Mike Perrine was inducted into the Farm Broadcasters Hall of Fame November 17th, 2023

 

 

Remembering the Life and Legacy of Mike Perrine

The Kankakee River Valley community is mourning the loss of a friend and renowned voice in agriculture, Mike Perrine, who passed away on July 16, 2025. Born in Quincy, Illinois, on December 14, 1941, Mike grew up and was shaped by the community of Pittsfield. His remarkable life was defined by a passion for communication and an unwavering dedication to the agricultural community he served for over 55 years.

His legendary career in radio, which spanned from 1959 until his passing, began with a simple high school disc jockey contest. But before radio, Mike’s path seemed headed in a different direction. He was working for a grain and livestock trucker—driving a straight truck, hauling hay, and scooping corn. When the opportunity in radio presented itself, he sought advice from his boss, who gave him a piece of wisdom that would alter the course of his life: “If you can make a living with your brain and your mouth instead of your back and your butt, do it.”

Mike followed that advice. After moving to Texas as a 17-year-old, he earned his spot at a local station by working an hour every morning for a month with no pay. He spent nights spinning records by Frank Sinatra and Perry Como, and even sent his future wife a “letter on a disc” that he recorded at the station. This early chapter, filled with long hours and little pay, forged the work ethic that would define his career.

After working in both radio and television in Quincy, Mike’s journey into farm broadcasting began almost by accident in 1969 in Jacksonville, Illinois. The local station, WLDS, needed to fill a gap in their farm programming. At the same time, a local manager for Harvestore silos invited Mike on a trip to Canada with a group of pork producers, offering to pay his way if he’d record a few interviews. That trip was the spark. Mike took the initiative and built the station’s farm department from the ground up, creating the powerhouse program “Farm Final” and making WLDS the dominant agricultural voice in the region. His success eventually led him to the prestigious Tribune Radio Networks, where he worked alongside industry giants Max Armstrong and Orion Samuelson.

His deep connection to the Kankakee River Valley began in 1995, when he first moved to the area to serve as farm director for WKAN. He quickly became a familiar, trusted voice for local listeners. After a period working with a national network, he returned to our local airwaves in 2013 by partnering with Milner Media. It was then that he created the programs so many of us started our days with: the “Early Bird Farm Report” and the daily “Farm Time with Mike Perrine”—a show lovingly named by his late wife, who pointed out that it “sings.” He hosted and produced both programs with passion and consistency right up until his death, a feat made all the more remarkable as he delivered his daily reports while privately battling lung cancer. His dedication to his listeners never wavered, even in the face of his own fight.

The culmination of this incredible career came on November 17th, 2023, when his peers honored him with the highest distinction in his field: induction into the National Association of Farm Broadcasting Hall of Fame. It was a well-deserved, crowning achievement that officially recognized him as the legend many of us already knew him to be.

Through six decades of broadcasting, his success was guided by a humble philosophy he shared in our conversation: “I have always been smart enough to know what I didn’t know.” That curiosity, combined with his deep respect for the people he was interviewing, is what made him a master of his craft and earned him the trust of generations of listeners.

For decades, Mike was the voice that connected our farming community with everyone else. He understood the importance of agriculture and had a unique talent for explaining it to the non-farming public. He believed that “we’re all in this thing together,” and he used his platform to prove it. 

Our thoughts are with his family and friends who are feeling this loss most deeply. Mike Perrine’s voice was a constant in our community—a source of information, comfort, and connection. His legacy will live on in the countless lives he touched and the stories he shared. Thank you for everything, Mike. We will miss you dearly.