Telling Your Story
One century.
Ten decades.
One hundred years
Thirty-six thousand five hundred days.
A centennial celebration is a huge milestone, and The Farmer's Exchange just stepped into a new century of reporting.
It's not just one hundred years of reporting. It's one hundred years—four generations—of the Yeater family name running the operation. It's one hundred years of community presence, contribution, involvement and observation.
Farm families are happy to share which generation they are in the line of farm succession. Four generations of same ownership for a newspaper falls right in step with that symbol of pride in the ag community. Credibility, persistence, grit and faith are badges of honor in the media and print industry as much as they are in farming.
What events and people, besides the debut of The Farmer's Exchange, shaped 2026? Calvin Coolidge was the U.S. president, the Amos and Andy show made its debut, Ford introduced the 40-hour work week, Gertrude Ederle was the first woman to successfully swim the English Channel, explorer Richard Byrd flew over the North Pole, and Babe Ruth set a home run record at the World Series.
The end of World War I ushered in the decade of the 1920s when post-war rebuilding created a strong economy. For the first time, more people lived in villages, towns, and cities than on the farm. Women got the right to vote in 1920, and in a peculiar twist in history, Prohibition turned distillers into criminals.
The Farmer's Exchange had plenty to report on during the first 10 years in print. The 1929 Stock Market Crash. The Great Depression. Local impacts from the Great Dust Bowl. Then came the Nazi rise to power and eventually World War II. Even if farming and agriculture were the heart of the publication, the epicenter of big news and events ripples out into communities of every size. The first 20 years of business occurred during some of the nation's best and worst economic situations, and there was a rollercoaster of emotion, and often grief, which went with those years. Keeping the doors open was an accomplishment.
Creating and delivering a local, weekly, printed newspaper in 2026 is another accomplishment in a world gone digital. It is a piece of something tangible that you can put your hands on and read every week—no electronics required. It feels right both in the hand and to the brain. A local printed newspaper is something that a community can be proud of. It deserves the support of a community which they have supported for decades.
One hundred years in the newspaper business. That is more than a business to earn a living. It's a passion, it is purpose, it is a ministry. Not only that, but it is also a real legacy for a family and the community it serves. Thank you for providing a newspaper that people look forward to reading. Congratulations to the Yeater family on an amazing milestone!