The U.S. wheat industry and this magazine lost a good friend and strong leader with the unexpected death in October of Tracy Sayler, editor of Prairie Grains magazine, which serves producers in the Northern Plains. Dave Torgerson, executive director of the Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers, said of Tracy: “His articles were clear and easy to read, no matter how complicated the subject. He was connected with so many people and constantly passed on ideas. His intense passion for helping producers was paramount in his career.”
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In the current edition of Prairie Grains, Mr. Torgerson wrote, “Tracy was truly a talented, one-of-a-kind man. We will all miss him so much.
“Tracy prided himself as a wordsmith, and a wordsmith he was. For each issue of this magazine, he would spend countless hours researching information, visiting with growers and talking with people in the industry to get the most up to date, accurate information.
“But Tracy was more than a wordsmith. Tracy was truly a leader and a man of action. Always working behind the scenes, he had a way of making things happen. Whether it be bringing the issue of biotechnology to the forefront, or tackling the contentious issues of farm policy, crop research, new cropping options or marketing issues, he was not afraid to take a stand. Tracy has had such an impact on all of us, and on the agricultural industry as a whole.”
Tracy Lee Sayler, 40, Casselton, N.D., formerly of Hebron, N.D., died on October 11, 2007, at Merit Care Hospital in Fargo.
Tracy was born in Sidney, Mont. His family moved to a farm south of Hebron in 1969. Tracy graduated with honors from the Hebron public schools in 1985.
He attended North Dakota State University, in Dickinson, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural communications. While attending NDSU, he was an active member of the Farmhouse Fraternity. His first job was as a columnist with Farm and Ranch Guide. He later moved to Red Lake Falls, Minn., where he was employed by the Minnesota Wheat Growers.
Tracy married Rachel Klovstad of Perham, Minn., in 1992. Tracy and Rachel had two sons, Adam Allen and Eric Norman.
In the fall of 1998, the family moved to Fargo, N.D., where Tracy was employed by Prairie Agricultural Communications in Red Lake Falls, Minn. They moved to Casselton, N.D., in 2002.
In 2006 he started his own agricultural communications company, Thistle Patch Creative Group. Tracy was the author of a syndicated column written for various agricultural publications throughout the Midwest.
Tracy will be remembered for his quick, clever wit and his sense of humor. He never forgot his agricultural roots; he enjoyed growing up on a farm and he wove those experiences into every article he wrote. Tracy was forever the journalist, asking the hard questions about all aspects of life, spiritual and physical. His greatest passion was his family, followed by his love of photography, nature and caring for his yard and garden.
He was also an avid NDSU and Minnesota Vikings football fan.
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