Mississippi Public Broadcasting congratulates and bids farewell to Farmweek host Leighton Spann who retired in April as anchor of the agricultural television show after nearly 25 years on the job. Farmweek airs at 6 p.m. Saturdays and 6 a.m. Mondays on MPB Television.
“MPB is grateful for the professionalism and knowledge that Leighton brought to the screen every week. Agriculture is important to Mississippi, always has been and always will be,” said MPB Executive Director Ronnie Agnew. “For more than two decades, Leighton brought attention to technological and scientific developments that helped farmers do their jobs better. Leighton can be proud in retirement knowing that our archives contain literally hundreds of shows he co-hosted.”
Farmweek is MPB’s longest-running television program, and it’s Mississippi's oldest and only locally produced agricultural television news show. It is produced by the Office of Agricultural Communications for the Mississippi State University Extension Service. The first show aired Oct. 3, 1977.
When asked by Farmweek Managing Editor Mike Russell what he was going to miss most, Spann said, “First the people I work with at Mississippi State University on a daily basis…but more than that, this blessing I’ve had being able to travel basically free range the state of Mississippi. Just a pleasure all 25 years. Just enjoyed every minute of it.”
The MSU Extension Service held a retirement party for Spann last week. MPB Foundation Director Angela Ferraez was among those in attendance.
