Rural Missouri - July 2023 - 4

RM | COOPERATION
Longtime Rural Missouri Editor Jim McCarty and new Editor Sara Schafer stand outside the University of Missouri School of
Journalism where the careers for both began. Sara, Rural Missouri's sixth editor, joined the magazine staff in May from Farm Journal.
Changing of the guard
Sara Schafer joins Rural Missouri staff as new editor
F
or the fi rst time in 34 years, Rural Missouri has a
new editor at the helm. She is Sara Schafer, who
joined the staff May 1. Sara comes to Rural Missouri
from Farm Journal. For the past 15 years she has
been an editor, writer, proofreader, event planner and team
cheerleader for the national network of farm publications.
She served as editor of its Top Producer magazine and
Farm Journal's content manager.
" I am so excited to be on the Rural Missouri team, "
Sara says. " Like many of you, this magazine has always
been one of my favorites. I am so honored to follow the
legendary Jim McCarty and join the talented team to share
the interesting and inspiring stories of our great state. "
The fi rst female editor in Rural Missouri's 75-yearhistory,
Sara is a farm girl from Jamestown. She is no
stranger to Missouri's electric cooperatives. In 2002, she
represented Co-Mo Connect, Tipton, on the Rural Electric
Youth Tour to Washington, D.C.
From that experience she was recruited as an intern for
Boone Electric Cooperative, Columbia. Upon graduating
from the University of Missouri with a degree in ag
journalism, Sara joined the Boone Electric Cooperative
Communications Department full time. She worked at the
Columbia-based electric cooperative for four years, long
4 RURAL MISSOURI | JULY 2023
enough to meet her husband, Eric, who is the cooperative's
building maintenance supervisor. Together they have a
5-year-old daughter, Ivy.
" Sara has a solid, rural background growing up in
Jamestown, yet she has traveled the globe for work and
pleasure, " says Vicki Kemna, Boone Electric assistant
manager who worked with Sara during her time at the
co-op. " She believes in the mission of rural electric
cooperatives and brings a unique perspective as a former
Youth Tour delegate and distribution co-op employee. "
Sara replaces Jim, who remains on the staff as editor
emeritus. Jim joined the staff in November 1985, and was
named editor in 1989. He has served as editor longer than
anyone else in the history of the publication. The June
2023 issue was his 450th edition of Rural Missouri. He is
a 1984 graduate of the University of Missouri School of
Journalism. In 2017 he was inducted into the Missouri
Photojournalism Hall of Fame.
Under his direction Rural Missouri, which has an
audience of 581,000-plus readers, was honored with four
of its six George W. Haggard Memorial Journalism Awards.
" I have the utmost respect for Sara and the entire staff
of Rural Missouri, " Jim says. " I think any changes you see
in the magazine's future will all be for the better. "

Rural Missouri - July 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Rural Missouri - July 2023