and rural news and we never miss a beat. The world of agriculture extends beyond what's growing in your field or living in your barn, and here at Agri-Pulse, we understand that. We make it our duty to inform you of the most up-to-date agricultural and rural policy decisions being made in Washington D.C. and examine how they will affect you – the farmer, the lobbyist, the government employee, the educator, the consultant and the concerned citizen. We investigate several aspects of the food, fuel, feed and fiber industries, looking at the economic, statistical and financial trends and evaluate how these changes will impact your business. And we provide insight on the people and players who are making things happen. Farm and rural policy is much more than just letters on a page and extend far beyond the lawmakers and regulators who write them in Washington. Agri-Pulse provides you with a weekly update of how these decisions will affect your productivity, your pocketbook, and your livelihood. Whether it be new developments in international trade, organic foods, farm credit and loan policies or climate change legislation, we keep you abreast of the information you need to stay on the cutting edge.

About Our Staff

With a combined 70 years of experienced agricultural coverage on Capitol Hill, the Agri-Pulse staff can provide high quality, in-depth reporting on the issues that concern you most. We are the only farm and rural publication with full-time staff covering key congressional hearings and meeting with members of Congress and the Administration. Let us put our expertise to work for you!

Sara Wyant, President

Sara Wyant is President of Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc., a diversified communications firm with offices in Washington, D.C. and Camdenton, Missouri. As a veteran farm policy reporter, she is well recognized on Capitol Hill as well as with farm and commodity associations across the country. Her newsletter and web site, Agri-Pulse, includes the latest updates on farm policy, commodity and conservation programs, trade, food safety, rural development, and environmental and regulatory programs. She served as 2007/2008 Chairman of the Farm Foundation's Board of Trustees, is a member of the Steering Committee for the 25 x '25 Renewable Energy Group, and serves on the Advisory Board of the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center at Iowa State. Wyant is a past president of the American Agricultural Editors' Association. In 2000, she received an Oscar in Agriculture for excellence in agricultural reporting and in 1996, received the United Soybean Board's producer communications award. In 2011, Wyant was honored by the Agriculture Future of America as a "Leader in Agriculture."She is an honorary member of Women Involved in Farm Economics (WIFE). Sara gained first-hand knowledge of crop and livestock production while growing up on a farm near Marengo, Iowa, and is still involved with her family's farming operation. She and her husband also own the farm where his grandparents' originally homesteaded near Almont, North Dakota, and where his brothers still farm, raise cattle and produce honey. Sara and her husband, Allan Johnson, have two sons: Jason and Jordan.

Derrick Cain, Senior Editor

Derrick Cain brings more than eight years of experience, reporting about news from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and agriculture-related legislation in the U.S. Congress, including detailed coverage of the 2002 and 2008 farm bills.

As a congressional reporter for more than 12 years who most recently worked for Bloomberg BNA, Cain reported on hundreds of congressional hearings and mark-ups, bills, and floor debates in both chambers. He covered several federal departments and agencies, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Department of Labor, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Transportation, the U.S. Postal Service, and Amtrak.

In addition to his daily reporting duties, Cain has appeared on C-SPAN and the National Public Radio’s Diane Rehm Show, providing insight on current policy-related issues. He received his bachelor’s degree in journalism from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.

Sarah Gonzalez, Associate Editor

An Elburn, Illinois native, Gonzalez is a journalism graduate from Iowa State University, where she earned cum laude honors. She wrote extensively for the Iowa State Daily, putting her minor in biology to work covering the university's science departments and developments in the plant sciences, meteorology, chemistry and physics fields. Gonzalez spent a year as the communications intern for Iowa State University Extension, where she wrote press releases and edited other external and internal communications. She also served as the Public Relations Director for the Iowa State chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America. Additionally, she spent one year working in the Public Relations/Marketing Department of the Iowa State Daily, where she served as the editor of the Unions section.

Sarah has hit the ground running in Washington, covering events on the Hill, government agencies, the White House, and at the many association meetings across town. From her office inside USDA she has established trusting relationships with many of the key influencers impacting Ag and rural policy. 

Aarian Marshall, Associate Editor

Aarian initially joined us as an intern last fall to assist with our election coverage, but she has quickly grasped a wide variety of the farm, food and rural issues that we cover. Prior to joining Agri-Pulse, she served as communications intern for Faith in Public Life, a faith advocacy group in Washington, DC, and as an editorial intern for Moment Magazine, a publication focusing on Jewish culture, politics and religion. Marshall graduated from Princeton University in 2012 with concentrations in Religion and Urban Studies. While at Princeton, Marshall won a number of awards for her writing.

