Mikkel Pates started this week as a staff writer, covering agriculture for both publications. He will operate out of a home office in Fargo. He brings to Agweek a deep understanding of the region and of the issues that face agriculture and rural America. He is a veteran agricultural reporter who has developed contacts, as well as a degree of influence, throughout the agricultural industry in the United States and Canada.
Pates is an award-winning journalist.
He chaired the organization's 1999 writing contest. This past year, he was a judge for the Canadian Farm Writers and Broadcasters annual contest.