My name is Stan Wise, and I grew up on a family farm in northeastern Mississippi. It was a traditional row crop farm until the 1980s when it transitioned to include commercial vegetables. I enjoyed working closely with my grandfather who did his best to teach me about land maintenance. As a kid, I was active in 4-H, and I particularly enjoyed land judging competitions. Later, I attended Mississippi State University where I majored in English and helped pay my tuition by working as a soil insect field research technician in the Entomology Department.
After a stint working as an editor and production manager for a book publishing company in Alaska, I took a job at the Farm Forum in Aberdeen, SD. I became editor of the Farm Forum in 2013, and in that role I had the privilege to learn about South Dakota’s agriculture industry. The scale of production here is astounding, but I am more impressed by the dedication of the state’s farmers and ranchers to improve their operations and practices. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to promote the work of producers who are trying to improve their soil and make their operations more sustainable.
