Gene Millard has worn many hats over the years, and he hung one of them up this past Saturday.
Millard has been in broadcasting for 55 years and hosted Agri-shop for the past 20. He has been a farmer and an advocate for farmers his whole life.
He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in General Agriculture from Colorado State University in 1963. He began his career at KFEQ as Assistant Farm Director in 1964 when KFEQ was radio and television in St. Joseph, MO. During this time, Millard continued to work on the 1,200 acre family farm even as his broadcasting career progressed. He became the General Manager of KFEQ in 1976.
Millard was the Chairman of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting’s Sales Marketing Board and the Chairman of the Board for the Missouri Broadcasters Association. He continued to lead and serve on numerous other boards and associations. In 1990, he received the National Association of Farm Broadcasting’s Meritorious Service Award.
Millard won another award in 1999, “The Honor of Distinguished Broadcaster by the Missouri Broadcasters Association” and became the Vice-President of Eagle Radio the same year. In 2003, he went to work for NAFB as a marketing consultant and retired from Eagle Radio. Yet, he didn’t truly retire from broadcasting or farming. He continued to host Agri-shop on KFEQ and worked on his farm with his son, Brian.
Millard was inducted into the National Association of Farm Broadcasting’s Hall of Fame in 2010, and into the Missouri Broadcasters Association’s Hall of Fame last year in 2019, joining Rush Limbaugh and others. During Millard’s last Agri-shop show, Max Armstrong ( host of Midwest Digest) and Tom Brand (former KFEQ Farm Director, now Executive Director of the National Association of Farm Broadcasters) both called in with praise for Millard.
Millard chairs the Golden Triangle Energy in Craig, a position he’s held for the last 11 years. He has also spent the past 30 years on the Board of Directors of Citizen’s Bank and Trust.
Millard and his wife Sharon reside on their family farm in Northwest Missouri. They enjoy spending time with their four daughters, two sons, nine grandsons and one granddaughter.
