FJ February 2013 - IFAJ · journalism, was one of several ... reviewed the proposed constitution and bylaws, ... the country to go sailing in the Philippines

THE FARM JOURNALIST, FEBRUARY 2013

By Tamara Leigh

Editor: Christina Franc, P.O. Box 250, Ormstown, Qc, J0S 1K0 Phone: 877-782-6456 Ext.706, Email: [email protected] February 2013

Reflections on a land possibilities There’s nothing like a dose of reality to challenge everything you thought you knew. As a girl growing up on the Prairies, my early impressions of Africa came from Sunday morning infomercials to save the children. As a teen, I was told the pinnacle of foreign aid was shipping grain overseas to feed the needy. As a university student, I learned about the slow poisons of colonialism and corruption. It wasn’t until I had the opportunity to visit Kenya as a journalist that I experienced the hope, energy and possibility that every other telling of Africa seemed to miss. For six days in November, I was privileged to be a part of Agriterra’s inaugural Exposure-4-Development tour, organized in cooperation with the International Federation of Agriculture Journalists. From the capital region of Nairobi to the cradle of colonial settlement in the Central Highlands, and through the magnificent Rift Valley, we met with farmers, extension workers, processors, social entrepreneurs, bankers and dignitaries. The access to people and stories from across the agriculture spectrum was a journalist’s dream and a great credit to the tour organizers. Agriculture is one of the primary drivers of the Kenyan economy. Despite an alarming lack of infrastructure, it accounts for 25 percent of the GDP, and employs 75 per cent of working age Kenyans. Cash crops like tea, coffee and tobacco dominate exports, along with a horticulture sector that supplies roses and other flowers to European and American markets. When it comes to food production, farmers are struggling to grow beyond a history of subsistence farming. In many ways, production here is a glimpse back in time. It is an industry dominated by small hold farmers with less than five

acres. Farm labour is largely done by hand whether it's breaking ground, planting, weeding and harvesting, or gathering forage and milking cows. As much as my Canadian farm friends like to repeat the refrain that farmers have to double production in order to feed the world’s growing population, that’s not where the real pressure lies. While North American production may increase incrementally,

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What’s inside Diamond Jubilee Medal Winners………………………………………..2-3 AGM Madness………………………………………..…….…….…….….4 Changing of the guard.………………………………………..…….……..5 Here & There ………………………………………..…….…….…….…..6 IFAJ news, contests & more ………………………………………..…..7-9

REGIONAL NEWS 2


Manitoba farm journalists awarded Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medals

Veteran Manitoba farm journalists John Morriss and Laura Rance have been awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for their contributions to Canada’s agricultural industry. Manitoba Co-operator editor Laura Rance was among 37 Manitobans honoured with a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal at a ceremony at Government House in Winnipeg Oct. 11. The commemorative medal was created to mark the 2012 celebrations of the 60th anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the throne. Rance, who received the award in recognition of her contributions to farm journalism, was one of several Manitobans recognized for their contribution to agriculture. Morriss, known for his insightful, intelligent commentary, began his journalism career in 1975 with Grainews. He is currently associate publisher and editorial director of Farm Business Communications, which publishes the Manitoba Co-operator and other respected journals including Grainews, Country Guide and Canadian Cattlemen. The Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) nominated Morriss for the honour commemorating Queen Elizabeth’s 60-year reign. GGC director and Morris area farmer Art Enns presented the medal to Morriss Dec. 17 during the Manitoba Farm Writers’ and Broadcasters’ (MFWBA) Christmas gathering in Winnipeg. “Your accomplishments are many,”

Enns said of Morriss, who has also been active in the Manitoba Farm Writers’, Canadian Federation of Farm Writers’ and Farm Radio International. Not everyone agrees with Morriss’ editorials, but farmers respect his opinion, Enns said.

