Missouri Ruralist: Farm Progress Brand for Missouri, Digital Shift, Coverage and Editors
Profile updated November 2026
Missouri Ruralist is the Farm Progress magazine for Missouri, a state where row crops along the rivers meet cow-calf country in the Ozarks. The title has served commercial farmers in the Show-Me State through generations of ownership changes, and it is now preparing for a new chapter: from 2027 its issues go digital-only.
| Publisher | Farm Progress, part of Informa |
|---|---|
| Coverage area | Missouri |
| Audience | 19.3K AAM audited subscribers |
| Newsletter | Missouri Ruralist Morning Newsletter, about 3,350 subscribers |
| Format change | Digital-only issues beginning in 2027 |
| Recent issues | March 2026 and April/May 2026 |
| Official website | Missouri Ruralist issues on FarmProgress.com |
History of Missouri Ruralist
Missouri Ruralist has long been one of the state titles in the Farm Progress group, which traces its core to Prairie Farmer, founded in Chicago in 1841. Farm Progress passed from ABC and Disney to Australia's Rural Press in 1997 and then to Fairfax. When Penton Media bought Farm Progress for $79.9 million in 2012, Missouri Ruralist was on the list of publications in the deal, alongside Kansas Farmer, Nebraska Farmer and the other state brands.
Informa acquired Penton, and with it Farm Progress, on November 2, 2016. Since then Missouri Ruralist has operated as one of the company's local brands, with a print magazine, a website section on FarmProgress.com, digital editions and a weekday morning email newsletter for Missouri readers.
Missouri Ruralist Today
Farm Progress lists Missouri Ruralist among its 14 state and regional brands and reports 19.3K AAM audited subscribers, plus 3,359 subscribers to the Missouri Ruralist Morning Newsletter. Digital editions of each issue, such as March 2026 and April/May 2026, are posted online with interactive features, article narration and auction and marketplace listings that digital readers see before the printed copy arrives.
The magazine has announced that Missouri Ruralist enters a new digital-only season in 2027, ending mailed print issues. Wisconsin Agriculturist is making the same move in 2027, and Indiana Prairie Farmer is also shifting online, following Ohio Farmer and Michigan Farmer, which went online-only in 2020.
What Missouri Ruralist Is Publishing Now
Cattle and forage
Cow-calf, stocker and grazing coverage for one of the country's major beef cow states, along with hay and pasture management.
Row crops
Corn, soybean, rice and cotton production news relevant to northern Missouri and the Bootheel, plus agronomy and equipment.
Markets and rural life
Farm business, policy and markets, the Marketplace auction listings, and stories about Missouri farm families.
Missouri Ruralist Editors and Staff
Farm Progress's own brand pages and editorial contact lists connect these people with Missouri Ruralist:
- Mindy Ward - Missouri Ruralist editorial staff
- Chris Six - Editorial contact, Missouri Ruralist
Missouri Ruralist also draws on Farm Progress's national editorial and broadcast team, including farm broadcasters Max Armstrong and Mike Pearson.
Who Reads Missouri Ruralist
Readers are commercial farmers in Missouri. Beef cattle are the largest single segment of U.S. livestock receipts, with $72.9 billion and 37 percent of animal receipts in 2021 according to USDA's Economic Research Service, and Missouri's grass-based cattle country makes that sector central to the magazine. Nationally, the 2022 Census of Agriculture found that 95 percent of farms are family farms, the typical Missouri Ruralist household.
Missouri Ruralist readers live in the Show-Me State, so they want proof before they laugh. farm.FM offers the evidence: farm satire about row-crop life, farm humor from the hay field, ranch humor for Ozarks cow-calf outfits and farm jokes sturdy enough to survive a Missouri summer. It is a good companion to a magazine that is about to live entirely on screens.
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.
Missouri Ruralist Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Farm Progress: Missouri Ruralist magazine issues - recent digital editions.
- Missouri Ruralist enters new digital-only season in 2027 - the magazine's format announcement.
- USDA ERS: Animal product receipts - the weight of cattle in farm income.
- USDA NASS: 2022 Census of Agriculture - national farm counts and family farm share.
- USDA NASS Quick Stats - Missouri crop and livestock statistics.
Missouri Ruralist FAQ
Who publishes Missouri Ruralist?
Farm Progress, a division of Informa based in St. Charles, Illinois.
Is Missouri Ruralist ending its print edition?
Yes. The magazine has announced a digital-only format starting in 2027.
How many subscribers does Missouri Ruralist have?
Farm Progress reports 19.3K AAM audited subscribers and about 3,350 morning newsletter readers.
Where can I read Missouri Ruralist issues online?
Digital editions are posted on the Missouri Ruralist magazine issues page at FarmProgress.com.
With print giving way to screens in 2027, Missouri Ruralist is betting that Missouri farmers will follow it online.