Staff and contributors at Winnipeg ag publishing house Farm Business Communications, operators of this website, have brought home seven national awards for their work from the Canadian Farm Writers’ Federation (CFWF).
The CFWF, which held its annual conference Oct. 2-5 in Charlottetown, presented a total of 42 awards in 14 categories at its banquet Saturday for print, online, broadcast and photo journalism and communications in the agricultural field.
Award winners were chosen by 26 judges including journalists, communicators and professors as well as farmers from a variety of ag and non-ag backgrounds and media, the federation noted in a release.
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Manitoba Co-operator editor Laura Rance earned the gold O.R. Evans award for best press editorial for “Whose voice should be heard?” published last October in the Co-operator.
In the same category, Grainews field editor and CFWF president Lisa Guenther earned silver for her “Wheat + Chaff” guest editorial on rail service for grain farmers, from the March 4 issue of Grainews.
Co-operator reporter Lorraine Stevenson and Alberta Farmer reporter Alexis Kienlen won the gold and silver Q.H. Martinson award respectively in weekly press reporting, for the February Co-operator article “Pilot Mound prosciutto makers start over” and the May Alberta Farmer article “Canada picked for sustainable beef pilot.”
The Alberta Farmer website also earned the bronze Henry Heald award for best website, presented to FBC online editors Dave Bedard and Greg Berg and AF editor Glenn Cheater.
Country Guide contributor Shirley Byers won the silver Jack Cram award for monthly press reporting for “The hidden farm illness,” an April feature on farmers suffering from depression.
Grainews contributor Toban Dyck earned the silver Frank Jacobs award for best press column for “The middle view on GMO crops,” published in February.
The CFWF represents almost 350 members belonging to six provincial and regional organizations across Canada. Non-members whose work is eligible for CFWF awards may also submit their work for judging.
The federation’s 2015 conference is to be held next fall in Calgary. — AGCanada.com Network