MFWBA member Glenn Cheater produced a personal letter to John, ostensibly from the Queen herself. To judge its authenticity, you are invited to read it for yourself (above). Morriss joined the Canadian Wheat


By Allan Dawson & Maureen Fitzhenry

REGIONAL NEWS 3


Board in 1977 as an information officer and later became director of information. In 1989 he was named publisher and editor of the Manitoba Co-operator, a position he held until 2002 when Morriss and five other employees were fired following a change in the paper’s ownership. They, along with a seventh partner, founded Farmers’ Independent Weekly later that year. It merged with the Co-operator in 2007. In 1996, Morriss won the Canadian Farm Writers’ Federation Gold Award for best feature for a series on food aid projects in Ethiopia and Eritrea. In 2006 the Canadian Agri-Marketing Association named him Agri-Marketer of the year. “You’re the senior statesman of Manitoba agricultural journalism and you’re known for even-handed and intelligent and insightful commentary,” said Crystal Jorgenson of the MFWBA, who is the communications specialist for the University of Manitoba’s faculty of agriculture and food sciences.

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From left to right: Manitoba Lieutenant-Governor Phil Lee, Laura Rance, Senator JoAnne Buth

FBC associate publisher and editorial director John Morriss (l) was presented with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal by Art Enns of the Grain Growers of Canada Dec. 17, 2012 in Winnipeg. The Grain Growers nominated Morriss for the honour. Photo by: Allan Dawson

Correction In the November 2012 Edition of the Farm Journalist, Manitoba: Exploring innovation in all the food groups was written by Gail Granger.

If you're in Moncton for the Atlantic Farm Mech Show, March 7-9, join the

Atlantic Canada Farm Writers' Association for a social on Friday, March 8, after the show closes. Contact Allison Finnamore at [email protected] for

details.

ACFWA Social in March

REGIONAL NEWS 4


The Saskatchewan Farm Writers Association held two AGMs in the past few months. Each year we’ve held our AGM in conjunction with Canadian Western Agribition, which is always in November in Regina. But because our year end is in December, our financial report never included the full financial year. So we decided to move our AGM to coincide with Crop Production Week in Saskatoon. We did take care of some important business at our first AGM, on November 19, 2012. We elected a new board, reviewed the proposed constitution and bylaws, and took care of the other items that go along with an AGM. Saskatchewan’s Agriculture Minister, Lyle Stewart, also joined us prior to our meeting to discuss some of the issues the province’s producers face. It was a wonderful opportunity to chat with the minister in an informal setting. Our second AGM was held on January 8, 2013. We plan to hold future AGMs around this date as well. We adopted the proposed constitution and bylaws. Neil Billinger agreed to take on the planning for the spring tour, while Al Scholz stepped forward to plan the professional development portion. The spring tour is set for June 15th in the Outlook area. We also discussed the bursary, which is provided to SFWA members in good standing who plan to attend the CFWF conference. We decided to give priority to applicants who haven’t attended a conference in the past. But other eligible

SFWA News—AGM Madness By Lisa Guenther

members are encouraged to apply as well. For more information, visit www.saskfarmwriters.ca. Thank you to the members who attended the AGMs, the people who volunteered for board positions and to Neil and Al for organizing the spring tour and PD session (as well as those who will be helping them). A big thank you to Jan and Marlene, who have served as secretary and treasurer for several years, and to Kevin for filling the past-president position.

The 2013 Board includes: President Lisa Guenther, Grainews Vice-President Diane Goski, Farm Credit Canada Past-President Kevin Hursh, Hursh Consulting & Communications Secretary Jan Coté, Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada Treasurer Marlene Hursh, Hursh Consulting & Communications Director/CFWF Rep Myrna Stark-Leader, Farm Credit Canada Director/Member at Large Alice McFarlane, CJVR FM/CK750 AM

There was a changing of the guard at the BC Farm Writers Association annual meeting in Abbotsford, Jan 25th. After over 20 years at the helm, David Schmidt stepped down as president,

Changing of the Guard at BCFWA turning over the reins of the association to Tamara Leigh. For the rest of this year, Leigh will be doing double duty as president of both the BCFWA and the Canadian Farm Writers Federation, something

Schmidt also did in 1994. “When Tony Greaves (now a BCFWA life member) as treasurer and I as president took over the BCFWA in


