Member News

September 2007

Congratulations to MFWBA members that picked up prizes at the Canadian Farm Writers Federation annual awards competition in Belleville last month. The 2007 winners included Glenn Cheater (GOLD, The Felix Schmaltz Award - General Periodical), Laura Rance (BRONZE, The Frank Jacobs Award - Press Column), Jay Whetter (SILVER, The Jack Cram Award - Monthly Press Reporting), and Karli Flinta-Murphy (BRONZE, The Q.H. Martinson Award - Weekly Press Reporting). Other Manitoba winners included Richard Martin of the Canadian Wheat Board (SILVER, The Henry Heald Award - World Wide Web Site) and Aldo Santin and Paul Samyn of the Winnipeg Free Press (GOLD, The C.B. Fairbairn Award - Daily Press Reporting).

April 2007

Congratulations to MFWBA executive member Ed White, reporter for the Western Producer, who cleaned up recently at the North American Agricultural Journalists annual writing contest. He received second place in the Columns/Analysis category for “Silence breeds suspicion, no matter the motive”, third place in the Series category for “Commodity Exchanges”, and honorable mentions in the Features category for “Hutterite Isolation” and the Special Projects category for “The end of the Crow, 11 years later”. Ed was unable to participate in the awards ceremony, which was held in conjunction with the annual meeting April 15 to 17 in Washington D.C. However, MFWBA member and former NAAJ president Laura Rance attended the meeting where she made an invited presentation on the recent merger of Farmers Independent Weekly and the Manitoba Co-operator. Laura is the editor of the Manitoba Co-operator.

Congratulations also to MFWBA member and Manitoba Co-operator reporter Karli Flinta-Murphy, who is bound for Japan in September as one of four winners worldwide of a professional development award for young agricultural journalists. The International Federation of Agricultural Journalists’ Young Leaders in Agriculture Journalism award — sponsored by Alltech, a U.S. biotech firm specializing in animal nutrition — pays 1,250 Euros (about $1,900 Cdn.) toward the cost of attending the IFAJ’s 2007 congress in Japan September 17 to 23. The other three recipients come from Serbia, Britain and the Czech Republic, according to Janet Kanters, president of the Canadian Farm Writers’ Federation, which put Flinta-Murphy forward as its nominee. A panel of IFAJ judges from three countries chose the recipients from among nominated applicants under age 35.

January 2007

Richard Phillips, current member of the Eastern Canada Farm Writers Association and former member/director of MFWBA, was recently appointed Executive Director of the Grain Growers of Canada. He can be reached at 613-233-9954 or phillips@ggc-pgc.ca.

September 2006

Manitoba farm writers once again did well in the Canadian Farm Writers Federation annual awards competition this past weekend, picking up six prizes for writing and photography. Laura Rance, associate editor of the Farmers Independent Weekly, took first-place gold in two categories: press column and weekly press reporting. Ian Bell of the Western Producer received a second-place silver award for news photograph. Dave Bedard, managing editor of the Manitoba Co-operator, won third-place bronze in the press editorial category. Jay Whetter, Country Guide editor, also won a bronze for press feature. Another bronze went to Maureen Fitzhenry of the Canadian Wheat Board in the news release category. The awards were presented at the CFWF’s annual awards banquet held at the Fort Garry Hotel in Winnipeg September 16. Congratulations to all the winners!

June 2006

Julie McNabb of Minnedosa is the winner of the Manitoba Co-operator's inaugural scholarship contest, earning a $1,000 prize and a one-year paid membership in the MFWBA. Her prize-winning essay, which will appear in the June 8 Co-operator, dealt with diversification as protection for Manitoba farmers against disastrous drops in income or production. Julie returns to her studies this fall at Ryerson University's School of Journalism in Toronto. Second and third prizes of $150 each go to Nicole Shanowsky of Winnipeg, a student at Red River College, and Kyle Bakx of Kleefeld, enrolled at the University of Winnipeg.

The scholarship is intended to help support the development of the next generation of journalists, broadcasters and professional communicators, through a cash prize for a Manitoba resident enrolled full time or part time in his or her first or subsequent year of a post-secondary program in journalism, communications or broadcasting anywhere in Canada.

