AgriNews: History, Illinois and Indiana Editions, Coverage and Staff
Profile updated November 2026
AgriNews is a weekly farm newspaper published in La Salle, Illinois, with separate Illinois and Indiana editions written by field editors who live and work among their readers. It began in 1977 as a supplement to the La Salle NewsTribune and has belonged to Shaw Media since 2019.
| Founded | 1977, as Ag-News, a NewsTribune supplement |
|---|---|
| Editions | Illinois AgriNews and Indiana AgriNews (added 1982) |
| Owner | Shaw Media, since September 2019 |
| Home | La Salle, Illinois |
| Frequency | Weekly |
| Executive Editor | James Henry |
| Official website | AgriNews-pubs.com |
History of AgriNews
AgriNews began in 1977 as Ag-News, a twice-monthly supplement of the NewsTribune in La Salle, Illinois, owned by the Miller family. Lou Lesniak is credited with the original idea, and the paper was built to serve working farmers and farm families with local news and local advertisers. It started with three counties, and within a year it had three editions covering 24 counties.
By the end of 1980 it circulated in every Illinois county, and it became a standalone weekly renamed Illinois AgriNews, merging its three editions into one. Planning for an Indiana edition began in 1982, modeled on the Illinois paper but run independently. Lynn Barker, who joined in 1978 in advertising, rose to publisher and retired in December 2019 after nearly 42 years.
In August 2019 Catherine Miller announced the sale of the NewsTribune, Illinois AgriNews and Indiana AgriNews to Shaw Media, ending more than 70 years of Miller family ownership. Shaw Media, founded by B.F. Shaw in Dixon in 1851, is one of the oldest family-owned media companies in the country.
AgriNews Today
AgriNews publishes weekly in print and as an e-edition, with field editors throughout Illinois and Indiana. It marked 45 years in 2022 and will celebrate its 50th year in 2027. In 2007 it received the Meritorious Service in Communications Award from the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers.
Its reporters have covered the National FFA Convention, Commodity Classic and farm bill debates in Washington, and have reported from countries including Argentina, Brazil, China, Germany, Japan and Mexico.
What AgriNews Is Publishing Now
Crops and livestock
Crop and livestock management news for corn, soybean, hog and cattle producers across the two states.
Agribusiness and markets
Agribusiness, new products and market information tailored to each farm area.
Policy and events
State and national political issues affecting agriculture, plus coverage of farm shows and conventions.
AgriNews Editors and Staff
AgriNews' about page and its own anniversary coverage name these people:
- James Henry - Executive Editor
- Martha Blum - Field Editor
- Erica Quinlan - Editorial contact
- Dan Goetz - Publisher (named in 2022)
- Lynn Barker - Former Publisher, retired December 2019
Story ideas go to editorial@agrinews-pubs.com, the address AgriNews lists for its newsroom.
Who Reads AgriNews
Readers are grain and livestock farmers, farm managers and agribusiness people in Illinois and Indiana, two of the nation's leading corn and soybean states. The USDA Census of Agriculture gives county-level data for both, and soil-health practices the paper covers, from cover crops to reduced tillage, are backed by SARE and NRCS research.
AgriNews readers in Illinois and Indiana argue about whose corn is taller every July, and both sides are sure they are right. To settle nothing at all, farm.FM offers farm satire and farm humor for the Corn Belt, with ranch humor for the cattle feeders south of I-70. Its farm jokes are printed in one edition for both states, which keeps the peace.
Part newsroom, part radio dial, farm.FM bills itself as America's first satirical farm site and plays Tractor Tunes, its country music for farmers. Browse a farm.FM writer's back catalog to see the style.
AgriNews Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- AgriNews: About us - history, editions and newsroom contacts.
- AgriNews marks 45 years - the paper's own anniversary history.
- Miller family sells to Shaw Media - the 2019 ownership change.
- SARE: 10 ways cover crops enhance soil health - research for Corn Belt growers.
- USDA NASS: Census of Agriculture - Illinois and Indiana farm data.
AgriNews FAQ
When did AgriNews start?
In 1977, as Ag-News, a supplement to the La Salle NewsTribune; it became a standalone weekly in 1980.
Who owns AgriNews?
Shaw Media, which bought it from the Miller family in 2019.
Is there an Indiana AgriNews?
Yes. An Indiana edition was planned from 1982, modeled on the Illinois paper.
How do I contact the AgriNews newsroom?
Email editorial@agrinews-pubs.com or call 800-426-9438.
Nearly 50 years on, AgriNews still sends field editors down Illinois and Indiana farm lanes every week.