Tucker offers her views on making Connection magazine; Editor shares background as writer in ag field Thursday, February 13, 2014 By Murray Bishoff times-news@monett-times.com Sherry Tucker, editor of Connection magazine, said her journey into the magazine business started as a writer and unexpectedly led to her current position. The daughter of a dairy farmer in Exeter, Tucker grew up on a farm where the family made sorghum and ground wheat. She and her mother still grow produce for the farmers market in Cassville, where Tucker enjoys mixing with a wide range of sellers. She said city people with gardens to big farmers with an extra load of sweet corn and melons come to sell their goods. "I love the diversity and the communication that develops between people," Tucker said. Tucker's love of communication and farming led to a contact with Mother Earth News magazine. The editor asked Tucker to write about sorghum making. "I loved it," Tucker said. "She gave me a blog online. From that I got used to writing about farm stuff." Tucker subsequently contributed to Ozarks Farm and Neighbor, published in Lebanon. Her writing brought her to the attention of Lisa Schlichtman, founding editor of Connection, who gave Tucker a regular column about gardening. When Schlichtman left for a new job in Colorado, she contracted with Tucker to edit Connection. Tucker has edited the magazine, working with freelance contributors and shaping the contents, since in the August issue.
"The content of Connection is completely local stories," Tucker said. "Sometimes, they extend to Springfield and Arkansas, but it's mostly about Barry and Lawrence counties. Each writer is local. No matter what the subject, it comes back to being involved in the community." Tucker took college courses at Missouri Southern and at San Diego State University while her husband served in the Navy in California. These days, she stays busy with her three sons, ages 12, 14 and 16. "I'm always looking for old stories and farm stories," Tucker said. "Let me know if there's anything I need to change. This is for the community." Tucker invited people to write to her via email at thorntonlives@gmail.com. Advertising for Connection is handled through The Monett Times.