On Feb. 15, 1955, Tom and Peg Mayhill planned to expand their small publishing business in Knightstown, Ind. by starting a farm-focused newspaper called The Eastern Indiana Farmer.
The Farmer started by distributing 6,000 papers to producers in the Eastern Indiana counties of Hancock, Henry, Wayne, Shelby, Rush, Fayette and Union. By April, Mayhill Publications, also the owner of the local paper Knightstown Banner, was selling yearly subscriptions for $2. The first two subscribers were Will A. Willcutt of Carthage, Ind. and Philip Wilkie of Rushville, Ind.
Built on the principles of good customer service, informative news and creating a forum of bring buyers and sellers together; the paper has grown in the past 60 years. By 1977, The Farmer had outgrown its name with subscribers stretching into all corners of Indiana, plus areas of Ohio and Kentucky. Mayhill Publications changed the name to Farmweek. Mayhill also launched AntiqueWeek, a national weekly antiques and collectibles publication, in 1968.
When Mayhill Publications sold the pub-lishing company in May of 2000 to dmg world media, a multi-national media and trade show company from the United Kingdom, the new owners made many changes to improve the publication further.
In May 2001, the paper’s expansion into Illinois, Michigan, Tennessee and Iowa required another name change – Farm World. The paper’s circulation boasts more than 35,000.
Despite the name changes and growth, Farm World remains committed to Mayhill’s original principlEs.
Today the company is back again in the Mayhill family, having been purchased in September 2009 by Gary and Merry Thoe. Merry is the youngest daughter of Tom and Peg Mayhill.
Farm World is still published in Knightstown, Ind., and is still committed to informative agricultural news, bringing buyers and sellers of farm products together, and working hard on providing the best customer service and timely newspaper delivery possible.
"We are honored to be publishing Farm World," said Merry (Mayhill) Thoe. "The paper has earned such a great reputation over the years. I know my mother and father were proud of what they developed; and if they were involved in the publication of Farm World today, they would be proud of what it continues to become.
"It was a busy year for my parents, too, as I was also born in 1955. As I have grown, so has the farm paper."
To subscribe or to advertise in Farm World, call 1-800-876-5133. For additional information about the newspaper, go online to www.farmworldonline.com
