About Us



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., Little Rock, Arkansas, 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. 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.

 

 

 Sara Wyant

 Stewart Doan, Senior Editor

 

Senior Editor Stewart Doan has covered agriculture for 28 years. He has been recognized by the National Cotton Council, the USA Rice Federation and the Arkansas Farm Bureau for his reporting on a wide range of agricultural policy issues. Doan is respected on Capitol Hill and across the country, having cultivated hundreds of valuable sources who will be called upon to provide Agri-Pulse subscribers with meaningful analysis. He's at the forefront of breaking developments and news that can be used from ongoing national and international events. In 2007, Doan was invited to travel with Acting Secretary Chuck Conner, U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab, and members of Congress on a trip to South America. The National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) named Doan the 2006 National Farm Broadcaster of the Year. He is also a past president of the NAFB. He and his wife, Leslie, and their two daughters live in Little Rock, Arkansas.

 

 

 

 

 


Stewart Doan 

 

 

  

 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 Gonzalez 

 

 

  

 

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. For the last 26 years, he has written or published seven newsletters, written for several other publications, and appeared on several television news shows. His most recent venture was The Webster Agricultural Letter, now part of Agri-Pulse Communications. He also writes regularly for the Agra Informa (U.K.) newsletters Agra Europe, Dairy Markets, World Poultrymeat News and AgraFood Biotech; for the Capital Press, a western U.S. farm newspaper; for the eDairy advisory service in Chicago, and Agro magazine. He addresses farm and agribusiness groups in the U.S. and other countries. From 1990-1993, he was vice president for communications in the Washington office of Sparks Companies, Inc., the predecessor of Informa Economics, and edited its SCI Policy Report and The Food & Fiber Letter. 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 later was an editor and reporter for United Press International and newspapers and rural electric cooperatives in Nebraska, Wisconsin and South Dakota. He was awarded the George W. Haggard Award by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association in 1969 for editing the South Dakota High-Liner. Jim and Marilyn live in Arlington, Virginia, and Ocean Pines, Maryland. Their four children and nine grandchildren live nearby in the Washington area. He is active in community affairs, serving on the board of the Ballston-Virginia Square Partnership, a public-private economic development organization in Arlington, and the executive committee of the Ballston-Virginia Square Civic Association.

 

 

 

  

 

Allan R. Johnson

 

Allan R. Johnson retired from the United States Department of Agriculture in April 2009. He joined his wife's consulting/newsletter business, Agri-Pulse Communications. He continues to provide strategic consultation to government and NGOs as well as serves as the Marketing Director for Agri-Pulse. Mr. Johnson was appointed to serve as Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development on September 12, 2005. Johnson served in a leadership role by assisting Agriculture Under Secretary for Rural Development Thomas Dorr in carrying out Rural Development's mission to support economic opportunity and improve the quality of life in Rural America. 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 the Texas Farmer Stockman 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. He entered into a consulting arrangement with Achieva, Inc., a leading Public Affairs firm specializing in agriculture issues, primarily biotechnology and conservation. He served in this capacity until his appointment to USDA.

 

 

 

 

  

 

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.

 

 

 

  

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