Orion Samuelson

Raised on a Wisconsin dairy farm. O'Connell Rustlers 4-H Club member with poultry, dairy & public speaking projects.

Honors: "Man of the Year" by Heifer Project International; National 4-H Alumni Award; National 4-H Partner Award from USDA; National 4-H Council Award; Honorary FFA American Farmer Degree; Laureate of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois - Lincoln Medal from Illinois Governor George Ryan; International Communicator of the Year Award from the President of the Republic of China; Orion Samuelson Junior Livestock Building named at Illinois State Fair.

Many know Orion Samuelson as the "Voice of Agriculture".  His agriculture reports are heard on Chicago WGN Radio and the Agri-Voice network of 50 stations, along with his syndicated National Farm Report on 260 stations and "Samuelson Sez"on 110 stations.  His weekly U.S. Farm Report is telecast via 190 television stations and 11,000 cable systems to 38 million homes in North America.  Orion has traveled to 43 countries to cover agricultural production and trade for his programs and has been a part of four official government trips. Samuelson is Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Foundation, a former Trustee of the Farm Foundation and a Trustee of the Cornerstone Foundation of Lutheran Social Services. He currently serves as Co-Chair of the University of Illinois Citizens for Extension with former U.S. Senator Paul Simon, which seeks increased financial support for Extension programs. This effort has allowed Extension to hire 90 new 4-H youth development educators in three years.

"4-H taught me leadership and certainly enhanced my ability to stand in front of an audience and communicate a message. Over the years, I have occasionally received letters from farm people saying 4-H should remain agricultural because city kids have Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. My response to that is a program as great as 4-H should be shared with farm and city folks alike."