Melisa Goss

About

Melisa is an award-winning writer with over 10 years of experience in communications and marketing based in Hartford, South Dakota. A storyteller from an early age, Melisa’s curiosity drove her to seek out stories from around the globe.Melisa earned a master's degree in Journalism from South Dakota State University. During her tenure there, she was awarded a student fellowship with The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, for which she traveled to Cambodia to research and report on human trafficking. Despite growing up around ag, she initially had no intention of working in the industry. However, during her time in a rural Cambodian farming village, it dawned on her that agriculture is the backbone of every civilization on the planet. She knew from that moment on she wanted to focus her writing career on ag. She hasn’t looked back since. Melisa is currently the assistant editor at the Tri-State Neighbor, sharing ag’s stories and insights from around the region. She’s a member of the South Dakota Ag and Rural Leadership class 12. When she’s not talking to producers or tapping away at her keyboard, she enjoys volunteering with her church and Voices Against Cancer, a Sioux Falls-based non-profit that raises funds for families with children who have or had cancer. Melisa is married to Kenny Farke. They have two children, Hazel and Simon, and one needy miniature schnauzer named Tilly.