Derry Brownfield, veteran Missouri farm broadcaster, dies

CENTERTOWN, Mo. -- Missouri farm broadcaster Derry Brownfield who hosted the "The Common Sense Coalition" radio talk show has died.

The executive manager of the show, Beth Schoeneberg, said Brownfield died Saturday morning in his sleep at his home in Centertown. She said he hadn't had any health problems, and she didn't know his cause of death. He was 79.

Brownfield was the co-founder of the Brownfield Network, an agricultural news service for radio stations in several states. Brownfield and partner Clyde Lear also created the Jefferson City-based Learfield Communications in the early 1970s.

His website says people would be better off applying this lesson he learned at an early age: "The best place to find a helping hand is at the end of your own arm!"

His funeral arrangements are pending.