Hickory, N.C. — Prominent farm broadcaster and former WRAL-TV contributor Dix Harper died Sunday after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 89. 

Harper, a native of Aimes, Iowa, began his career in farm broadcasting in 1946 after graduating from Iowa State University. 

In addition to providing morning farm reports on WRAL-TV from 1982 until 1992, Harper served as director of Capitol Broadcasting Company's Agricultural Production Division, where he worked closely with Ray Wilkinson, Ken Tanner and others. 

Harper moved to Wisconsin after retiring but later returned to Hickory, claiming that the "lure of pork barbecue, sweet tea and steamed oysters was too great."

Harper is survived by his wife Harriet, two children and several grandchildren.