By Neil Doyle

BLOOMINGTON – Former WJBC farm director Art Sechrest passed away Monday at age 82.

Sechrest was a decorated broadcaster, named Farm Broadcaster of the Year in 1991, and he won two Oscars in Agriculture (1975 and 1986).

Max Armstrong, host of “This Week in Agribusiness,” spoke with WJBC’s Marc Strauss.

“He was very passionate about farm broadcasting. He was very energetic and he loved to travel. He and Mildred traveled all over the country and he wrote for travel magazines,” said Armstrong.

He and his wife Mildred visited all 50 states and traveled with a close group of friends.

“Art certainly helped me during my 27 years at the University of Illinois Extension and he played a critical role until his stroke and he was off the air,” said Don Meyer, McLean County ag historian. “He at one time worked in extension, so he understood what our educational role was. He set me up with a radio program every morning at 6:20 and it was listened to very much in primetime. And all the events we had he was certainly there to cover it.”

Sechrest joined WJBC in 1978 and was part of “The Spirit of McLean County.”

He served as president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasters in 1984 and was later the group’s historian. Art was twice named Communicator of the Year by NAFB and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2000.

Art’s obituary can be found here.

Neil Doyle can be reached at [email protected]