REGIONAL NEWS 5


about 1990, we had less than 10 members and our CFWF dues were three years in arrears. We managed to get that turned around and now we have over 20 enthusiastic members so it’s a good time to let the next generation move the association forward,” Schmidt says. Schmidt is not completely leaving the executive, however, as he has agreed to take on the job of treasurer for at least the next year. He had been acting as interim treasurer since mid-summer after previous treasurer Sandra Tretick left the country to go sailing in the Philippines. However, Tretick remains a BCFWA member and is interested in taking on freelance writing and communications contracts which can be done by email. The executive welcomed two new members. Cheryl Davie, policy and communications manager with the BC Agriculture Council, was elected as the new vice-president while Amanda Rallings, an agriculture student at the University of the Fraser Valley, has agreed to take on the secretary’s role. Rallings’ election marks the first time in memory that the secretary’s position has not been filled by the regional communications manager for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The first order of business for the new executive is to organize the 2013 CFWF conference. Given the outpouring of enthusiasm at the AGM, this year’s conference, to be held at Harrison Hot Springs, Oct 3-5, is sure to maintain BC’s reputation for hosting the best CFWF conferences


Face-to-face and/or word of mouth is the best, perhaps even the only, way of communicating with foreign farmers. Even though the Farm and Ranch Safety and Health Agency publishes most of its farm safety materials in English, Punjabi and Spanish, “the best way to communicate with ethnic farmers is in person,” says FARSHA farm safety specialist David Nguyen. He was one of three speakers discussing the topic with BC Farm Writers at their annual meeting in Abbotsford, Jan 25th. It also takes trust, says Henry Wiens, manager of the BC Cole Crop Growers Association and a past manager of both the Fraser Valley Strawberry Growers Association and the BC Potato & Vegetable Growers Association. “All ethnic farmers are hard workers. They’ve done everything the hard way and they have to trust whoever they’re going to listen to.” Wiens says most foreign farmers are not looking for broad knowledge. “Pictures and stories of what other people do don’t interest

Changing of the Guard at BCFWA cont’d

BCFWA Panel By David Schmidt

them. They’re very focused and very competitive,” he says, adding many are so busy working on the farm they don’t have time to read. “I used to put out a newsletter for the FVSGA. Even when I cut it down to a single page, I still couldn’t get them to read it.”

Hoping to change that is Baljinder Singh Nanda. Last fall, he launched Kheti (kheti means agriculture in Punjabi), a bi-monthly magazine aimed at the Fraser Valley’s large contingent of Indo-Canadian farmers. The glossy magazine publishes articles in both English and Punjabi. “We launched the magazine in an effort to educate the parents, since the kids are not staying on the farm,” Nanda says. “Each issue will feature a local Indo-Canadian success story.” He says reaction to the first two issues has been extremely positive, and Okanagan farmers are already asking to have it expanded to include them.

HERE & THERE 6


Member Portal Following the visioning session at the 2012 CFWF annual conference, CFWF will be implementing an online member’s portal so that members can interact, share job opportunities, events, engage in forums and have easy online access to contact information. Please note you should have received an email by December 14 asking you to log in to your account and update your information. We will continue to send out regular e-newsletters as well as the Farm Journalist via email, however the member roster will be available securely online rather than emailed as a pdf file. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Christina Franc at [email protected]

Over the past several years, freelance journalist Jeffrey Carter has been busy in his garage when he hasn’t been in front of his computer or out on assignment. Min Piri Dokka – “My Little Sweetheart” – is his latest boat. Other than a smaller skiff Carter finished a decade ago, it’s the first wooden sailing vessel to be launched on the Sydenham River at Dresden, Ontario in about 150 years. Carter writes for Ontario Farmer, Western Producer and several other publications. (Photo by Russell Carter)

December and January saw the passing of three well-known farm writers in Western Canada. Alf Bryan, whose day job was farmer in Tugaske, Sask. died Dec. 3 in Moose Jaw. Bryan's "I may be wrong, but…" column was a regular feature in Grainews in the 1980s and 1990s. He liked to take on the conventional wisdom of the day, be it the wheat board, politics, rural life in general and even zero tillage, but developed a loyal following even among the many who disagreed with him. Alf was one of the writers hired by John Clark to fit the Grainews theme of "For farmers, by farmers." Like fellow crusty columnist and metric-hater Lyle Walker, Alf was first spotted by John in the letters to the editor of the Western Producer. Sadly, John also passed away in Winnipeg Jan. 18 at age 81 after a short battle with cancer. John launched Grainews in 1975, originally as a free publication to promote services and policies of United Grain Growers. However, in addition to the "love 'em or hate 'em" columnists like Bryan and Walker, Grainews also carried a solid selection of "how to" information, which was also popular with farmers. It later successfully transferred to paid subscriptions. A memorial service is planned for a later date. Another loss was Rod Edwards, who died of cancer Jan. 9 in Winnipeg at age 72. Rod covered agriculture for much of his career as a reporter for Canadian Press and the Winnipeg Free Press before joining the Manitoba Co-operator as associate editor in the mid 1980s. He also worked for a stint at AAFC's National Grains Bureau in Winnipeg.

