Kim Baldwin Named 2022 Friend of Ag
During the recent Farm Forum event, The Agriculture Committee of the McPherson Chamber of Commerce awarded Kim Baldwin, McPherson, as the 2022 Friend of Agriculture. Kim and her husband, Adam, and their children, Banks and Isannah, live on their family farm near Conway.
Born in California and living in multiple locations on the West Coast, Mexico City and the Zuni Indian Reservation, her family settled on a small farm in the middle Rio Grande Valley in central New Mexico. Her parents always worked off the farm, but they did establish a small cow herd in New Mexico. Kim’s involvement in 4-H and FFA and in showing and judging animals sparked her own interest in agriculture. While a student in New Mexico, she was an active member of several livestock organizations and served as a New Mexico State FFA officer. Kim graduated from New Mexico State University with dual degrees in Agricultural Extension and Education with an emphasis in ag communications, and in journalism and mass communications. After working as a videographer, reporter, anchor and producer for PBS and NBC affiliates in New Mexico, she transitioned to teaching journalism and language arts in public schools in New Mexico, Missouri and Kansas.
This background has provided her with the tools to actively promote agriculture in a number of volunteer areas, with a focus on educating the general public about agriculture and advocating for the agriculture sector. Shortly after she and Adam were married and she moved to McPherson County, she became active in local and state Farm Bureau networks, serving as past women’s chair and President for McPherson County Farm Bureau. She currently serves on the Kansas Farm Bureau Specialty Crops Task Force and writes a monthly syndicated “Insight” column for KFB published in newspapers throughout Kansas and the U.S. In addition, she volunteers with the Inman FFA program as a coach and mentor for several judging and leadership teams and serves on the Inman FFA Alumni Board. The family has also hosted several international trade teams on their farm.
For a number of years, she has been part of the team of volunteers with CommonGround and CommonGround Kansas, a network of women involved in agriculture committed to engaging in conversations with consumers about food and farming, participating in both statewide and national outreach events.
She was selected to be part of the KARL Class XV leadership program and is a current KARL Board member, serving as the Curriculum Committee Chair. The KARL program mission is to provide leadership training that will positively impact Kansas agriculture and rural communities.
Kim was appointed to the United Sorghum Checkoff Program Board of Directors in 2021. The Sorghum Checkoff board is a producer-funded organization dedicated to improving the sustainability of the sorghum industry through research, promotion and education. As part of that involvement, she serves as a sorghum representative at U.S. Grains Council meetings where the focus is developing markets, enabling trade and improving lives.
Whether it’s on the local, state or national level, Kim believes in the work of promoting agriculture.
-article written by Cindy Baldwin, Baldwin Creative Services, and Chamber Ag Committee member