When thinking about the agricultural industry and how our food is produced, the radio is not usually what comes to mind in understanding how farmers are able to successfully run their businesses. However, that is exactly what bridges the daily operations of farmers to our ability to put food on the table. This topic was explored in an academic context by alumna Paola Martin ’23, a communication studies major who used her time at LMU to explore her passion and interest in a topic that is deeply connected to her own personal background.
The research project, which originally started as a term paper for the communication studies course Business in Media, has now blossomed to a student-faculty research study about the use of media, and in particular, the radio, for farmers and agricultural businesses. Radio communications and receiving up-to-date information is vital for farmers to thrive and run their essential day-to-day business operations. As Martin was deciding on a topic for her final paper, her professor, Kevin Curran, Ph.D., encouraged her to explore her family background in agriculture and pitched the idea to write about media and the radio and its long-standing relationship to the farming industry.
“I come from a 4th generation farming family. My grandfather immigrated from Mexico to the United States in the 1940s with the bracero program that the US government was running,” Martin said. “My dad is currently a grower for Driscolls. So, from a young age, I grew to appreciate and understand the agricultural industry that surrounds and employs so many people in my hometown.” Martin’s family has been growing berries in the Salinas area for several decades, an area which supplies one of the largest amounts of crops produced annually in the nation.
Curran, who previously worked in the radio industry for many years, took a special interest in Martin’s project given his own professional background and understanding the importance of this topic. The term paper content became the literature review section of their joint qualitative research study, in which they conducted a series of interviews with various figures within the intersection of the farming and agricultural industries, including the executive director of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB), to see what information they would discover.
“I learned a lot whether it was the existence of the NAFB or other prominent radio stations that truly play such an impact and importance in the lives of everyday farmers who really depend on the radio to hear weather reports, hear market reports, hear about different news in agriculture,” said Martin.
With the current digital age and the widespread use of smartphones, a lot of agriculture-related statistics and reports can be easily found through a Google search. What the research revealed is that although the agricultural industry is embracing new forms of media through the creation of digital podcasts and other forms of consumer-driven media to share reports, the industry still largely depends on the radio because it provides vital background information in a way that phones just can’t quite do. While smartphones can provide straightforward statistics, they do not explain the why behind those statistics, which is why so many farmers continue to rely on radio for the most useful information.
Martin and Curran’s findings will be digitally presented at the annual Broadcast Education Association (BEA) this April in Las Vegas. According to Curran, “The BEA conference brings together those of us who study and teach broadcasting, audio, video, online topics at universities across the country, some in Canada, some in Europe. It’s a place to share our best practices. But it also provides opportunities for the students. Most of the research that is presented at these conferences is done by graduate students and by university professors. So this is an exciting and unique opportunity for Paola.”
Martin’s interest in environmental work has extended to her career as a part of the development and communications team at a non-profit in Monterey Bay dedicated to preserving a coastal wetland in the central coast. “I am really looking forward to the opportunity to share the importance of this issue to a wider audience,” said Martin of her upcoming presentation at BEA. “Agriculture is a really significant part of our economy, especially in California, but it’s not something that the general public spends a lot of time thinking about. I feel so grateful that I was given the opportunity to merge two things I’m very passionate about – agriculture and media – in a way that can hopefully make an impact.”