“Howdy, neighbors!”

Ron Hays’ friendly greeting has reached countless Oklahomans since 1977 as he has delivered agricultural news and markets across the airways.

For his commitment to Oklahoma agriculture and to the Oklahoma FFA, Hays received the 2009 Oklahoma FFA VIP Award in April.

“There are so many positive FFA stories it makes it pleasant to cover activities,” Hays said. “At the same time, it is such a positive way to portray agriculture to the general public.”

The son of an agricultural education teacher, Hays grew up helping raise pigs, sheep and tobacco. Although he showed livestock, competed in parliamentary procedure, and served as a chapter officer, his passion in the Woodford County FFA Chapter was public speaking. Along the way, he found radio and his destiny.

“Radio is a disease,” Hays said with a grin. “I got bit by the ‘radio bug’ in junior high.”

Hays said he started his broadcasting career as a basketball announcer during his senior year and “dreamed of doing radio.”

“Through my speaking experiences with FFA and growing up on the farm, I was able to tie them together with farm broadcasting,” he said.

Hays did that at the University of Kentucky, earning a “topical major” in agricultural communications by self-selecting courses for his curriculum. While in college, he worked at his hometown FM station as a disc jockey. He left that station in 1974 after earning his degree and took a radio job in Wichita, Kan., before coming to Oklahoma.

Today, Hays serves as the director of farm programming for the Radio Oklahoma Network in Oklahoma City. Hays joined RON in August 2006 after nearly 30 years as the voice of the Oklahoma Agrinet.

“I have a responsibility to report agriculture to producers and about agriculture to consumers,” Hays said.

He continues to take his job seriously, committed to inform all who listen to him on 40 stations statewide. As a result of his dedication, Hays has earned four Oscars in Agriculture (including one in 1999 for career contributions in farm broadcasting) and the National Association of Farm Broadcasters’ Farm Broadcaster of the Year award in 1993-94. In 2007, he became the first farm broadcaster to be inducted into the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame. But Hays said the VIP award was “pretty special.”

“Knowing who has been honored before, it was quite humbling,” Hays said. “Being honored reflected that perhaps I had impacted or touched the lives of FFA members through the years.”

One former FFA’er who remembers Hays’ efforts is Joe Popplewell, operations manager for Seaboard Foods near Hennessey. Hays interviewed Popplewell when he was president of the Ponca City FFA chapter during the 1982 National FFA Convention in Kansas City, Mo.

“It was flattering to have Ron Hays from the Oklahoma Agrinet walk up to me and ask if I would be willing to do an interview,” Popplewell said. “I thought ‘Wow, this is Ron Hays.’ I’ll never forget it. I remember my family members telling me they heard me. It made me realize as a high school student ‘I can do this.’

“I still see Ron from time to time,” Popplewell said. “I will never forget how his warm smile made me feel comfortable and still does when he interviews me today.”

Hays’ reporting about FFA members has included producing the Stars Over Oklahoma presentation for the Oklahoma FFA Convention each year since the mid-1980s.

“Working with FFA is like getting a shot of adrenaline,” Hays said. “When you are working with such a positive organization that does such a great job with young people as FFA, it gives you hope for the future.”

As one rich in his own experiences, Hays offered his advice to FFA members.

“Build on your experiences,” Hays said. “Just because you don’t do well the first time you try something, you don’t need to quit.

“Instead, ask ‘how do I get better?’ People will help you to achieve and succeed.”

Those are words to live by from this FFA Champion.

Editor’s Note: Ron Hays and the Radio Oklahoma Network provide up-to-date information not only on the radio but also via the Internet (http:// oklahomafarmreport.com) and via a free agricultural news e-mail: the Oklahoma Farm & Ranch News Update. Hays said FFA members are invited to use the daily e-mail as a speech and current events resource. Anyone can sign up through a link at the bottom of the RON Web site.