Country Life in BC was recognized at the annual Canadian Farm Writers Federation awards for excellence in agricultural communications in Halifax on October 5.
The paper took top honours in two categories, Production Photography and People Feature.
Photographer Kari Lynn Turner won gold for Roll Call, a photo in the January 2023 paper showing the herd at Ogilvie Stock Ranch in Kamloops falling into line as a round bale is readied to roll out on a winter day.
Nelson-based correspondent Brian Lawrence won gold in the People Feature category for “Growing opportunities for fellow farms”, a profile of Nathan Wild and Emily Woody of Confluence Farms near Castlegar published in August 2023.
August 2023 also saw publication of columnist Kathleen Gibson’s award-winning Viewpoint “Reconciliation is more than just a land deal.” The piece won bronze for opinion writing.
The winning streak continued in the September issue, with two more bronze awards.
Tracey Fredrickson’s profile “Off-the-grid organic farm thrives on efficiency,” which told the story of Gary Diers and Inanna Judd of Tipiland Organic Produce – now Argenta Farms – was the bronze recipient in the People Feature category.
Tom Walker’s technical feature, “Grasslands take carbon storage underground,” in the same paper also received a bronze award.
In the Business Economics Reporting category, associate editor Peter Mitham won bronze for his clear presentation of the financial challenges facing the dairy sector in the February 2023 paper, “Dairy farmers on the brink.”
Contributors to Country Life in BC also won honours for submissions published elsewhere.
Vancouver Island correspondent Kate Ayers won silver in the Communication Short category for her farm safety piece, “Rate of child on-farm injuries unchanged for decades,” in the Spring 2023 issue of BC Holstein News (now Western Canadian Dairy News).
The annual awards competition attracted 149 submissions from across Canada in 5 categories. A total of 48 awards were presented. Country Life in BC congratulates all the winners.