FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 28, 2022
Contact: Lyndsey Medsker
Lmedsker@nfudc.org, (202) 557-5328
DENVER – For his work covering agriculture news and his podcast covering industrial hemp, National Farmers Union (NFU) today awarded editor and journalist Eric Hurlock with its 2022 Milt Hakel Agriculture Communications Award.
Eric is a podcast journalist and digital editor at Lancaster Farming, a family-owned newspaper that has been the premiere source for agricultural news in Pennsylvania and the mid-Atlantic region for generations.
In 2018, Eric launched the Lancaster Farming Industrial Hemp Podcast, where he tells the story of the emerging hemp industry, exploring the opportunities and challenges for farmers, entrepreneurs, researchers, policy makers, inventors, and more.
“Eric’s unique blend of creative story-telling and research, backed by genuine curiosity and passion for the field, has gained him a devoted national and international audience,” said NFU President Rob Larew. “Though his work at Lancaster Farming and his podcast, Eric’s reporting on the emerging fiber and grain side of the hemp industry has been groundbreaking. His reporting has shown a light on the possibilities and challenges that hemp production presents to family farmers.”
The Lancaster Farming Industrial Hemp Podcast has won several Keystone News Media awards and was a finalist in the International News Media Association’s Global Media Awards for Best Use of Audio.
The Milt Hakel Agriculture Communications Award is presented to reporters or news outlets that demonstrate exceptional coverage of agricultural issues. The award was named in honor of Milton D. Hakel, a highly respected Farmers Union communicator.
“Every year, we recognize journalists who go above and beyond to provide impartial, thorough, and insightful coverage of the issues that are most relevant to the agriculture community and Farmers Union members,” said Larew. “During his impressive career, Eric has certainly done all of that and then some, making him a more than worthy recipient for our Milt Hakel Agriculture Communications Award.”
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National Farmers Union advocates on behalf of nearly 200,000 American farm families and their communities. We envision a world in which farm families and their communities are respected, valued, and enjoy economic prosperity and social justice.