January 2006

The Manitoba Co-operator has announced it will provide a $1,000 scholarship to a Manitoba resident enrolled full time or part time in his or her first or subsequent year of a post-secondary program in journalism, communications or broadcasting anywhere in Canada. See more details here.

November 2005

John Morriss, publisher and editor of Farmers’ Independent Weekly is this year’s recipient of Agri-Marketer of the Year award presented by the Canadian Agri-Marketing Association. The award presented at the association’s annual convention in London, Ontario November 4 recognizes "outstanding accomplishments in the field of Canadian agricultural marketing. It honours innovative leadership and exceptional performance in facing the challenges presented by marketing in today’s constantly changing agricultural world." The citation highlighted the rapid growth of Farmers’ Independent Weekly since its inception three years ago.

John is the Manitoba representative on the CFWF national committee.

September 2005

Several Manitoba farm writers won awards the the2006 Canadian Farm Writers Federation Awards banquet held September 24 in Lloydminister, AB:

Laura Rance, associate editor of the Farmers Independent Weekly, won two top awards at the Canadian Farm Writers Federation annual awards competition. Laura won gold for weekly press reporting (The Q.H. Martenson Award) for her story "Market Access Eludes Science-Based Rules." She won a second gold award in the press column category (The Frank Jacobs Award) for a piece titled "Deregulation a Code for Re-Regulation" which appeared in the Winnipeg Free Press.

Linda Deger of the Canadian Wheat Board took top honours in the general periodical category (The Felix Schmaltz Award) for "All in a Day's Work: CWB's 2003-04 Annual Report." Maureen Fitzhenry of the CWB received the third-place bronze award in the same category for "Grain Matters."

Jay Whetter, editor of the Manitoba Co-operator, took a silver second prize in the press column category for his commentary "Give Farmers an Extra Vote."

Roberta Rampton of Reuters in Winnipeg won silver for weekly press reporting with her story "Winnipeg Commodity Exchange Trading Floor Silenced." Roberta's piece appeared in the Farmers Independent Weekly.

June 2005

Richard Phillips, currently employed in Winnipeg with Minister Reg Alcock, and a four year member of the MFWBA Executive is moving to Ottawa this summer, where he will continue managing the Minister's Canadian Wheat Board portfolio and Treasury Board related agricultural files.

David Elias has moved on from the Canadian Wheat Board to become the Communications Coordinator for the Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council.

May 2005

Lyndsey Smith has left the Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council to become Associate Editor of Country Guide and Editor of Wheat, Oats and Barley with Farm Business Communications.

Congratulations to Dallas Ballance, owner of GoodwinBallance Communications. Dallas was recently named 2005 Manitoba Woman Entrepreneur of the Year. She was selected ahead of 23 other finalists for the award presented by the Women Business Owners of Manitoba, Winnipeg Chapter. Dallas was also recognized as winner of the Emerging Business category. Yvonne Thompson, chairwoman of the judging panel, said Dallas was chosen for the manner in which she has carved a niche out for herself in the agriculture industry. "Clearly she has cornered the market in the ag sector. She's the person to go to if you're in that industry," said Thompson.

April 2005

Dave Wreford, the editor of Country Guide in Winnipeg, will retire from the post at the end of May. A long-time member of this organization, Dave has brought to the MFWBA a wealth of knowledge and experience of the ag industry from his 32 years with the magazine — not to mention the occasional lively debate at association meetings and other events where we’re known to congregate.

Jay Whetter has been named the new editor of the western edition of the farm magazine. Peter Gredig, currently managing editor of Country Guide Ontario, will become editor of Country Guide’s eastern edition.

Cory Bourdeaud’hui, editor of Canola Guide and Wheat Oats & Barley, and managing editor of the annual Grainmagazine: Disease, Weeds & Insects, has been named managing editor of Grainews, where he will work with editor Andy Sirski.

Dave Bedard, currently managing editor of Grainews, has been named managing editor of the Manitoba Co-operator. Dave will work with Jay Whetter, who in addition to his new post with Country Guide will continue as editor-in-chief of the Co-operator.