Longtime ag reporter leaves WSJ

Scott Kilman, who covered the business of agriculture for more than two decades from The Wall Street Journal‘s Chicago bureau, has left the paper.

Kilman, in a note to his colleagues on Friday afternoon, wrote:

After nearly 28 years at the world’s best news organization, it’s impossible to properly thank all who helped me along the way. Please accept this poor substitute. It’s been a privilege to work with people who inspire me with their intellect, courage and humor.

Kilman’s new job is director of policy research for the Howard G. Buffett Foundation.

As an ag reporter, Kilman was chased by boars, stonewalled by executives and forced to explain to his dry cleaner why there was blood on his khakis — he collided with a side of beef. He covered everything from genetic engineering to price fixing at Archer Daniels Midland Co. to the Atkins diet’s impact on hog farmers.

Along with Scott Thurow, Kilman wrote articles on three 2003 famines that were a finalist for the 2004 Pulitzer Prize in international reporting. In 2005, Thurow and Kilman were honored by the United Nations for their reporting on humanitarian and development issues.