Roy Roberson

Associate Editor, Southeast Farm Press

James R. (Roy) Roberson began his career in agricultural communications as an assistant editor of agricultural research and teaching in Auburn University’s College of Agriculture and Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station. When he retired from Auburn University in 2004, he was head of the agricultural communications program at Auburn and assistant director of the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station. Between stints at Auburn University, Roberson worked for several years as an account manager for Fletcher/Mayo and Associates, which at that time was the largest agricultural marketing and public relations company in the U.S. He also worked for nearly five years as Southeast marketing and public relations coordinator for Swanson-Rollheiser-Holland, an Omaha, Nebraska-based agricultural advertising and public relations company. In addition to his current position on the editorial staff of Southeast Farm Press, Roberson is former editor and publisher of Southern Pulp and Paper Magazine and was part of the team that created the Atlanta-based Southeast edition of Ad Week. Roberson grew up in rural east Alabama and earned bachelor and masters degrees in journalism and mass communication from Auburn University.

Posts by Roy Roberson

ethanol, versus, big, oil, battle
in Farm Press Blog Apr. 22, 2013

Ethanol versus big oil is confusing at best

High fuel prices should keep demand for ethanol up and demand for corn good, and subsequently prices should be good....More
in Farm Press Blog Mar. 26, 2013

Don’t count peanuts out for 2013 planting season

If you had asked me around Christmas time how many peanuts Southeast growers would plant this April and May, I would have said maybe half a crop....More
in Farm Press Blog Mar. 11, 2013

Is a fearless female leader what U.S. agriculture needs?

We might want to look to Brazil for some valuable lessons on how to improve our plight via hard-nosed business and political practices....More
in Farm Press Blog Feb. 19, 2013

Floyd Gordon’s paintings reflect growing up in the rural South

Every morning when I wake up one of the first things I see is Maude’s House....More
in Farm Press Blog Nov. 23, 2012

Getting up close and personal with Hurricane Sandy

As I sit here a few weeks after one of the most damaging and relentless hurricanes hit the northeastern United States, it is more apparent than ever....More
in Farm Press Blog Oct. 19, 2012

Presidential candidates taking short-term view

It’s presidential election time again, and once again, I don’t feel like I have a good choice....More
in Farm Press Blog Sep. 21, 2012

It's the drought, not farmers pushing up food prices

I had a chance to visit a couple of farms in Nebraska and Iowa recently and got a real close up and personal look at what impact this year’s drought....More
in Farm Press Blog Jul. 2, 2012

Ford developing car parts from crops, crop residues

I want to enjoy driving around in my Ford Mustang, and I’m proud to say there may be beans in my Ford....More
in Farm Press Blog May. 24, 2012

Why are corn yields declining in Virginia?

There is no doubt corn yields across America have gone up over the past 50-60 years....More
in Farm Press Blog Apr. 10, 2012

Osage Bio: A good idea gone bad

For a couple of years the struggle to build an ethanol plant in Virginia seemed like just another ‘us against the world’ struggle by agriculture to....More