Better Farming writer wins U.S. awards

Monday, March 1, 2010

by BETTER FARMING STAFF

Better Farming’s field editor has placed in two categories of a major North American agricultural writing competition.

Mary Baxter earned second in the special projects category and third in the feature category of this year’s North American Agricultural Journalists’ writing competition. She was the sole Canadian to place in either category.

The articles recognized were “Women’s changing role on the farm” (special projects), which appeared in the May 2009 issue of Better Farming magazine and “Road salt: The silent enemy” (feature), which appeared in the August/September 2009 issue. Last year, “Women’s changing role on the farm” also received the Dick Beamish silver award for press feature at the 2009 Canadian Farm Writers’ Federation awards competition.

Published 10 times a year, Better Farming is Ontario’s largest circulating farm business publication. It is owned by AgMedia Inc.

According to its website, the North American Agricultural Journalists is “a professional, international group of agricultural editors and writers with a membership spanning the United States and Canada. Formerly the Newspaper Farm Editors of America, and then the National Association of Agricultural Journalists, it was organized in 1952 to promote the highest ideals of journalism and agricultural coverage.”

Contest coordinators released results for three of the contest’s seven categories on Monday. Contest winners will be recognized at the organization’s annual meeting in Washington in April. BF