May 26, 1999 - A Mainstreet Radio special broadcast from Lake Benton. Rachel Reabe hosts a discussion about Minnesota's wind farm on Buffalo Ridge and the greater wind-power industry with guests Marlin Thompson, Lake Benton mayor; Jim Nichols, a former agriculture commissioner who now heads economic development efforts for the area; and Audrey Zibelman, director of Energy Marketing for Northern States Power.
September 15, 1990 - DFL Senate primary candidates Paul Wellstone, professor of political science at Carleton College; and Jim Nichols, Minnesota Commissioner of Agriculture and a former state senator, debate and answer listener questions.
June 3, 1990 - MPR Special Live Coverage of Mikhail Gorbachev, president of the Soviet Union, making a one-day visit to Minnesota. Program contains various reports, interviews, and commentary. This segment contains Gorbachev traveling to State Capitol, then heading to Minneapolis. This is part four of eight programs.
February 24, 1989 - MPR's Mark Heistad and Tom Meersman present "Poisoned Waters," a documentary about groundwater contamination problems in Minnesota. Documentary contains reports from Lakeland, Northern Township in Beltrami County, New Brighton, and agricultural land in the southeast of state.
May 16, 1988 - On this Midday call-in program, MPR’s Dan Olson interviews Jim Nichols, Minnesota Commissioner of Agriculture, about the drought and current farm issues in Minnesota. Nichols also answers listener questions.
August 8, 1986 - MPR’s Mark Steil reports on massive hailstorm that pounded farmland in Lincoln County. Steil interviews famers about the damage from softball-sized hail.
January 28, 1985 - On this Midday call-in program, a discussion with Jim Nichols, Minnesota's Agriculture Commissioner about the impact of farm crisis. Nichol's office has been a very busy one lately coordinating efforts of farmers and legislators to ease the farm debt crisis. Farmers have been organizing in 1985 to a greater degree than at any time since the Great Depression.