Hi! 

My name is Jen Bradley, and I’m writing to you today as the new Managing Editor of Farm Equipment and Rural Lifestyle Dealer. I have been freelancing for Lessiter Media on and off for many years, realizing recently I first met this incredible team 13 years ago. Even more fun is that quite a few staff and I also share a history of passing career paths through trade journalism companies and publications, some long gone. 

Ag is something I will always love. There’s something special about being a farm kid. And even more so if you grew up before everything was automated. I know many of you reading this are in that group with me. Scraping gutters, cleaning pens and loading hay bales by hand, then making sure the milk pump started at 4:30. We even switched the bottom half of the barn every milking. Robots? That was for TV.  I always brought my rabbit along for support instead! 

There are few things that excite me more than a shiny red Case IH Steiger, an old Farmall with a bouncy seat like my Grandpa’s 560, or knowing that I was the first one to ride along with Dad when he got a double-seater John Deere combine. There’s something really special about the level of trust a person has with those who handle such big machinery and the logical life lessons I’ve learned from them. (As a note, I actually did pass my tractor safety test at the Calumet County Courthouse.) 

However, my talents were not in driving equipment or managing a farm. I always had the gift of gab and observation instead, which is how I ended up here with you. My career started in trade journalism, then grew into marketing, project management, operations and eventually team leadership.

Today, I have been able to fulfill my childhood dream of owning lots of hobby animals and still stay involved with those who operate agriculture endeavors on a much bigger scale. My husband, our three children and I are active in 4-H and FFA. I’ve done my best to make sure they understand (and appreciate) this vital industry. The kids tagged along with me to all sorts of events while I worked for the WI FFA Foundation, and we still make sure to catch our people at World Dairy Expo and WPS Farm Show here in Wisconsin each year. 

I clearly remember attending a Farm Equipment Manufacturers Assn. conference years ago as a freelancer (another fun part of my story) and seeing my first 3-D printer. It was on display in the hallway of the conference center and a major highlight for everyone in attendance. Do any of you remember that show too? Those are the things your industry truly lives through together. We’re all seeing it now with AI. Something new comes along, then we watch and learn. How will the industry ebb and flow, adapt or not? What will stay and last? What won’t? What are the ROI and new KPIs that need to be discussed? It’s both exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time. 

I am filled with gratitude for the opportunity to take another role in the agricultural sector. When I first started writing for Farm Equipment, my dad set up a day with Steve Dvorak at D&D Equipment near us in Chilton, Wis., and it was an eye opener, but also a homecoming. You can’t take a farm girl too far from her roots I’ve learned. I’ve enjoyed writing and learning about many of you over the past years, and now am excited to meet more of you in person, learn about your challenges, and celebrate the things that make this industry really special. 

Thank you for the warm welcome I’ve already received and I look forward to seeing you all soon. My heart is for the future of agriculture and making sure that your hard work is noticed, advocated for, and ready for the next generation to thrive. It is an honor to do this with you and serve alongside the Lessiter team.