Ken Root, Contributing Editor

Ken Root is a veteran farm news reporter who works with digital media, including radio, television, print and the web. This Oklahoma native has filed stories from thirty countries in a career that spans five decades.

Root traveled to China with U.S. Ag Secretary John Block and to Iraq with U.S. Ag Secretary Mike Johanns. In 2012 he accompanied Iowa Ag Secretary Bill Northey to Brazil to observe the growing agricultural capabilities of South American agriculture.  In addition to broadcasting Agri-Pulse Open Mic on www.Agri-Pulse.com, Root provides daily reports on the Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network and WHO TV in Des Moines and writes a weekly column for the High Plains Journal.

Cindy Zimmerman, Contributing Editor

Cindy is Vice President of ZimmComm New Media, a multi-media agricultural communications company based near Pensacola, Florida, which she founded with husband Chuck.

Cindy has been in agricultural communications since her senior year of college at the University of Florida majoring in broadcasting when she went to work for the radio and TV department at Florida Farm Bureau. She and her husband helped start what today is the Southeast AgNet with partner Gary Cooper. She was a regional vice president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting and won the Oscar in Agriculture in 1991 for her coverage of the citrus canker outbreak in Florida.

Cindy and Chuck both worked for Brownfield Radio Network during the 1990’s and started ZimmComm New Media in 2005 with several on-line agricultural publications including AgWired.com; DomesticFuel.com; PrecisionPays.com; and WorldDairyDiary.com

James C. Webster, Editor of Farm Hands on the Potomac

Jim Webster has been writing about and dabbling in agricultural politics in Washington since the early days of the Nixon Administration. Since 1981, he has written or published seven newsletters and written for several other publications.

His most recent venture, The Webster Agricultural Letter, was acquired by Agri-Pulse Communications in 2007. He now writes primarily for Agri-Pulse but also for the Agra Informa (U.K.) newsletters Agra Europe and Dairy Markets, the on-line eDairy advisory service in Chicago and Agro Washington magazine, and addresses farm and agribusiness groups.

Webster was assistant secretary of agriculture for governmental and public affairs at USDA during the Carter Administration, chief clerk of the Senate Agriculture Committee, agricultural legislative assistant and press secretary for former U.S. Senator George McGovern of South Dakota, and director of public relations for the American Public Power Association.

He's a native of Nebraska, attended Creighton University in Omaha, where he began working for the Associated Press in 1955. He subsequently was a reporter and manager for United Press International and edited a newspapers and electric cooperative publications in Nebraska, Wisconsin and South Dakota. Jim and Marilyn now live in Arlington, Virginia.

Allan R. Johnson

Allan R. Johnson retired from the United States Department of Agriculture in April 2009. He now provides strategic consultation to Agri-Pulse. Mr. Johnson was appointed to serve as Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development on September 12, 2005. Previously, Johnson served as Director of Legislative and Public Affairs at USDA Rural Development. He was appointed to that position in 2003 by President Bush. During his tenure at USDA Rural Development he lead the effort to Brand the Mission Area that had formerly been three separate agencies with their own identity. In addition, a major outreach effort was launched under his leadership to educate citizens in rural America of the numerous important programs available from USDA Rural Development. Before joining Rural Development, Johnson was active in agricultural publishing and public affairs for over 30 years. He served as President of Farm Progress Companies, the leading farm publisher in the US that publishes magazines like the Dakota Farmer and Prairie Farmer as well as produces the Farm Progress Show. The company grew from seven publications to 39 publications during his tenure as president. Farm Progress was owned by American Broadcasting Company, The Walt Disney Company and Rural Press Limited, Sydney, Australia. Johnson retired from Farm Progress companies in June 2000.

Sandra (Sandi) Schmitt - Administrative Assistant

Sandi comes to Agri-Pulse with a 30-year background in Accounting and Customer Service. From the construction industry in her native Florida to the non-profit world of the Warsaw, Missouri Chamber of Commerce, Sandi has acquired a wide range of experience over the years. As you will quickly learn from talking to her, she is definitely a “people” person.

Sandi has dual degrees in Accounting and Christian Counseling and also is educated in the emerging field of web design and development. Along with her volunteer work as Chair of the Benton County (MO) Extension Council; a first responder on the Community Emergency Response Team and member of the Benton County Local Emergency Planning Committee Sandi loves to spend time in the outdoors and around the lake. Sandi has 3 grown children and lives in a log home in rural Edwards, Missouri with her two four-legged feline companions.