Better Farming wins third award for story on Pigeon King

Thursday, July 31, 2008

At an awards ceremony held on Monday in Tampa, Florida, the publication’s writers were awarded first place in the team story category of the 2008 American Agricultural Editors Association’s writing contest for Faith in Arlan Galbraith: Ontario’s Pigeon King.

The article appeared in the December, 2007 issue of the magazine and was written by Mary Baxter, Robert Irwin, and Don Stoneman.

“We’re all honoured by the recognition of our peers south of the border,” says Irwin, the publication’s managing editor. 

In his comments, judge John Schneller, associate professor at the Missouri School of Journalism, called the article “public service journalism at its best,” and an “exhaustive investigative report that mixes finance and personality in a revealing, even-handed fashion.”

It was an “excellent example of original reporting,” he added.

It’s the third major recognition of the article. In July, the article received a bronze award in a major international English language magazine competition, sponsored by Trade, Association and Business Publications International. In May the Canadian Association of Journalists awarded Better Farming writers the top magazine award for investigative reporting for the same story.

AgMedia Inc, an independent publishing company in Ontario publishes Better Farming magazine and a sister publication, Better Pork.

The American Agricultural Editors Association is a professional organization representing agricultural editors, writers and photojournalists. BF