The passing of three Prairie Farm Journalists By John Morriss

IFAJ NEWS 7


As members of our national farm writer organization, you are also members of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists. IFAJ has several contests open to members (and, in some cases, non-members). For some of the IFAJ contests, the CFWF Secretariat submits winning entries from our national awards on your behalf, as only one entry per country is accepted. However, in the case of the IFAJ Star Prize for Photography and the IFAJ-YARA Sustainable Agriculture Reporting Award, individual members are invited to submit entries on their own.

The entry deadline is May 1, 2013 for: • the IFAJ Star Prize for Photography • the IFAJ-YARA Sustainable Agriculture Reporting

(entries must have been published in 2012)

IFAJ Star Prize for Photography Award Any CFWF member may enter one photo in each of the three categories of people, landscape and production. As well, CFWF may submit an entry from someone who is not a member of their guild (for a fee of 25 euros). This

IFAJ Contests contest is sponsored by DeLaval. Co-ordinator is Allison Finnamore, Canada.

The contest theme for 2013 is: Solving the 9 billion people problem: How can science and technology provide answers? The need to increase production and productivity in agriculture in the next 40 years to feed an increasing population is inevitable. Also, demand for agricultural products for biofuels will put pressure on agricultural production. There are many questions: What scientific knowledge and technology is available? How and where can it best be implemented in farming practice? How much more can current agricultural practices deliver? Should GMO play a greater role – and what are the implications? Should agriculture primarily increase in developing countries, where food demand is increasing? For more information on either of these awards, visit www.ifaj.org or contact Allison Finnamore at [email protected]

The IFAJ-YARA Sustainable Agriculture Reporting Award

Thanks to an idea from the Australian Council of Agricultural Journalists, IFAJ has just refreshed the online category in the federation's Star Prize for Broadcasting competition. The newly revised category opens the contest up to all members (in good standing) of a national association, including CFWF, and makes the category a truly online competition. Allison Finnamore, chairperson of the IFAJ Professional Development Committee and Canada's IFAJ executive representative, says the star prize will now go to the best cross-platform piece that demonstrates a combined use of at least three different elements of online journalism. "We really want to see entries that use a combination of these tools to present solid examples of online journalism," Finnamore says. "This isn't about a print article is reposted on a website or Facebook page. Instead, in the spirit of the proposal from the Australian guild, we're looking for entries that blend new media together to tell a story about agriculture." The IFAJ rules state that entries to the revised category must include at least three forms of new media, so a combination of tools like video, audio, images and text are used to tell the story. "The emphasis is on the sophistication of the reporting by the use of multiple mediums to tell the story," says Leigh Radford, Australia's IFAJ executive representative. Rules and details of the revised Star Prize for Broadcasting are on the IFAJ website athttp://www.ifaj.org/

