From the farm to the radio to the news desk
When Allison Lund entered Purdue as an agronomy major, she never expected she would pursue journalism in the College of Agriculture or that she would be an editorial intern with Indiana Prairie Farmer.
“I'd always really liked writing, and I grew up on a farm in south central Wisconsin, but I didn't know that there was a way for me to combine those two things,” Lund said. “As soon as I arrived at Purdue, I learned of the agricultural communication major and immediately switched into that program.”
With the help of Mark Tucker, an agricultural communication professor, Lund gained the confidence and clarity she needed to begin volunteering for Indiana Prairie Farmer, a publication of Farm Progress, her freshman year. Lund continued to volunteer with the publication until this fall when she began freelancing with them. As a freelancer, Lund had the opportunity to write about topics such as farmer mental health and Purdue agriculture news. Lund enjoyed writing for the magazine and wanted to dive deeper into journalism, but the magazine did not have an internship program. Lund decided to forge her own path.
Allison Lund interviews someone from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for an upcoming story Lund first approached Tom Bechman, the editor of Indiana Prairie Farmer, who she worked with freelancing, and Holly Spangler, the editor of Prairie Farmer magazine and executive editor for Farm Progress, to see if they could design an internship for her. “They created this really wonderful opportunity for me this summer where I could work remotely and help them write the Farm Progress Show program, while also continuing to write stories for Indiana Prairie Farmer,” Lund said.
Working remotely has given Lund the flexibility to go home and help on the family farm while still being able to pursue her work interviewing and writing about farmers and agriculture professionals. Currently, Lund is working on a project about this year’s Featured Farmers at the Indiana State Fair.
Lund plans to graduate in December and hopes to pursue agriculture-based journalism full time. She would also love to start her own agricultural-focused podcast.
Through her experiences, Lund, who considers herself an “extroverted introvert,” said she was able to “break down that introverted layer” to open up, become more conversational with those she interviews and grow as a journalist.
If I wouldn't have pursued this summer internship and a farm broadcasting internship last summer, I don't think that I would be where I am right now with near the knowledge and skills that I have.
- Allison Lund, ASEC senior
