Monte James
Host Monte James grew up on a ranch on the northern borders of the sprawling Sandhills of Nebraska. His family raised cattle and farmed the Niobrara River Valley in Keya Paha County.
His radio career started at a small station in O’Neill, Nebraska doing everything from hosting the Polka Show to local news and markets. Monte’s “tour of duty” included stops at KSCJ in Sioux City Iowa, where he served as morning-show host and farm director. He then went on to the legendary WHO in Des Moines as part of the Marconi Award winning air-staff, as well as a lengthy stint at WNAX in Yankton, South Dakota. During his time behind the mic and in the fields, Monte had the opportunity to work under the direction of farm broadcasting greats like Lee Kline, Keith Kirkpatrick and Col. Jon Phillips, just to name a few. In 2004, he launched the groundbreaking Territorial Rodeo Update heard weekly on stations from the Rockies to the Great Plains and large and loyal following abroad on the internet. He also served as a Territory Manager for Sioux Steel Company from 2005 to 2015, building territories and selling livestock equipment across the Midwest.
Monte still enjoys working and hunting on the family ranch with his son Parker and nephews Shaylor and Shayce. He believes in country values and strives to promote rural communities and agriculture in America while at the same time providing fun and informative reports on Your Ag Network.
Brian Hoops
Brian Hoops is President and Senior Market Analyst of Midwest Market Solutions, Inc.
Brian began his career in the commodity business in 1999 and founded Midwest Market Solutions in 2002. Since that time, Midwest Market Solutions is widely recognzied as one of the top marketing advisory and brokerage firms in America. The company has grown to include 10 offices nationwide and 12 licensed brokers; helping clients with speculative trading, personalized marketing services and full service brokerage transactions.
Brian publishes the Market Insider Daily and Weekly Newsletters for clients and updates Market Insider TV twice a day. Brian is a frequent guest on RFD TV, TD Ameritrade Network, Your Ag Network, WHO Big Show, MGEX and Commodity Wrap on Sirus XM radio. Brian can frequently be heard on radio stations across the country including KAYL, KKIA, Ag News 890 and the Red River Farm Network.
Brian also writes several newsletters that are published throughout the Plains and the Midwest, covering the states of Iowa, Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Montana, Wisconsin, Wyoming and Idaho. Brian has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Reuters and Dow Jones newswires and U.S. Farm Report.
Brian graduated from Northwestern College in 1991, where he was a 2 time All District baseball player and team MVP. Brian started his career in the banking industry and was a Vice President of a Northwest Iowa bank and also worked for American General Finance. Brian grew up on a grain farm in Northwest Iowa.
Karina Jones
Karina ranches with her husband, Marty, and 3 daughters near Broken Bow, NE. She grew up in western NE, with roots also in southwest SD. The cattle industry and raising kids is her passion.
Watching the cattle industry go the path that it has gone, she could no longer sit quietly at home checking cows, fixing fence, and doing all the everyday tasks wondering when some else was going to make it all better. As she became more active and outspoken on industry issues, she was asked to join the R-CALF USA staff in September 2020 as the Checkoff Petition Campaign manager. That position transcended into her current role as full time Field Director for R-CALF USA.
You can hear her almost every Friday on Your Ag Network’s Hot Barn Report that is broadcast on 60 radio stations with coverage in 9 states, where she deep dives into cattle industry issues and highlights R-CALF’s work on industry reforms. Listen to Ranch Raised on a Your Ag Network hometown station or www.youragnetwork.com where she talks about her daily life on the ranch.
Cattle producers are her people. She will meet you at the county fair, at the sale barn, or anywhere the dusty trail leads.
Lorrie Boyer
2019 NAFB Past President Lorrie Boyer is a veteran farm broadcaster with years of experience.
Lorrie can be heard everyday in her Midday Market and News Program Daily Dose of Ag and is morning host on KSIR in
Fort Morgon, CO. She provides critical
commentary and pinch hits on the
markets.