BC Farm Writers' Association

BC Farm Writers Association

A new year! A new season!

A fresh perspective!

Hello!

As we head into the spring of a new year, we are reaching out to you as BC Farm Writers’ Association members, former members and potential new members.

This year, the board of directors is committed to keeping you more up-to-date about the association, its work and events --even if the pandemic makes getting together a little more challenging.

Here are some updates:

Excellent turnout

We had an excellent turnout of 17 members at our first-ever virtual annual general meeting on January 6.

Members expressed their appreciation and good wishes to Cheryl Davie, who stepped down after three years as BCFW president. Cheryl, of course, was captain of the ship as BC hosted the very successful Canadian Farm Writers Conference at Westminster Quay in 2019, raising the bar once again for all future conferences!

After the business meeting, we were joined by many more farm writers from across Canada as International Federation of Agricultural Journalists president Lena Johansson spoke to us via Zoom from her home in Sweden. She didn't disappoint!

The president’s torch has now been passed to Ronda Payne of Maple Ridge, who is joined on the new board by vice president Cathy Glover, treasurer David Schmidt, secretary Barbara Johnstone Grimmer and CFWF representative Myrna Stark Leader.

Spring social - save the date!

Join us Wednesday, April 28 at 5 pm via Zoom for our SPRING SOCIAL via Zoom! (Don't you wish you had shares?) Details to come.

It's time to pay your dues

If you haven’t yet renewed your 2021 BCFWA membership, please do.

Be sure to fill out the member information sheet. A benefit of membership is the opportunity to have your bio published on the BCFWA website, with or without an email link. We also want to be sure we have your correct contact information so we can keep you updated about future activities.

Dues are $50, payable to BCFW. If you prefer to e-transfer your dues, send $50 to davidschmidt@shaw.ca (answer: dues).

We're open for business

The BC Farm Writers’ board of directors meets the first Tuesday of each month at 2 pm and all members are welcome to join us via Zoom to find out what’s happening behind the scenes. It might also provide a professional development opportunity to see how the board functions. Fresh faces on boards are a good thing for any organization. Watch our Facebook page for reminders and email us for the Zoom link.

Code of Conduct

At our board meeting on March 2, the board agreed to adopt the Code of Conduct recently announced by the Canadian Farm Writers Association. It is available to view on our website and on the shiny new CFWF website

BC Farm Writers’ bursaries awarded

While the pandemic has been challenging in so many ways, it has had its perks. Last year, BCFW intended to award travel bursaries but after the CFWF conference in Windsor was postponed, the board agreed to re-allocate some of that money into a second bursary for a deserving post-secondary student.

Congratulations to 2021 Tim Armstrong Memorial Bursary recipient Courtney Wallace, an Animal Science program student at Lakeland College, and to Lana Harach, also in Animal Science but at the University of the Fraser Valley. Both received $1,000 awards.

Windsor or bust

The national Canadian Farm Writers’ conference in Windsor – Risky Business – will go ahead this year after being postponed last fall because of the pandemic. The 2021 conference is scheduled for September 23-25 and will be a hybrid event with both in-person farm tours and livestreamed professional development sessions via Zoom.

A pre-tour is being planned for Thursday, farm tours will take place on Friday, and professional development sessions are scheduled for Saturday.

"Our hope/goal is to provide an in-person conference experience as close to a typical CFWF conference as possible," says Rachel Telford, one of the conference's co-chairs. She reached out to our CFWF rep Myrna Stark Leader this week. The conference is being hosted by the Eastern Canada Farm Writers Association.

A block of rooms has been set aside at the host hotel for CFWF members who are able to attend in person.

Obviously, the committee is facing unprecedented challenges and a lot of uncertainty.

"We need to be flexible and adapt as we go," says Rachel, who also notes if restrictions remain in place for in-person participation, the conference will go ahead entirely online.

"In fairness to Saskatchewan (the 2022 conference host), we cannot postpone again," she says.

We will continue to keep you updated on their progress and when registration opens.

Professional development

In the meantime, the Eastern Canada Farm Writers’ Association is hosting a two session workshop starting next Tuesday, March 9: On the go: getting the perfect cell phone photo. Registration closes this Saturday, March 6. Visit their website or Facebook page for more information.

Thank you for supporting the BC Farm Writer’s Association. We have lots of great things in the works this year. Stay tuned!

www.bcfwa.ca

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