Michelle Rook has been named the 2025 Recipient of the South Dakota State University Friend of the Beef Industry award for her contributions to the South Dakota beef industry. Currently the National News and Market Reporter for Farm Journal, Rook has spent her career covering the beef industry, and South Dakota agriculture in general.
“I am honored to be recognized as a friend of the beef industry and humbled since there are so many people that deserve this award,” Rook, a native of Clear Lake, SD said. “I’ve been fortunate throughout my career to report the news and markets that are important to cattle producers, tell their stories and at the same time help promote the importance of the beef industry to the public.”
Rook is considered to be one of the top farm broadcasters in the country. She produces daily market and news broadcasts on AgDay, Farm Journal’s nationally syndicated daily television program. Topics of these shows include cash cattle updates, futures prices and market analysis to provide producers with the information they need to make management decisions. She also hosts a longer format version of these market reports on her Markets Now podcast.
Prior to joining Farm Journal, Rook served as farm director at WNAX Radio in Yankton, where she carved out her market niche and broadcast nearly 30 daily market and ag news reports to the station’s listeners. Rook has received numerous awards for her work including being named the National Association of Farm Broadcasting Farm Broadcaster of the Year in 2008 and received the South Dakota Governor’s Ag Ambassador Award in 2016. In addition to her full-time job Rook also produces consumer-facing educational news pieces for a variety of commodity organizations, including the South Dakota Beef Industry Council.
After broadcasting thousands of market shows, interviews and feature stories, it would be understandable if they all ran together, but Rook can recall the ups and downs of the markets and the impacts on South Dakota farmers. Most memorable was the sudden reduction in meat processing capacity brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic that resulted in record high boxed beef prices but historically low cattle prices. With WNAX Radio at the time, Rook began hosting live call-in programs with legislators to increase awareness about the issue in Washington D.C.
“Cattle producers were devastated and frustrated. The live shows provided an outlet for them to discuss their plight and market disparities, plus explore solutions the federal government could provide, including financial assistance,” Rook said. “Those broadcasts helped lay the early foundation for Congressional hearings on ways to improve transparency and fix what was at that time considered to be a broken cattle market.”
In contrast, she says reporting on today’s record high cattle prices has “certainly been more enjoyable.”
More than a job, Rook’s success in farm broadcasting likely comes from her true love of the industry. She grew up on a dairy and crop farm in eastern South Dakota where her family raised purebred dairy cattle. Heavily involved in both 4-H and FFA, she was an FFA State Officer, a national FFA Officer candidate and holds an American FFA degree. She also holds multiple degrees from SDSU, earning bachelor’s degrees in dairy manufacturing and agricultural journalism and a master’s degree in journalism. Experiences that allow her to thrive in her role to share the South Dakota beef industry’s stories today.
“Agriculture is my passion, and the best part of my job is being able to report on all facets of the industry,” Rook said. “South Dakota cattle producers and their families have worked for generations to raise high quality seedstock that result in the highest quality beef for consumers. They care for their animals, and they take care of the land and the environment because they want to be sustainable to pass their operations to the next generation.”
Rook was recognized on the field during the 2025 South Dakota State University Beef Bowl football game on September 13. The Friend of the Beef Industry Award is given by the SDSU Department of Animal Science and the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences. On hand to present the award were (left to right), Calvin and Mary Hayenga Endowed Department Head of Animal Sciences John Jaeger, SD Corn Endowed Dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences Joe Cassady, awardee Michelle Rook and SDSU President Barry Dunn.
