Holly Spangler, senior editor of Prairie Farmer magazine and executive editor for Farm Progress Publications was presented the ISPFMRA Service to Agriculture award during the Chapter’s annual meeting on February 8 in Champaign. Presenting the honor was Michael Lauher, AFM, vice president of the organization.
Spangler has covered Illinois agriculture for more than two decades, bringing meaningful production agriculture experience to the magazine’s coverage. In addition to her Prairie Farmer responsibilities, she also manages editorial staff at six magazines throughout the eastern Corn Belt.
She began her career with Prairie Farmer just before graduating from the University of Illinois in agricultural communications. An award-winning writer and photographer, Holly is past president of the American Agricultural Editors Association.
In 2015, she became only the 10th U.S. agricultural journalist to earn the Writer of Merit designation and is a five-time winner of the top writing award for editorial opinion in U.S. agriculture.
She was named an AAEA Master Writer in 2005. In 2011, Holly was one of 10 recipients worldwide to receive the IFAJ-Alltech Young Leaders in Ag Journalism award. She currently serves on the Illinois Fairgrounds Foundation, the U of I Agricultural Communications Advisory committee, and is an advisory board member for the U of I College of ACES Research Station at Monmouth.
Her work in agricultural media has been recognized by the Illinois Soybean Association, Illinois Corn Growers Association, Illinois Council on Agricultural Education and MidAmerica Croplife Association.
Holly and her husband, John, farm in western Illinois where they raise corn, soybeans and beef cattle on 2,500 acres. Their operation includes 125 head of commercial cows in a cow/calf operation. The family farm includes John’s parents and their three children.
Holly is the fourth Prairie Farmer magazine editor to be recognized with the Service to Agriculture citation by the Chapter since the honor program was begun in 1940. Previous honorees were Paul C. Johnson, 1963, James Thompson, 1981, and Josh Flint, 2014.