Changes arrive for IFAJ Broadcasting Award

IFAJ NEWS 8


Reflections cont’d

the pressure is on farmers in the tropics and Sub-Saharan Africa to increase production exponentially. Kenya’s population of 43 million people is growing by 1 million every year. Food security, the ability to ensure the basic nutritional needs of their population, is one of the biggest challenges facing the country, yet the last national budget allocated less than 4 percent of spending to agriculture, far short of the 10 percent target set by the East African Union. Despite the many challenges – the structural deficit, the need for effective governance, the Herculean task of communicating with and coordinating tens of millions of small-scale farmers across the country – everything I saw makes me believe that Kenyans will be the authors of their own success. Simply put, Kenyan farmers are motivated. Their survival depends on their ability to find creative solutions and innovate. At the grassroots, they are willing to work together, to challenge traditional ways of doing things, and to implement new techniques and technologies. They do not have the leisure of business as usual thinking. As a nation, Kenya has only had an established agriculture sector since 1963. In 50 years they have leapfrogged hundreds of years of European agricultural development. While they may still appear to be decades behind, Kenyan farmers have access to the world’s experts and they are not slowing down. Agriculture in Kenya today has tremendous challenges and potential. Small changes in agronomic practice can still have significant impacts on yields and productivity. Adaptation is being done at a human scale. They are not yet reliant on the increasingly high tech and high input agriculture that has shaped the last decades of Western agriculture. Without the encumbrances of infrastructure and history, Kenyan farmers can take in the lessons of the rest of the world and choose solutions that fit their context. The future is not bright and there are no easy answers, but this trip was a visit to the land of possibility. I am grateful to Agriterra and the IFAJ for the opportunity to realize my lifelong goal of travelling to Africa with purpose. Thanks also to Bekina boots for saving me from having to walk through a slaughterhouse in my hikers. All of the articles published from the E-4-D tour are available for your reading pleasure at: http://www.ifaj.org/professional-development/media-tour/articles-e-4-d-media-tour.html. Additional photos, video and commentary live on the IFAJ Facebook page.


IFAJ NEWS 9


I'm just freshly back from the IFAJ executive meetings in Berlin, Germany. The executive is hosted every year by International Green Week, a five-acre food and farming show. During the week-long Green Week, 400,000 people visit the site and take in the tastes, sights and sounds from around the globe. It's an amazing experience and I feel very fortunate to be able to take some of it in. But before we have the chance to explore the booths and displays from around the world, the IFAJ executive burrow away in a back room in the press centre at Messe Berlin and have some lengthy, and often passionate, discussions about the international farm writers' organization and our future. I'll be filing a full report for inclusion in the CFWF annual report, but in the meantime, I want to let you know details about the IFAJ 2013 Congress in Argentina, set for Sept. 1 to 5, 2013. We will start and end in the city of Buenos Aires and in between, visit the city of Rosario, as well as the countryside.

The early bird fee, which includes congress registration and accommodations, is 719 euro (US$939) per person for double occupancy and 899 euro (US$1,174) per person for single occupancy. Early bird registration is set to open on February 18. Registration will be online at the IFAJ 2013 Congress website, http://ifajargentina.com/argentina. There are several post congress tours arranged for after the main congress. Details about those trips are located at http://ifajargentina.com/argentina/post_congress. It's my understanding that the registration will open for these trips at the same time as the main congress. I'm sorry, but I have no prices available on these post congress tours. If I hear any news on this, I will certainly be sure to share it with the CFWF community. There is also some discussion about the possibility of a pre-congress tour, but again, details are unavailable right now. I will share any news I hear as soon as anything is confirmed. In Argentina, we'll have the chance to chose between a variety of tours that will take a close look at the specifics of agriculture in the country. Tours include grain, livestock, dairy and a tourist-based tour of the city of Rosario. Our colleagues from Argentina have been working hard on the details of the congress and if you've ever had the chance to meet them, you'll know they are a fun-loving group. It will certainly be a congress to remember and I'm sure we'll come home with many excellent stories to write about and fun tales to tell. Looking further ahead to other congresses, here are some dates to mark in your calendar: - IFAJ 2014 Congress in Scotland from Sept. 4 to 7. The congress will be based in Aberdeen with pre and post congress tours to the London area and Wales. Tours during the congress will include field crops/potatoes; diversifications; soft fruit; beef and red meat; arable land and whiskey. Website is ifaj2014.com. - IFAJ 2015 Congress in New Zealand from Oct. 14 to 17. The congress will be in the northern region around Hamilton. There will be pre and post congress tours in New Zealand and possibly Australia. - IFAJ 2016 Congress in Bonn, Germany. Dates have not yet been selected, but organizers say there will be tours to the north, south and east of the country. Give me a call at 506-860-7761 or email [email protected] if you have any questions at all about IFAJ.

IFAJ Congress News By Allison Finnamore

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FJ February 2013 - IFAJ · journalism, was one of several ... reviewed the proposed constitution and bylaws, ... the country to go sailing in the Philippines